Patronage is often silent—it doesn't create big headlines—but it constitutes one of the cornerstones of the Catalan cultural, scientific, and social ecosystem. The recent history of Catalonia would not be understood without the strength of patronage. From Vila Casas to La Marató de TV3. Patronage has many faces and, fortunately, despite constant mistreatment from the administration, it enjoys a capacity for resilience worthy of study.
During Patronage Week, The New Barcelona Post has offered a choral view of the many faces of this commitment, which is both a driving force and the cement of the history of our city and the country as a whole. The various articles published have served to X-ray the state of patronage, understand its historical evolution, and analyze its current challenges, with the participation of representative voices from culture, research, business, and the third sector.
In one of the central pieces of this week's series, the director of The NBP, Elena Busquets, describes patronage as an "invisible bridge" between business and culture, between science and society. Her article emphasizes that, although patronage has traditionally been discreet, Catalan foundations have woven a network with a real impact that needs to be cultivated and adapted to new times. Catalonia is the heir of great patrons from other eras, figures who helped build cultural and scientific institutions that still define the country today. But, in a contemporary context, the logic of patronage has become more strategic and professional: it is not enough to provide resources; they must be connected with sustainable projects with a vocation for transcendence.
The debate on the legal framework is another key piece of the week. Sergi Miquel, in his article, provides a lucid look at the normative labyrinth surrounding patronage and shows how current laws are the result of a slow process, of partial advances and wills that often clash with excessive bureaucracy. Public policies, he reminds us, should not only facilitate donations but also recognize their civic and cultural value. This is a demand shared by many of the testimonies collected during Patronage Week.
Among them, the voice of Gabriel de Mariscal, general director of Llet Nostra, stands out, defending that "patronage is not an expense, but a responsibility." His project shows how a company can act as a cultural and social agent without losing its productive essence. In the same spirit, various third sector entities demand alliances that go beyond punctual sponsorship, opting for long-term, trust-based relationships with the business fabric. Jèssica Celda Rescalvo, from the Taula del Tercer Sector, expresses it clearly: "Patronage is also a way of cohereing society, of giving meaning and voice to what often remains out of focus."
In the scientific field, Glòria Oliver's article is a good example: it reminds us that, for many researchers, philanthropic support is an essential complement to the limitation of public resources. And Lluís Bernabé, from the Fundació La Marató, emphasizes how citizen involvement can turn solidarity into first-rate research: even the smallest contribution can generate an enormous impact.
The director of the Fundació Catalunya Cultura, our friend Maite Esteve, closes the circle with a reflection on talent and the need for specific legislation that provides stability and visibility to the cultural sector. "When talent does not find resources, it leaves or disappears," she warns. Her words summarize the spirit of the entire week: patronage cannot be seen as a one-off gesture or a marketing strategy, but as a structural commitment to culture, research, and social cohesion.
The Patronage Week of The New Barcelona Post has, in short, left a clear idea: the future of patronage in Catalonia involves strengthening collaboration between sectors, rethinking incentives, and building a more mature, more transparent, and more shared culture of patronage.
In uncertain times, when culture and science often depend on ingenuity to survive, patronage presents itself as a contemporary and mature form of collective responsibility.