This morning saw the official opening of the Solidarity Space for the 28th edition of the Festival de Málaga in Plaza de la Merced, the venue for the seventh edition of this showcase for social groups organised by Malaga City Council, through the Department of Social Rights, Diversity, Equality and Accessibility, in collaboration with the "la Caixa" Foundation. Until Saturday 22 March, the Solidarity Space will feature the participation of 50 social groups with the aim of promoting integration and inclusion.
 
The Solidarity Space opening ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre; the Councillor for Culture and Historical Heritage, Mariana Pineda; the Councillor for Social Rights, Diversity, Equality and Accessibility, Francisco Cantos; the Regional Director of CaixaBank Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla, Juan Ignacio Zafra; the Regional Manager for Andalusia, Ceuta and Melilla of "la Caixa" Foundation; and the Director of the Festival de Málaga, Juan Antonio Vigar.
 
“I dare to say that Merced Square is gradually becoming the square of solidarity", stated Francisco de la Torre about what he considers "a beautiful activity with significant growth" in this seventh year of the Festival’s Solidarity Window. He also emphasized Malaga’s commitment to education, academic support, cooperation, development and many other aspects: "One of the city’s strengths is its healthy concern and generous dedication to solidarity, which, together with culture, create an essential synergy".
 
"Today, we are where we are, and we will be in an even better place", said Juan Ignacio Barroso, highlighting the journey in which CaixaBank, alongside Fundación “la Caixa”, has been supporting both Malaga and the Festival as they advance in parallel with the development of "a society that seeks to be rich in values and mindful of its people". At the same time, the regional director of CaixaBank Andalucia, Ceuta and Melilla recalled the CaixaForum project, which is set to launch in Malaga in 2025. The project aims to bring culture closer to the entire city and serve "as a bridge of connection and as an added event to the Malaga Festival".
 
Meanwhile, Juan Antonio Vigar stressed that this Solidarity Space "is part of the heart of the Festival, created through the efforts of different collectives, which the Festival seeks to make visible". Additionally, the Festival director listed the four key words starting with ‘C’ that guide the event: cinema, communication, context and commitment. "Our goal is to make the city greater —not in size, but in value— which is why commitment to equality, sustainability and social action is essential", he concluded.
 
Through the Solidarity Space, the Festival de Málaga aims to connect with different social groups to address, through a varied programme of informative activities, issues around gender equality, the elderly, violence and social integration, among others.
 
In this seventh edition, fifty associations and social groups will take part in the Solidarity Space, undertaking activities of all kinds such as screenings, round tables or workshops, with a programme that runs from Saturday 15 to Saturday 22 March with free, open access sessions.

During the opening day, yesterday, the Nena Paine Association showed the projection and musical performance 'Los SuperCurrantes en los 60, 70 and 80', which was accompanied by the audiovisual 'Personas que cambian vidas' (People who change lives) by the NGO Crecer con Futuro and a dance performance by the Asociación Cultural Bollywoomanía Málaga.
 
The afternoon session of this first day of the Solidarity Space also served to address gender violence through a colloquium proposed by the Colegio Oficial de Psicología de Andalucía Oriental (Official College of Psychology of Eastern Andalusia), which was followed by the screenings of 'Diversidad' and ‘Los guardianes del agua, Tekuanaes’, by the Antonio Montes Culture Association and OXFAM Intermón, respectively.