The Institute of Balearic Studies (IEB) presents the second edition of the FeMA
The Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics (IEB), with the collaboration of other institutions and entities, is once again launching the second edition of FeMA, the Festival of Manga and Anime in Catalan on all the islands.
Promotion of the Catalan language and Japanese culture
The institution has as a strategic objective, among others, the promotion of the Catalan language and, in this line, this event is born from the initiative to promote the use of Catalan among the younger public through expressions of the Japanese culture, such as anime and manga comics. The Festival contains different activities from March 15 to March 24, although the central date will be next Saturday, March 16, with events all over the islands.
Promotion of manga comics and anime in Catalan
On the one hand, the Festival aims to promote and energize the culture of manga comics and anime as a portal for the promotion of the language among the younger public and, on the other hand, it also wants to be a gateway to contact with publications in Catalan of this genre, as well as a way to introduce screenings of anime series and films in Catalan.
Activities and collaborations
For this reason, the programming on the different islands includes introductory manga or kanji workshops, talks with experts in anime and manga in Catalan, concerts, karaoke, costume contests, etc., and the screening of a Studio Ghibli anime classic: My Neighbor Totoro, by Hayao Miyazaki.
Collaborators and support
The councils of Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera, the councils of Palma, Ciutadella, Ibiza, Alcúdia, Sant Lluís, Marratxí and Sineu, the cultural associations VadCultura, the Otaku Association of Ibiza have collaborated in the organization of the Festival , Shinigamis de Mallorca, Coala Menorca, the Menorca Library Network, the Mallorca Library Network, the Ibiza Library Network, the municipal libraries of Ibiza, Art Workshops, Univers del Còmic, Gotham Comics, the Llibreria Mediterrània, VadLlibres, and the publishers Norma Editorial, Planeta Cómic, Ooso Comics, Kaji Manga and Distrito Manga. In addition, several libraries in the Balearic Islands support it by creating centers of interest with their collection of manga in Catalan.
Commitment to language and culture
The presentation event was attended by the island’s director of Culture, Guillem Ginard, and the director of the IEB, Llorenç Perelló, who emphasized that “activities like this festival promote the regular use of the language around ‘very attractive scenarios, in this case, among the younger population’. In addition, Perelló adds that “from the institution we will work so that the FeMA can count, year after year, with many more editions and improvements, given that it is a strategic project for the institution, which unites language and culture, competence of the IEB”.
