Building the future without neglecting the present
I attended several conferences in order to better understand the directions cultural policy debates are currently taking within certain spaces and ecosystems. Those of us who have been working in this field for a long time know that, quite often, a significant part of what is said amounts to empty discourse: narratives designed to justify budgetary alliances, and silences that avoid opening certain discussions because of prejudices the sector has yet to overcome. It is no coincidence that highly valuable individuals—some of them internationally respected—eventually withdraw from these spaces.
There are, of course, exceptions. And some of them offer genuine hope. But I won’t pretend otherwise: that day, the real lesson did not come from the conference rooms, but from the stage at Teatros del Canal. There, collaboration between diverse artistic profiles did more than simply coexist—it entered into dialogue, built a shared world, and held a captivated audience.
An audience that, not so long ago—in 2015, at the Teatro Real—responded with indignation to performances that challenged prejudices and ways of thinking the Madrid public had not yet outgrown. At that moment, I felt deeply happy.
Happy to be accompanying those who may not speak loudly in public forums, but who spend countless hours in the laboratory: talking among themselves, struggling, thinking, and working to sustain culture on the front line of risk (and risks), while others debate a distant future without supporting the present. Because this is where value truly lies: in building the future without neglecting the present. A present that, with water up to its neck, continues to shout CULTURE.
If you are young and reading this, with a professional path still ahead of you, do not forget this. Speaking with honesty and genuine seriousness has become a luxury—one that is no longer heard in many places. When both are embraced, there is less room for loud success and more space for sustained, meaningful work: the work of silent artisans who labor with deep love and respect for societies. Where do you want to stand?
I attended several conferences in order to better understand the directions cultural policy debates are currently taking within certain spaces and ecosystems. Those of us who have been working in this field for a long time know that, quite often, a significant part of what is said amounts to empty discourse: narratives designed to justify budgetary alliances, and silences that avoid opening certain discussions because of prejudices the sector has yet to overcome. It is no coincidence that highly valuable individuals —some of them internationally respected— eventually withdraw from these spaces. There are, of course, exceptions. And some of them offer genuine hope. But I won’t pretend otherwise: that day, the real lesson did not come from the conference rooms, but from the stage at Teatros del Canal. There, collaboration between diverse artistic profiles did more than simply coexist—it entered into dialogue, built a shared world, and held a captivated audience. An audience that, not so long ago —in 2015, at the Teatro Real— responded with indignation to performances that challenged prejudices and ways of thinking the Madrid public had not yet outgrown. At that moment, I felt deeply happy. Happy to be accompanying those who may not speak loudly in public forums, but who spend countless hours in the laboratory: talking among themselves, struggling, thinking, and working to sustain culture on the front line of risk (and risks), while others debate a distant future without supporting the present. Because this is where value truly lies: in building the future without neglecting the present. A present that, with water up to its neck, continues to shout CULTURE. If you are young and reading this, with a professional path still ahead of you, do not forget this. Speaking with honesty and genuine seriousness has become a luxury—one that is no longer heard in many places. When both are embraced, there is less room for loud success and more space for sustained, meaningful work: the work of silent artisans who labor with deep love and respect for societies. Where do you want to stand?