Clásicas y Modernas

Clásicas y Modernas (CyM) is a Spanish association founded in 2009 that works for equality between women and men in culture. It describes itself as an association for gender equality in culture and is made up of professional women from literature, journalism, music, theatre, cinema and related fields, in roles ranging from creation and management to research, criticism, theory and teaching. The name reflects a double homage: 'Clásicas' honours women creators of the past who were often erased from history, while 'Modernas' reclaims the inheritance of the women of the Generation of '27 and the Second Republic who combined artistic creation with political mobilisation. The association was first presided over by the writer Laura Freixas. From January 2017 to May 2021 it was presided over by Anna Caballé Masforroll, professor at the University of Barcelona, literary critic, essayist and biographer, with Laura Freixas as Honorary President. In May 2021 Fátima Anllo Vento, a Spanish cultural researcher and expert in cultural policies, became president. Since January 2023 the association has been presided over by Amparo Zacarés Pamblanco, professor, doctor in philosophy, writer and art critic, with Cristina Guirao Mirón as secretary general and Marina Gilabert Aguilar as treasurer. CyM has more than 200 members, all linked to literature, universities, the performing arts, art or communication. Its activity is organised through commissions (research, performing arts, communication, tertulias) whose members analyse the cultural landscape and programme events to make women's role visible and to reflect on the asymmetries between female and male prominence in various artistic disciplines. Among its recurring events are El Debate Pendiente, an annual meeting since 2010, and the lecture series 'Ni ellas musas, ni ellos genios', organised with CaixaForum. The association promotes gender equality in culture through joint action with other Spanish associations such as Mujeres en las Artes Visuales (MAV), the Asociación de Mujeres Cineastas y de Medios Audiovisuales (CIMA), Mujeres en la Música and the Asociación de Mujeres Investigadoras y Tecnólogas (AMIT). One of its most notable joint initiatives was the manifesto 'No Sin Mujeres', launched in 2015, which asked men to refuse events with exclusively male panels; it gathered more than 1,300 adhesions. Internationally, it is linked to the French association Mouvement H/F. In 2016 CyM, together with the Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) and the Federación Española de Mujeres Directivas (FEDEPE), launched the Día de las Escritoras, an annual celebration held on the Monday following the feast of Teresa de Jesús (15 October), to make women's literary work visible. The association also runs research projects such as '¿Dónde están las mujeres en las artes escénicas?', the reading-promotion project 'Lo recordaba la más vieja del lugar', the podcast '¿Por qué escribí con nombre de hombre?', the magazine 'Desde los márgenes' and the project 'Bibliotecas en Igualdad'. It also engages in political action, positive-action policies, an Observatory for Gender Equality in Culture, proposals and protests, and complaints to the Ombudsman institutions.

