We work with visiting artists and performers to create art that engages with the natural world, and with place. We collaborate with others on installations, such as the Nitrogen Cycle, an ephemeral artwork by Lucia Loren created with the collaboration of Be.Time SCA. Also with activist groups defending nature, such as the video Sueño con Ser lo que Era, which we created together with Extinction Rebellion La Janda, to highlight the problem of the Laguna de la Janda, drained but dreaming of returning. And we open our space to groups who need sanctuary, be it for a performance, a day, or a longer period… Here is a small selection of some our past activities.
Sanctuary: Flamenco jazz concert with Andreas Arnold and guests
May 2024
International composer and guitarist Andreas Arnold and his collaborators Carlos Cortes Bustamante and Israel Katumba, gave us a wonderful concert on the amphitheatre against the backdrop of the sun setting over the Atlantic.
Sanctuary: Palestinian-Israeli performance
November 2023
Less than a month after the outbreak of war in Palestine/Israel, a group of Palestinian-Israeli activists and artists came to spend a month in sanctuary. It was a chance to recharge their batteries and return with renewed commitment. They ended their stay with a performance of Palestinian music and a talk about the experience of growing up in Israel from the perspective of Jews and Arabs.
Sanctuary: Handpan concert with Miguel Hiroshi
September 2021
International master Miguel Hiroshi – multifaceted percussionist, educator and composer – gave us a handpan workshop and a sunset concert, with the sunset as a backdrop.
Installation: Almenara Memorial a la Vida
May 2021
Our work with deep ecology has shown us the transformative power of including a space for difficult emotions – fear, anger, grief and loss – so among other responses we have created an installation on the edge of our land, where private land meets public space, offering the perfect conditions for unusual encounters: Almenara Memorial a La Vida.
Video: We Are Drowning in Plastic
March 2021
The Almenara team collaborated with Extinction Rebellion La Janda and XR Bielefeld in the creation of this poetic and artistic action to invite a reflection on the responsible use of plastic on our planet.
Installation: The Space Net
2021
Created by Victor Midborn, this is a playful work of art. In Permaculture, the use of a hammock is recommended to observe nature. In this case, this spider web welcomes a group of people while reminding us of the reality of interconnectedness: wind, people, shade, trees, sun, the sounds around us – everything moves us collectively and individually…
Installation: El Ciclo de Nitrógeno (Nitrogen Cycle) by Lucía Loren
November 2020
We also work with visiting artists and performers to create engaged art, such as the El Ciclo de Nitrógeno (Nitrogen Cycle), an ephemeral artwork by Lucia Loren generated together with Be.Time SCA as part of their art and ecology project BarbaT.
Sanctuary: Place-specific flamenco performance with Alba Olmedo
Summer 2020
The Andalusian bailaora, Alba Olmedo, created a piece specifically for Catalina, dancing with nature. Striking memories include a piece with a bird mask, which received a stunning response from the natural world in a moment of synchronicity.
Video: I Dream of Being What I Was
June 2020
The Almenara team collaborated with Extinction Rebellion La Janda and Be.Time SCA in the creation of this poetic and artistic action in defence of the former Laguna de La Janda, which was drained in 1967 for the benefit of private interests.
WE ARE NATURE DEFENDING ITSELF
