The Cultural Activities Service (SAC) team at the University of the Balearic Islands has, since the state-of-emergency was introduced, reconfigured its cultural programme by offering users and the general public digital and online content over the <sac.uib.cat> website. Some of the content has been created in-house, whilst some comes from outside organisations and institutions. Despite the circumstances, the virtual SAC showcase remains open.
With the firm belief that culture is a public good that citizens should not have to forego even in the most difficult circumstances, the SAC and the Office of the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Cultural and Social Promotion, Open University and Off-campus Centres are doing everything they can to bring culture to the academic community and general public.
Network activities
One of the most standout activities run by the SAC has been the creation of a link to offer exclusive cultural content during lockdown: University culture during lockdown. By clicking on the revolving banner, users can access cultural activities created by the UIB and highlights from other universities. SAC shares past and present in-house content at the lockdown site including a link to the Art Collection of the University of the Balearic Islands: a project developed to celebrate the 40 years and five centuries of the UIB.
In addition, the SAC site has a link to the UIB Choir webpage (photo gallery and CUIB videos of concerts performed over recent years, as well as the Choristers at Home section), and another to the Open University for Seniors, which also offers online alternative activities. The site also links to the at-home performance of 'City of Stars' by the university's Quartet (OUIB) during lockdown.
The SAC offers films, commentaries and documentaries from the usual face-to-face series that has had to be suspended, as well as video performances of different stage shows inlcuding Gilgamesh, The King Who Did Not Wish to Die, directed by Antoni Artigues and performed by UIB students in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Magisteri Teatre-Mag Poesia; or West Mallorca Story, performed last year by the UIB Theatre Company.
There are also recitals by poets invited to the 22nd Mediterranean Poetry Festival, which is also being held online. In turn, the site has a link to register for the Inspiring Women conference series, given by women who, through their daily activities in different fields of science and the humanities, make history and invite us to reflect on society.
Programming new cultural selections
The Cultural Activities Service has set up links to other UIB services and different websites of cultural projects, organisations, associations and institutions in the Balearic Islands to highlight the current status and future of culture in general. To date, it has found a series of cultural initiatives undertaken at other universities with links to the UIB, whether through the Vives Network or the G9 (Group of Nine Universities), to gather proposals especially designed for lockdown.
Finally, and given that the state-of-emergency, working from home and lockdown remain in place, the Cultural Activities Services is working on programming more online cultural resources for the academic community and other interested parties. It is also programming the cultural selection for when the 'new normality' is in place. In turn, it is also working on other pending tasks and activities, such as the 2020 summer courses and the Summer University in Gender Studies.
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Publication date: Thu May 28 13:22:00 CEST 2020
