The Abecedaria program organizes 276 theater, circus, and dance performances for schoolchildren in Andalusia.
The Abecedaria program, launched by the Ministry of Culture and Sport through the Andalusian Institute of Performing Arts and Music (IAAEM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training and the city councils of the participating municipalities, will run until June 2025.
The 276 theater, circus, and dance performances scheduled for this edition will be held during the school year rather than the calendar year, reflecting the demands of the educational community and allowing for the optimization of resources and greater access to the performing and musical arts for children and youth. This decision also improves the monitoring of activities and supports companies and municipalities.
Another new feature of this edition is the offer of workshops that companies will be able to teach alongside their performing arts activities, a measure that enriches young people's experience in their approach to the performing arts. Mediation activities are also planned, which will enhance the quality of the cultural program. Overall, the project contributes to the development of the Andalusian performing arts and music business community.
Abecedaria's programming is based on a catalog of shows. These shows were selected from a public call for proposals, which received more than 500 entries. From these proposals, a panel of experts selected 25 shows from 25 companies: 19 from Andalusia, and the rest from Catalonia (2), the Basque Country, the Community of Madrid, and La Rioja. In addition, there is an international company with French, Japanese, and Spanish artists. This selection includes five shows for early childhood education, 14 for primary education, and six for secondary and high school.
The school performance calendar has been developed taking into account programming criteria for all artistic disciplines and to serve all educational levels. The program has also been tailored to the technical characteristics of the show and the corresponding stage space, and has been coordinated in close coordination with the technicians of each municipality to reach the largest possible school population.
