Calpe City Council has opened the call for entries for the 13th edition of the ‘Antonio Ferrer, El Cartero’ National Amateur Theatre Contest. This event, which has established itself as a benchmark in the national amateur theatre scene, will take place in November 2025 at the Jaume Pastor i Fluixà Cultural Centre.
The contest, which is free of charge, will be held on Sundays 9, 16 and 23 November at 6.30 p.m., culminating in the awards ceremony and closing on Sunday 30 November at the same time. The Contest is open to amateur theatre groups from all over Spain who wish to present their productions to the Calpe audience and a specialist jury.
The performances will take place in a space equipped to offer the best technical conditions to the participants, allowing each company to show their work in a professional environment.
Registration will be open from 12 March to 31 July 2025 via the Calpe Town Council website (www.Calpe.es), using the form SUB15 - Application to Participate in the ‘Antonio Ferrer, El Cartero’ National Amateur Theatre Contest. The rules and regulations can be consulted in the BOP No. 59 of 25/03/2024 and the 2025 call for entries has been published in the BOP No. 48 of 11 March 2025.
The selected groups will compete for different awards, including the Best Performance Award (1,500 euros), the Best Director Award (1,000 euros), the Best Actor and Actress Award (500 euros each) and the Audience Award (700 euros). In addition, the organisers of the event will cover accommodation expenses for the selected groups, with the aim of facilitating their participation and promoting cultural exchange between the artists and the local public.
The jury will be made up of professionals from the world of theatre, critics and the performing arts, who will evaluate the plays based on criteria such as the quality of the acting, the stage direction, the originality of the proposal and the staging. Aspects such as the cohesion of the cast and the impact of the play on the audience will also be assessed.
The Contest has become a showcase for amateur theatre, with previous editions welcoming companies from different regions of Spain who have presented works of various genres, from comedy to drama, including classical adaptations and innovative proposals. Each year, the event attracts a loyal and diverse audience, consolidating Calpe as a benchmark in the amateur theatre scene.