Calpe Town Council, through the Department of the ‘Building Europe with Local Councillors’ (BELC) project, Twinning and European Funds, aims to promote the participation of local associations in European cultural exchanges. To this end, European grants are being sought, such as those from the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), which will enable local groups to cover the costs of initiatives of this type. These procedures are already at an advanced stage.
‘We are very pleased to be able to provide these opportunities to all our local associations,’ said Councillor Marco Bittner, responsible for Twinning and International Promotion, who, together with Councillor Ana Perles, has accompanied the Rondalla de Calpe on a cultural exchange in the German city of Bebra. ‘This opportunity is open to all associations in Calpe that want to broaden their horizons and expand their European reach.’
The Rondalla de Calpe is participating in the centenary celebrations of the Mandolinen Verein ‘Wanderlust 1925’, its German sister group, and as a special surprise, it has premiered three traditional dances dressed in Valencian costumes (Fandango, Copeo and a Jota), thus expanding its repertoire, which until now had focused exclusively on Spanish music and popular songs.
The Calpe delegation has developed a full programme of performances during its stay, including a presentation by the Rondalla to publicise the performances planned during its stay and the culture of Calpe, as well as two concerts: a special performance at a German Biergarten in Weiterode, where they performed the new regional Valencian dances, and another joint performance with the Mandolinen Verein ‘Wanderlust 1925’, which will take place tomorrow, Friday, in a church in Bebra. ‘The various performances have been received with applause and surprise by the local inhabitants, thus consolidating the ties of friendship and cultural cooperation between the two communities,’ said Marco Bittner.
During the visit, the Calpe delegation had the opportunity to meet with various German authorities, such as the mayor of Bebra, Stefan Knoche, who officially welcomed them at the town hall, which encompasses the 11 municipalities in the area, as well as the mayor of the town that initiated the twinning in early 2000, Horst Groß. They also met Andreas Nölke, the current mayor of Weiterode, who expressed great interest in expanding Spanish-German relations to other levels and future projects.
Calpe Town Council reiterates that these opportunities to participate in European projects are open to all Calpe associations that wish to broaden their horizons and enjoy new experiences and enriching exchanges.
The aim is to ensure that it is the citizens themselves who enjoy the benefits of European aid for their projects, within the framework of the collaboration provided by the Calpe Town Council.
‘We are working to build a Europe for everyone, where every local association can find its place and contribute its grain of sand to the construction of a richer and more diverse European community,’ concluded the municipal representative.