Santa Cruz de Tenerife Hosts 'Shared Stages' Festival to Promote Cultural Inclusion

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is putting a new spotlight on community arts this week as it hosts the Shared Stages (Escenarios Compartidos) program. Running until Saturday, April 18, the initiative aims to bring people together through music and performance. Supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Rights Plan, the project connects communities in Salt, Huarte, and Tenerife, highlighting how culture can drive positive social change.

A key focus of this year’s event is how to ensure everyone can participate in cultural life—a topic currently at the forefront of Spain’s national agenda. On Friday at 7:30 p.m., the CajaCanarias Foundation will host a roundtable discussion featuring Jazmín Beirak, the Ministry of Culture’s Director General of Cultural Rights. She will be joined by Esther Ropón of the Domingo Pérez Minik Cultural Observatory, along with local artists and organizers, including José Brito of Barrios Orquestados, singer Ikram Essaghir, and Silvia Alonso of Banda Las Candelas.

The program also features hands-on community workshops at the Círculo de Bellas Artes. Here, Amazigh artist Ikram Essaghir will work with members of Barrios Orquestados and Banda Las Candelas to blend traditional North African sounds with modern rhythms. This collaboration will lead to a public concert on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at the CajaCanarias Foundation, featuring the premiere of a new piece by Tenerife composer Víctor Visuerte.

Additionally, the State Public Library is hosting an exhibition titled Culture(s). Alternatives. Diversity. Rights, which explores the public's role in the cultural landscape. The program also includes training sessions for local students on Thursday and Friday mornings, led by EducArt, to discuss the practical side of cultural rights. All events are free and open to the public.