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1962, Neuquén (Argentina).
Director of the Hay Festival in Segovia, an annual meeting to exchange ideas that in 2020 was awarded the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.
In its latest edition, the Hay Festival has been very focused on issues of ecology and climate change. Last year, when we were in the middle of the pandemic, I did the festival in person with enormous difficulties due to the health protocols. And when I was in Oviedo to collect the Princess of Asturias Award, I realized, as a result of the many conversations I had there, that to get out of everything we were experiencing due to the pandemic it was necessary to think about a rebirth. And I came to the conclusion that you could not think of any rebirth if the link between man and nature was not renewed. And do you think that we are renewing that link? The data that scientists give on climate change are terrifying, the latest United Nations report makes the hair stand on end. And yetwe continue to live as if nothing had happened ... I think we have not become aware, here in Spain I at least do not notice it. There are examples to follow, such as Vicente Todolí's conservationist citrus orchard, who spoke with Lorenzo dé Medici. But in the northern countries they have become aware. In this year's Hay we had, for example, a guest from the Netherlands named Babette Porcelijn, a designer specializing in the environment and the so-calleda designer specialized in the environment and in the so-calleda designer specialized in the environment and in the so-called
hidden impact
, who came to Segovia to participate in the festival by train: it took 20 hours of train one way and 20 hours back. And we also had the Icelandic writer Andri Snaer Magnason, who with his behavior seeks to give his minimal contribution to the planet. So there are countries that have become aware and others that are even further behind. From a platform such as the Hay Festival, what we want is to contribute our grain of sand and give a message. Magnason believes that Western countries will soon begin to put quotas on each person with the number of trips they can make per year, the amount of energy it can consume ... What would you think of an initiative like this? The truth is that I am concerned that there is such a large intervention by the State. But of course, if we cannot educate ourselves, if we are not able to do it of our own free will,it may be necessary. The problem is that we go more and more to stronger and stronger states. This year the Hay Festival has moved several of its events to rural areas of emptied Spain. What has pushed you to take that step? It seemed to me that talking about renewing the bond between man and the earth and staying four days in the city of Segovia and one in Madrid was poor, it was necessary to take the festival to rural areas. And what was the response? We had different responses. But what was interesting was the response from the public. In Sabero, a mining municipality in León with about 900 inhabitants, we held an event with Amancio Prada, who is from León. And the response was surprising. I arrived, I saw the place where the event was to be held and I was terrified because it was an old factory where about 700 people entered,about 300 with the restrictions by the Covid. This is going to be awful, I thought. And at night, three mayors from neighboring towns began to arrive with their people. It was exciting, and so was the response from the audience. Our gaze has become more and more professional, fewer things surprise us. I had become unaccustomed to being with audiences that are surprised, and Sabero's audience dedicated real ovations - ovations, yes - to Amancio Prada. With regard to the public, it seemed to me that it gave freshness to the festival. So next year the Hay will go to emptied Spain again? Yes, we will return to incorporate about four places in the community of Castilla y León, but rural. It makes no sense for me to go to the capitals of Castilla y León, the interesting thing would be to go to towns with few inhabitants.People talk all the time about emptied Spain, but things must be done to reactivate it.The pandemic has awakened a hunger for culture, book sales have increased. What do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inBut things must be done to reactivate it. The pandemic has awakened a hunger for culture, book sales have increased. What do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inBut things must be done to reactivate it. The pandemic has awakened a hunger for culture, book sales have increased. What do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inbook sales have increased. What do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inbook sales have increased. What do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inWhat do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inWhat do you attribute it to? Has the coronavirus had to arrive for us to realize the importance of culture? I think that by having to stay at home due to the impossibility of going out and getting together, the necessary introspection has led us to an increase in readings, because it is also difficult to be with yourself all day. We notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inWe notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic inWe notice it a lot with digital. Since the pandemic began, all the Hay Festivals that are held in the world so far have been done completely digitally. The only one that has been in person is that of Segovia, and a beastly increase in connections was noticed during the pandemic in
streaming
