This September, Articulation held our first-ever official presence at Fira Tàrrega in Catalonia, joining thousands of artists, programmers, and producers at one of Europe’s longest-running outdoor arts marketplaces. In her latest blog post, Articulation Director Angela Adams-Gray reflects on the powerful history of Fira Tàrrega, how public spaces became places for freedom and expression, and why establishing Scottish outdoor arts on the international stage is vital for future touring, collaboration, and growth.
La Fira de Tàrrega was founded in 1981, shaped by the vision of Tàrrega’s mayor, Eugeni Nadal, and the pioneering Catalan theatre company Els Comediants, who directed the festival during its first three years. From the outset, the street was its stage – making it one of Europe’s longest-running festivals dedicated to outdoor and street arts.
The Fira emerged at a significant moment in Catalonia’s history. Spain had only recently emerged from Franco’s dictatorship, and bringing art and culture into public space was part of a wider reclaiming of the streets as places for freedom, expression and community. There is something particularly powerful in the journey that followed. What began in a moment of cultural resistance and the reclaiming of the streets has grown into an international celebration of street and outdoor arts.
More than 40 years later, FiraTàrrega has become a major international marketplace, bringing together artists, companies, programmers, producers and presenters from across Europe and beyond. For four days, the town is transformed into a giant outdoor venue, with performances taking over streets, squares, courtyards and unexpected corners. Alongside the public programme, it’s a key place to discover new work, make connections and explore international touring opportunities.
Today, the Fira remains rooted in the simple but powerful idea that the street belongs to everyone – and it can be a stage for extraordinary things. Its story is also a powerful example of how the arts can be part of the response to authoritarianism: how, after decades of Franco’s dictatorship, artists and communities began to reclaim public space as a place for freedom, expression and collective life.
For the first time this year, Articulation had a presence at Fira Tarrega with our Scottish outdoor Arts stall in La Llotja professional marketplace and our 4-Nations Networking event with our partners from Ireland , Wales and England, with a range of organisations including Without Walls, OAUK and ISACS . It gave us a base for connecting with international programmers, producers, artists and organisations, and the important opportunity to celebrate the work being made in Scotland . Building the partnerships that can help Scottish work reach new audiences and international markets. FiraTàrrega is an important part of that picture.
For us, this international partnership is about building visibility for the sector as a whole: telling the story of what Scotland has to offer, strengthening international relationships and creating the conditions for new touring, collaboration and exchange. This year was part of that journey and the ambition now is to grow that presence over time – from making connections, to building a Scottish delegation, to creating a showcase that puts Scottish outdoor arts firmly on the international map.
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