Although only recently formed, did you know that there is now a thriving Cultural Association on the Orihuela Costa that regularly organises events and activities for residents, ranging from theatre to cinema, literature, music, painting, photography, educational and much more.
With almost 200 Facebook followers, and with Spring and Summer on the horizon, it is now actively recruiting as it endeavours to strengthen the Association and, although non-political, apply pressure to the Orihuela Government to provide more activities for those of us who live on the coast.
Local Spanish actor and film director, Antony Cifo, star of innumerable productions in theatre, cinema and television, is the President of ACOC, and despite his busy schedule, The Leader was able to catch up with him recently to find out more about the Association.
QUESTION: What is ACOC?
ANSWER: I have to say, first of all, that ACOC is the first cultural association in the history of Orihuela Costa.
It was formed on the 3rd of June 2022 by a group of residents of the coast because of the absolute lack of cultural activities. We now have over 80 active members.
With ACOC we intend to generate our own cultural activities for the enjoyment of the residents of Orihuela Costa, such as theatre, cinema, literature, music, painting, photography, circus and all those cultural events that are of interest to those of us who live in the area.
Q: Are you a legally constituted association and what activities have you developed to date?
A: As of 11/11/2022 we are registered with the Ministry of the Interior as a Cultural Association, non-profit, with full rights to operate legally.
From the day it was constituted, and while awaiting legalisation, we have developed several cultural activities such as MUSICAL FRIDAYS OF THE NAUTICAL NAÚTICO, which we held in the Club Náutico de Campoamor. There were twelve events in total, including concerts, dance, music, theatre, poetry recitals, etc. These events, which were held every Friday evening during July and August, were attended by more than 500 people with 35 artists performing.
The first event took place on Friday 1st July, which was attended by the Mayoress of Orihuela Doña Carolina Gracia attended.
In November 2022 we announced the First International Short Story Competition, Ramón de Campoamor, in Spanish, for which 110 short stories were entered from all over Latin America and from almost all the Spanish provinces. The award ceremony, for the first three winners, will be held in Orihuela on Saturday 4 March.
Q: What projects are you preparing for the coast in the immediate future?
A: Throughout 2023, we will be arranging many cultural activities, both educational and of course a variety of shows. In order to meet the educational demands of young people, we will offer courses in theatre, cinema, music, painting and circus. The star project will be the First International Festival of the Arts of Orihuela Costa.
The revitalisation of the cultural life of Orihuela Costa is the most important task that we want to achieve and develop, given the lack of both cultural infrastructure and a quality programme in keeping with the needs of the of the population that resides on the Orihuela Costa. We understand that featuring culture on a regular basis is an important part of the personal and fundamental development of people in order to have a satisfactory quality of life.
Q: Who is your cultural activity aimed at?
A: According to demographic studies, our coastline is inhabited by people from many different countries, mainly Europeans, with a predominance of pensioners and retirees.
Many of them are homeowners who come here on a seasonal basis while there are many others who reside permanently.
We also see a large number of residents of different ages who have chosen the coast on which to settle where we can highlight numerous families with children of different ages. With this information we think that we must offer a complete programme that reaches all of the general public.
We also have to take into account the influx of tourists who visit us every year, especially at Easter and during the holiday periods. There are some 25,000 regular residents on the coast, residents who have to travel to the neighbouring municipalities if they wish to enjoy culture.
It is precisely to these people that our Association is directed, and that is our main objective.
Q : What is the next project you are working on?
A : Actually there are three, a photography competition, a painting competition and one that we think could be very interesting to English speakers.
From the theatrical section of ACOC we are preparing the staging of the Agatha Christie play “The Mousetrap” with English-speaking actors and actresses, with the aim of integrating English-speaking residents into our association.
Q : What do people who want to become members of ACOC have to do ?
A : Becoming a member of ACOC is completely free of charge, and you can apply for membership by email : info@acoc.es or by whatsapp on +34 622 252 156. Alternatively, just turn up at any one of our events.
Q : Is it possible to participate in ACOC activities if you are not a member?
A : Yes, of course, anyone can take part, but becoming a member allows you to be kept up to date with of all the activities
Find us also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/acocasociacioncostaorihuelacultural
