Historical Background

The Shakespeare Festival of Catalonia was originally founded in 2003 in Santa Susanna, in the Maresme region. In 2008, it moved to Mataró, the capital of the region, with the intention of continuing to grow. Two years later, it became part of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network  (ESFN) which gave it an international character, confirmed its recognition by other Shakespeare festivals across the continent, and enabled joint work on co-productions, activities, and shared strategies.

When celebrating its 9th edition in 2011, the Festival was cancelled by the Mataró City Council, and two years later it reinvented itself during a time of crisis. It moved to Barcelona in collaboration with La Perla 29, which during the last two editions made it possible for the Shakespeare Festival to have its main venue at the Gothic nave of the Teatre La Biblioteca, surrounded by other spaces, organizations, and institutions of all kinds located in the Raval district.

Throughout its first eleven editions, the Shakespeare Festival of Catalonia, as a member of the ESFN, became the reference point for southwestern Europe. It acted as a bridge and link to Europe through connections with companies, producers, artists, and entities related to Shakespeare from different disciplines and cultural approaches.

The Festival featured 97 companies from Catalonia, Spain, and internationally. Over eleven editions, it brought together companies from France, England, Denmark, Italy, the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, Lithuania, Portugal, Russia, Germany, and Belgium. It also became a meeting point for more than 13,000 spectators.

This legacy supports the Festival's revival and reaffirms our belief in its significance.