New edition of the Impulsa Cultura Awards to foster the cultural fabric

Culture grows when it is cared for, accompanied, and driven with commitment. With this conviction, the Fundació Catalunya Cultura opens, once again, the call for the Impulsa Cultura 2026 Program, an initiative designed to give wings to cultural projects based or active in Catalonia that want to flourish, consolidate, and leave their mark on society. UntilFebruary 2,cultural projects can register to be part of thisfree annual program, which combines training, mentoring, and an acceleration processthought to reinforce and professionalize the Catalan cultural fabric. The program is structured inthree phasesand theFebruary 25with an inaugural day that will bring together all the selected projects from among the submitted candidacies. From that moment on, participants will receive training and advice, both in in-person and virtual sessions, with the aim of boosting their projects towards consolidation and sustainability. The tutorials will addresskey areas such as innovation, social and cultural impact, financial strategy or communication, always with a practical approach. Specialized mentorships will be led by prestigious professionals from the sector, who will accompany the projects throughout their journey, providing experience, judgment, and a wide network of contacts. This first phase will culminate with aDemo Day, which will be held onJune 18, in which the 10 selected semifinalist projects will participate and during which the Culture Awards will be presented, awards granted by entities linked to the Foundation, such as Barcelona Global, EADA Business School andThe New Barcelona Post—award that aims to design a communication strategy for the dissemination of the project—. In its previous edition, this awardrecognized the solidarity initiative Girem Full, which raises funds for cancer research through the promotion of reading. During the day ofDemo Daythe five finalist projects that will compete for the Impulsa Cultura Award will also be selected,endowed with 15,000 euros.The award for the winning project will be presented during the Nit de l'Empresa i la Cultura, organized by the Fundació Catalunya Cultura, a gala that this year will be held onMonday, November 9.In this act, the five finalists will publicly present their initiatives to cultural agents, companies, and institutions. The night will also serve to present the Empresa Cultura Awards, which recognize the work of an SME and a large company for their commitment and support to culture. Beyond the economic prize, the selected projects will become part of the Impulsa community of the Fundació Catalunya Cultura, which currentlygroups more than 300 cultural projectsand that facilitates continuous support, exclusive advantages, and discounts for the sector. This is according to Rebecca Albert, director ofFASTT —project winner of the Impulsa Cultura Award in the previous edition—the program is very useful from many points of view: it allows you to create a network, it offers you concrete tools and resources, and it helps you maintain the course of the project with more clarity and solidity".

The Fundació Catalunya Cultura distinguished this performing arts festival for micro-towns, which aims to bring culture to the smallest towns in Catalonia through performances, workshops and artistic co-creation projects with residents. Albert believes that, despite the dedication and effort involved in participating in the program, "the learning and growth obtained more than compensate for the work done."