Volume II — Number 77
May 2015
Monthly Newsletter
Newsletter
Alison Kinnaird  Hard to understand. The truth is that we were already used to the inconsistencies of our Department of Culture, but what happened last Friday, April 17, exceeded all expectations. That day we had scheduled a concert by the Coral Cantoblanco in the Museum Auditorium, within our "MAVA Concert" program. When I arrived at the museum I was told I was not allowed the concert and, therefore, could not be held. My surprise was evident as I had received no notification of ban on the concert.
Nuestra sede: Castillo Grande de S.J. de Valderas Avda. Los Castillos, s/n 28925 ALCORCĂ“N. (MADRID) info@amigosmava.org
In all cases, and with one month in advance, I give in the General Register of the City written with the authorization request concert next month and, except in two cases of the 33 concerts that we held, I have never received any I have written permission and authorization taken by administrative silence. When they arrived Coral components I proposed the alternative of the concert in the Castle Small, but seeing the features of the room
M. A. Carretero.
where they could celebrate, the choristers felt that did not meet the minimum conditions necessary for its acoustic performance.
campaign and the election campaign .
The truth is that having to perform a concert in the hall when we all saw that the auditorium was empty was a very unpleasant, sad and outrageous experience.
Castle was not one to authorize the use of that space and that she was the one who had to authorize.
To my complaint that I had to be warned well in advance to cancel the concert, she informed me With the audience in the that they had tried to hall of the Museum and contact me on several the choristers deciding occasions and that they what attitude to take with had not been able to regard to the conclusion of achieve. the concert, I could contact This information was totally the Coordinator of the uncertain and so let them Department of Culture and know, as my mobile ever he confirmed that he could before had registered a not perform the ceremony call from the Department in the auditorium by and that this could be problems competences verified through the between the Department registry of my phone calls. and the Arts and Museum. He also pitched the Finally, the choristers possibility of holding decided to make his concerts as we planned if performance in the lobby the audience was not busy of the Museum of respect with any electoral act and, for the people who had in the event that any of come to witness his these acts should be held, performance. we could develop the They showed me their concerts in the Castle displeasure at the lack of Small, as we it had formality of the authorized the head of the Department informed me Centre. that they would submit a Given this last possibility, note at City Hall to protest the Coordinator was very what they saw as a slight surprised and told me that against his group. the head of the Small
It did not accept the possibility that the concert The following Monday, if the audience was not April 20, I went to the occupied by any other office of the Coordinator to activity to take place. seek appropriate I think that this position by clarifications about what the government team of happened and informed our City is totally me that the City Council unacceptable and that the had decided to suspend all attitude of rejecting any actions in the municipal possible alternative shows areas on the basis of the his lack of sensitivity in cultural matters.