Tenerife Launches Creative Impulse Festival with All-Female "Hamlet-a"

Tenerife is set to host a new cultural event in March: the Creative Impulse Festival. This first-time festival focuses on creative processes, aiming to establish the island as a key hub for artistic research, ideas, and modern art. Stage creator Bibiana Monje, through her company Impulso, has conceived and will direct the festival. It will run from March 12 to 22 across various locations in La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and La Orotava.

To kick things off, the festival has launched its first theatre project: "Hamlet-a." This is a fresh take on William Shakespeare's classic play, with rehearsals starting on January 8 at Teatro Unión Tejina in La Laguna. "Hamlet-a" isn't a typical adaptation. Instead, it's a modern exploration of the classic story, told through the voices, bodies, and memories of 11 women over 50. Many of these women have no previous acting experience. The project asks a central question: what does Hamlet mean today when an older woman is reflecting on it?

More than 50 people applied during an open call, and the cast was chosen last December. Since January, the participants have been collaborating in a unique creative process. Their personal experiences are woven into the performance, with each woman portraying a different aspect of Hamlet. They explore themes like doubt, guilt, clarity, anger, and desire, using a flexible script that blends words, movement, voice, music, and silence.

The Cabildo de Tenerife is supporting this project through its grants for stage productions. Most of the work is happening at Teatro Unión Tejina and Sala El Proceso, both in La Laguna. A key part of "Hamlet-a" is its focus on community and social engagement. As the project develops, the 11 participating women will take part in workshops and artistic training sessions covering voice, movement, acting, character development, and the overall stage process.

What's more, these workshops and rehearsals will also be open to women who applied but weren't selected for the cast. They can attend certain sessions for free, offering a way to give back to the community, provide support, and allow more women to experience the theatre. This approach means the project is more than just putting on a show; it sees the creative process itself as an opportunity for learning, connection, and empowering people together.

The Alter Voces choir will provide the musical backdrop for "Hamlet-a," acting as a continuous thread throughout the performance. Agustín M. and Francisco Curbelo are in charge of the music, creating a live sound experience that interacts with the scenes, adding layers of sound, humor, and a ritualistic feel to the entire production.

The Creative Impulse Festival aims to highlight how creative work happens, giving the public a peek behind the scenes and into artistic methods. To achieve this, both "Hamlet-a" and the wider festival will be video-documented. This footage will then be shared on a digital platform, making it accessible to audiences far beyond Tenerife.

This online space will offer a detailed look at rehearsals, workshops, interviews, and other related content. This expands the festival's reach and strengthens its identity as a cultural project that values the process of creation, not just the final performance.

Following this theme, a documentary about the creative journey of "Hamlet-a" will premiere on Sunday, March 15, at Espacio La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The play itself will have two special performances at Teatro Leal in La Laguna: an open preview on Thursday, March 12, which also marks the festival's opening, and a final performance on Sunday, March 22.

Between these dates, the full program for the first Creative Impulse Festival will take place, featuring other theatre experiments, creative thinking sessions, and discussions focused on modern art.

For the detailed program, participating venues, and festival updates, visit the official website: https://impulsoproducciones.com/festival-impulso-creativo/. Content, schedules, and materials related to the creative processes of this first edition will be regularly added there.