The Calpe Cultural Centre had a total of 26,924 users in 2024, some 3,000 more than the previous year. This is one of the main figures to emerge from the annual activity report prepared by the Department of Culture.
Similarly, last year 227 activities were scheduled, compared to 151 in 2023, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the Casa de Cultura. Specifically, there were 22 theatrical performances, six dance performances, 54 concerts, 61 film screenings and 84 other activities including exhibitions, conferences and guided tours.
The Councillor for Culture, Guillermo Sendra, highlighted the variety and quality of the cultural activities programmed throughout the year and ‘which have been very well received by the public’, such as the Calpe Piano Festival, which has held its first edition with internationally renowned pianists, as well as plays - in both Spanish and Valencian - or concerts with great performers from the current scene such as Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Pasión Vega or Isabel Ordaz, among others . It has also emphasised the celebration of many classical music concerts that have been held in 2024, such as the ADDA Sinfónica, the Orquestra de la Marina Alta (OMA) or the film music concert within the SONAFILM festival, offered by the Universal Symphony Orchestra
Likewise, in 2024 the 1st Villa de Calpe 2024 National Sculpture Competition was held, in which 52 works were presented and which had a single prize of 7,000 euros, as well as other initiatives such as the school theatre campaign in Valencian aimed at Calpe's educational centres or the live broadcast of operas and ballets from the Royal Opera House in London, initiatives that are intend to resume in 2025.
Guillermo Sendra pointed out that despite holding a special programme in 2024 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Casa de Cultura, the aim is to continue offering the same level and diversity of events, all with the same budget that Cultura has had for the last three years. ‘We have not increased our budget allocation since 2022 and despite this we have offered more activities as a result of responsible and more efficient management of our budget,’ he said.