Following a month-long creative residency at the Teatro de la Axerquía in Córdoba, artists Manuel Ruiz, Antonio Ruz, Margarita Merino, Pepa Ortuño, and Nieves Pedraza shared their results with the public.
The residency initiative, running for a second year at the Córdoba venue, forms part of a broader Andalusian cultural program managed by the Instituto Andaluz de las Artes Escénicas y Música (IAAEM) in collaboration with the local municipal arts institute (IMAE). Violeta Hernández, director of the IAAEM, and Isabel Albás, president of the IMAE, attended the public showcase to highlight the quality of the three selected projects developed on site since September 15.
The Bottom Line on the Axerquía Residencies
- Five artists developed three distinct performing arts projects at the Teatro de la Axerquía.
- The initiative is backed by regional cultural bodies, including the Agencia Andaluza de Instituciones Culturales and the IMAE, to support professional stage creation.
- Eighteen total proposals secured funding across Andalusia this season, receiving financial stipends ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 euros plus tax.
Stage Productions Unveiled at the Córdoba Venue
Among the showcased works, creator and interpreter Nieves Pedraza presented an excerpt of Perro suelto. Described as an eco-masquerade essay, the comedic piece examines human interaction with non-human environments. The work invites audiences to step outside human perspectives to consider how external living systems observe and react to human habitation.
Margarita Merino and Pepa Ortuño shared a preview of Palo y Astillas. This multidisciplinary piece integrates visual arts, theater, and performance action, utilizing five physical sculptures to investigate family patterns and emotional inheritance through therapeutic artistic expression.
Rounding out the trio of resident projects, vocal interpreter Manuel Ruiz and choreographer Antonio Ruz presented Il Primo Uomo. El cuerpo como partitura. The research project explores the biomechanical relationship between vocal production and physical gesture in baroque countertenor repertoire. The creators documented how vocal delivery and bodily movement mutually influence historical performance techniques.
Regional Distribution and Funding Framework
The artistic residency program is coordinated by the Instituto Andaluz de las Artes Escénicas y la Música to decentralize cultural creation across Andalusia. The current edition encompasses 18 selected projects spanning three musical works, eight dance pieces, four theater productions, one multidisciplinar project, and two dramaturgical texts.
Selected participants receive production grants of 3,000 euros plus VAT—or 1,500 euros plus VAT for dramaturgical works—alongside covered lodging and maintenance in exchange for public exhibitions and educational workshops.
| Project Title | Creators Involved | Primary Discipline |
|---|---|---|
| Perro suelto | Nieves Pedraza | Eco-Comedy / Performance |
| Palo y Astillas | Pepa Ortuño & Margarita Merino | Plastic Arts & Theater |
| Il Primo Uomo | Manuel Ruiz & Antonio Ruz | Baroque Vocal & Choreography |
The public presentations at the Axerquía mark the conclusion of the residency phase for these specific Córdoba participants.