Clásicas y Modernas was created in 2009 as a Spanish association working for gender equality in culture. It claims as its heritage the feminist legacy in creation, art and politics of the women of the Generation of '27 and the Second Republic, and one of its objectives is to promote compliance with the equality of treatment law approved in Spain in 2007. It was first presided over by the writer Laura Freixas. In January 2017 Anna Caballé Masforroll, professor at the University of Barcelona, literary critic, essayist and biographer, replaced her as president, with Laura Freixas becoming Honorary President and with vice-presidents Margarita Borja, Juana Serna and María Fernanda Santiago Bolaños, and philologist Mercedes Bengoechea as Secretary General. In May 2021 Fátima Anllo Vento, a Spanish cultural researcher expert in cultural policies and one of the pioneers in introducing cultural management in Spain, became president, with Marina Gilabert as secretary general and María Martín Barranco as vice-secretary. Since January 2023 the association has been presided over by Amparo Zacarés Pamblanco, professor, doctor in philosophy, writer and art critic, with Cristina Guirao Mirón as secretary general and Marina Gilabert Aguilar as treasurer. By 2017 the association had more than 200 members, all linked to literature, universities, performing arts, art or communication. Its activity is carried out through various commissions (research, performing arts, communication, tertulias) made up of members who analyse the cultural panorama and programme events to make women's role visible and to reflect on the asymmetries of female prominence compared with male prominence in various artistic disciplines. One such event is El Debate Pendiente, an annual appointment since 2010 that brings together conferences, presentations and round tables around a thematic axis in different parts of Spain. The tertulias are another forum, with the common denominator of a literary work presented by its author. Another significant annual event, the lecture series organised in collaboration with CaixaForum under the title 'Ni ellas musas, ni ellos genios', celebrated its third edition in 2017 after the success of the first two in Madrid and its debut in Zaragoza in 2016; renowned writers, academics and artists address the invisibility of the partners of famous intellectuals (geniuses) who were not only life companions and muses but also created work unjustly relegated or forgotten. The promotion of gender equality in culture includes common action with other like-minded national associations such as Mujeres en las Artes Visuales (MAV), the Asociación de Mujeres Cineastas y de Medios Audiovisuales (CIMA), Mujeres en la Música and the Asociación de Mujeres Investigadoras y Tecnólogas (AMIT). One of the most recent initiatives bringing these entities together was the manifesto 'No Sin Mujeres', launched in 2015 with the aim of involving men in the fight against the very scarce presence of women in the cultural and media scene, asking them to reject events (debate, tertulia, congress, jury...) of exclusively male composition; the proposal gathered more than 1,300 adhesions. Internationally, the link with the French association Mouvement H/F (Homme/Femme) is notable. The association has developed a roadmap for those who produce theatre, dance or music to commit to equality between men and women. Institutions and organisations adhere to it, committing to ensure equality criteria in the composition of teams, access to positions of responsibility and equal pay. In this way, Clásicas y Modernas brings to Spain an initiative created in France by Mouvement H/F, which focused civil-society protest against alarming data (2007–2009) on the lack of parity in French culture. The Temporadas de Igualdad MH en las Artes Escénicas are structured around promoting groups (which present the project to public administrations and managers of all kinds of performance spaces) and the Plataforma Temporadas MH (structures formed by experts who coordinate the project). Promoting groups already operate in 11 autonomous communities (Madrid, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia, Basque Country, Aragon, Galicia, Asturias and Murcia). The charter has already been signed by, among others, the Centro Dramático Nacional, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico de Almagro and Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro. In 2016 the association, together with the Biblioteca Nacional de España (BNE) and the Federación Española de Mujeres Directivas (FEDEPE), launched the Día de las Escritoras with the aim of making women's work in literature visible. This celebration is annual, held on the Monday following the feast of Teresa de Jesús, which is 15 October. In 2016 it was convened on 17 October, honouring a total of 31 writers from various backgrounds.

• 2023

  Amparo Zacarés Pamblanco becomes president in January.

• 2021

  Fátima Anllo Vento becomes president in May.

• 2017

  Anna Caballé Masforroll becomes president in January; the third edition of 'Ni ellas musas, ni ellos genios' is held.

• 2016

  The Día de las Escritoras is launched together with the BNE and FEDEPE; first convened on 17 October, honouring 31 writers.

• 2015

  The manifesto 'No Sin Mujeres' is launched, gathering more than 1,300 adhesions.

• 2010

  El Debate Pendiente annual meeting is launched.

• 2009

  Clásicas y Modernas is founded as a Spanish association for gender equality in culture, first presided over by writer Laura Freixas.

A civil-society association advocating gender equality in Spanish culture, acting through research, events, manifestos and political action.

• Día de las Escritoras

  Annual celebration launched in 2016 with the BNE and FEDEPE, held on the Monday following 15 October, to make women's literary work visible.

• El Debate Pendiente

  Annual meeting since 2010 bringing together conferences, presentations and round tables around a thematic axis across Spain.

• Ni ellas musas, ni ellos genios

  Lecture series organised with CaixaForum addressing the invisibility of the partners of famous intellectuals.

• No Sin Mujeres

  Manifesto launched in 2015 asking men to reject exclusively male events; gathered more than 1,300 adhesions.

• Temporadas de Igualdad MH en las Artes Escénicas

  Roadmap and platform, inspired by Mouvement H/F, for theatre, dance and music producers to commit to equality; promoting groups operate in 11 autonomous communities.

• Desde los márgenes

  Magazine open to collaboration, reflection and knowledge-building for gender equality in culture.

• ¿Por qué escribí con nombre de hombre?

  Podcast telling stories of women who were not recognised in their time and had to hide or change their names to a man's.

• Bibliotecas en Igualdad

  Project for the recovery and visibility of works by women authors.

• ¿Dónde están las mujeres en las artes escénicas?

  Research study on the presence of women creators and directors in the programmes of publicly managed state or regional theatres.

• Lo recordaba la más vieja del lugar

  Reading-promotion project subsidised by the Ministry of Culture.

• No Sin Mujeres
• Temporadas de Igualdad MH en las Artes Escénicas

1. 1Asociación Clásicas y Modernas | Igualdad en la Culturaclasicasymodernas.org
2. 2Sobre CyM | Clásicas y Modernasclasicasymodernas.org
3. 3Clásicas y Modernas - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Clásicas y Modernas - Wikipediaes.wikipedia.org