Cia. Manolo Alcántara
MAÑA
(Distribution in Catalonia and internationally)
MAÑA is the transformation from artisan to artist, and the transmission of knowledge from grandparent to grandchild.
It is a performance-installation which revolves around ingenuity, that timeless, universal and transversal attribute, as seen through an artistic and artisanal lens. The construction of a giant arch made of very heavy boxes is there for all to see, a construction founded on the premises of economy of effort and movement using ancestral technologies that are still relevant today: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel,…
The choreography of this everyday element of set design is the performance in itself, in which craftsmanship is the indelible protagonist: a craftmanship which counterpoises the use of tools and resources, so as not to limit my effectiveness as an artisan, negotiating between ingenuity and intuition.
My father taught me how to build arches, and MAÑA is the way I would teach my son how to build them.
Production details
For all audiences
Outside
Duration: 60 minutes.
Scenic space: Ask for the technical sheet.
Awards
Award for “The Most Innovative Show”, TAC Valladolid 2022.
Award the best show Susanna Herreras 28ARCA 2022, give members jury 2022, Aguilar de Campoó.
Upcoming dates
| Date | City | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14/03/26 | Barcelona | MAÑA – Museu Marítim | 6:30pm |
| 10/04/26 | Barcelona | MAÑA – Casal Font d’en Fargues | 6:00pm |
| 16/04/26 | Barcelona | MAÑA – Centre Cívic Trinitat Vella | 6:00pm |
| 17/04/26 | Barcelona | MAÑA – Centre Cívic Urgell | 7:00pm |
| 24/04/26 | Barcelona | MAÑA – Centre Cívic La Sagrera “La Barraca” | 5:00pm |
| 25/06/26 | Tarragona | REFUGI – Cultura o extinció | 8:00pm |
| 03/07/26 | Görlitz | MAÑA – Festival Görlitz | 6:00pm |
| 04/07/26 | Görlitz | MAÑA – Festival Görlitz | 6:00pm |
| 12/07/26 | El Prat de Llobregat | REFUGI – a concretar | 8:00pm |
Bio
I am self-taught, and consider myself more of an artisan than an artist. I create my shows from my intuition, my sense of self, and my curiosity (which leads me to think, sometimes, that I don’t know anything about the circus). I take on the circus’ element of risk and transform it in order to share it with the audience.
I understand, experience and create circus pieces from a transformational point of view, a personal journey that goes through different stages, each of them as important as the other. Indeed, it would impossible for me to understand where I am now had I not experienced these previous stages. This journey began with a purely demonstrative interest in reaching where I am today, in that I like to hide the technique in order to place it at the service of the show.
Through this process I have arrived at certain constants, a sort of DNA that remains after (and emerges from) each load in and load out: patient and unhurried creation, emphasis on plot suggestion over graphic exposition , visual meticulousness, and the use of innovative structures.
Fitxa Artística
Concept, creation and direction: Manolo Alcántara
Performaers: Manolo Alcántara and Joan Trilla
Stage design: Manolo Alcántara
Set construction: Joan Trilla and Manolo Alcántara
Costume design and creationa: Rosa Solé
Musical arrengements: Joan Trilla
Sound design: Oriol Planas
Management and production: Clàudia Saez
Production: Cia. Manolo Alcántara
Production support: La Destil·leria
National distribution (Spain): Portal71
Catalan and international distribution: AlaPista
With the support of: ICEC-Generalitat de Catalunya, IRL and INAEM.
With the collaboration of: Kaldearte, La Colònia Vidal and Can Bach.
