Spanish Cooperation Cultural Centres
131
Cultural Centre of Spain in Bata
Cultural cooperation between Spain and Equatorial Guinea dates back to the 1980s and 1990s, when the Hispanic-Guinean Cultural Centre of Malabo promoted various activities that rapidly became an important aspect of sociocultural collaboration between the two countries. In the same period, in the mainland region of Equatorial Guinea, various cultural cooperation activities were implemented through the Cultural Action Programme, via Spain’s Technical Cooperation Office in the city of Bata. The creation of two Spanish cultural centres in Equatorial Guinea was a direct consequence of the increasing presence and promotion of Spanish culture in both areas; the first centre was inaugurated in 2001 in Bata, with the objective of projecting cultural cooperation throughout the country’s mainland region; the second was inaugurated in 2003 in Malabo, after management of the HispanicGuinean Cultural Centre was transferred to the local authorities. The activities of this Cultural Centre are focused on the island of Bioko. After 16 months of construction work, the Cultural Centre of Spain in Bata (CCSB) was inaugurated on 9 July 2001 by the ambassador of Spain in Equatorial Guinea, Jacobo Gonzålez-Arnao Campos. Since its inception, the CCSB has provided a major point of reference for artists, associations, institutions and other sociocultural groups, providing Bata with a wide range of cultural facilities and events, including library services, courses, workshops and the promotion of local artists. The Centre also presents cultural and artistic lectures and facilitates a platform for written and audiovisual publications of various kinds. In parallel to these activities, the CCSB has also consolidated its position as an inclusive institution that promotes diversity and defends fundamental
values within the framework of a constantly evolving civil society. The CCSB headquarters, on the waterfront of Bata, near the historic city centre, is excellently located. The building has a surface area of over 2,500 square metres, distributed on three floors around a central courtyard which itself is a multi-purpose space where activities such as exhibitions, concerts and contests are held. The building also contains a large auditorium, an African crafts shop, a bookshop and classrooms. There are two libraries: firstly, a general one with a capacity for over 50 users, and which constitutes a repository of the intellectual and literary life of the continental region of Equatorial Guinea. This library has more than 5,000 volumes, including reference books and those available for loan; there is a specialised section on Africa and Equatorial Guinea, with more than 480 documents on the geography, history and customs of the region, and other sections for literature and magazines. The library also hosts programmes to encourage reading, and is used for lectures, book presentations and many other activities related to the world of culture. In addition to this general library, there is also one for children, with over 1,200 books, providing an invaluable educational environment for primary school children. Apart from this main building, the CCSB also makes use of Asonga Space, the former headquarters of Spanish Cooperation in the country, which is utilised as temporary accommodation for artists and others who collaborate with the institution on a regular basis. This space features various modules, including housing, offices, storerooms and pavilions, all of which contribute to the cultural activities performed. In one of the pavilions, and elsewhere within the site, activities for schoolchildren are carried out, as part of the Asonga Programme.