Will the interest in culture last? I'm sure it will, because once people start ... The people in charge of the bookstores in Segovia told me, for example, that the change in the taste of the Segovians is incredible. . A Diagonal bookstore, which has been 35 years old and is one of the oldest in Segovia, told me that when the Hay Festival began in Segovia 17 years ago, a type of book was sold that I am not going to classify for obvious reasons, and that with the passage of time has become more sophisticated, people have become interested in other cultures. It is not a scientific data, it is an impression. But I think it's wonderful that through the Hay Festival we have helped people discover other worlds, other cultures, other writers. We seek to awaken curiosity, something that is not easy. Hay calls itself a festival.The word 'festival' refers to something festive, which entails enjoyment, enjoyment, fun ... Is it trying to emphasize that culture is compatible with fun? Yes. When people who come to Hay tell me that they have had a good time, that they have had a lot of fun, that it has been a great weekend, I know that we have succeeded. People have to have a good time, both those who act and the public, and if we have also contributed to their reflection, we have released El Gordo de la Navidad. Culture is still conceived as something boring, heavy, even soporific. Who is to blame for this bad image? I believe that the fault lies with us, the managers, because when we talk about culture we want to do it in an academic way, and we confuse the formats.I believe that academics are very good in universities and everything that is done in universities seems very good to me. But if, as we said before, the root of Hay is
party
, it has to be a party. I also take good care of it, and sometimes it works out for me and sometimes it doesn't work out for me, that the guests who talk are both good. It is about looking for a format that has a bit of theatricality, of life. I am going to see the competition, to learn, I am going to see not only the Hay Festival, but also the competition in Europe, I go to the one in India ... And I have a formula that does not fail me: when there is a powerful energy, that festival lives. And when there is a lack of energy, a repetition of everything that others do, that does not work. The Hay Festival in Segovia is now 17 years old and it seems that very good health ... I think so. I always do a more repetitive, more common part, more than people expect, and at least 30% experimentation. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. It is about testing within what are the festivals of ideas,to test things and see how they work. If I did not do that, I would stay in the traditional repetition of the conversation. And the Hay from Segovia would end up dying of boredom. And what experiment have you done in the last edition? This year we have experimented with artificial intelligence, which for me was surprising. Young people are interested in everything that has to do with new technologies, and there is nothing to do. We did an artificial intelligence event in Madrid and it was filled with young people, the tickets ran out in one day. And I thought, "Finally! Young people are reading this, they are interested in this, so let's give them some space." Then we repeated in Segovia with an event about creators who use new technologies to express themselves, and in two days we had full capacity. And what I loved was the average age of the audience,There were many young people, more than half of the attendees were under 30 years old. And that is important because I am observing, especially in the festivals I go to, that we are staying with an audience composed mainly of people over 50 years old and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.more than half of the attendees were under 30 years of age. And that is important because I am observing, especially in the festivals I go to, that we are staying with an audience composed mainly of people over 50 years old and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.more than half of the attendees were under 30 years of age. And that is important because I am observing, especially in the festivals I go to, that we are staying with an audience composed mainly of people over 50 years old and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.especially at the festivals I go to, where we are staying with an audience made up mostly of people over 50 and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.especially at the festivals I go to, where we are staying with an audience made up mostly of people over 50 and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.that we are staying with an audience made up mostly of people over 50 and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.that we are staying with an audience made up mostly of people over 50 and women. We have to incorporate younger people into the culture. What do you think about the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? Well, hopefully it will be useful for something, hopefully. But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.What do you think of the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.What do you think of the cultural bonus of 400 euros per year that the Government has announced for young people who turn 18 this year? But I do not know, frankly, to see what they spend it on. At the very least, the message is sent to young people that they have to spend on culture. Now, what is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.What is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.What is the culture that interests young people? It seems important to me that all governments and all authorities allocate more budget to culture, especially to finance important projects.
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