Promotion of Catalan culture in Glasgow

Catalan culture will be on show in Glasgow on November 7 on occasion of the UCL game between Celtic and Barça. This forms part of the first ever joint project involving FC Barcelona and the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) for the promotion of Catalan culture overseas.

The venue will be Glasgow University, where a course in Catalan studies has been offered with the support of the IRL since 1992. A conference has been scheduled with vice president Carles Vilarrubí, and another with writer Matthew Tree, plus a concert by the band Els Amics de les Arts and a debate involving a number of supporters clubs.

The agreement signed in September commits the IRL and FC Barcelona to two main objectives. The first is to coordinate the potential of both entities for the promotion of Catalan language and culture and the values of sport in association to the Catalan identity. The other is to create bonds between Catalan universities and others abroad through joint activities like these. Some 150 universities around the world offer Catalan studies.

The schedule of activities for Glasgow is as follows:

- 10.00. Carles Vilarrubí, vice president of FC Barcelona, will give a lecture titled: “Barça: sport, culture and education”. He will be explaining how Barça is a vehicle for the recovery of the Catalan identity and an instrument for the integration of newcomers. He will also be explaining the club’s values, such as teamwork, effort, respect, humility and tolerance. Venue: Randolph Hall at Glasgow University.

- 12.00. Lecture with Matthew Tree, writer. Titled: "How Catalonia became what it is: The perspective of a long-term resident”. In just under an hour, the British national who has lived in Barcelona for 28 years will be looking to explain what Catalonia is like today and the reasons behind the huge demonstration in favour of independence on September 11. Venue: Randolph Hall at Glasgow University.

- 13.00. Els Amics de les Arts will be playing a concert in Glasgow. The group is one of the finest exponents of the so-called new wave of Catalan folk-pop. Their songs tell everyday stories backed by simple melodies, with plenty of plays on words and irony and the inclusion of elements of electronica. Venue: Queen Margaret Union at Glasgow University.

- 15.00. Supporters clubs meeting and debate. Subject: “Football and Barça, passion and culture”. Chaired by Jimmy Burns, a sports reporter specialised in Barça and a member of the London supporters club; Mateusz Szczepanski, representative of the Polish FC Barcelona supporters club; Adam Brown, vice president of the Penya Union Blaugrana in Perth (Australia); and Josep Barnils, director of the FCB Social Area and in charge of international supporters clubs. Venue: Randolph Hall at Glasgow University.