Introducing Orihuela Costa cultural association
ORIHUELA Costa cultural association (ACOC) was founded with ‘great enthusiasm’ on June 3, 2022, with the aim of promoting and bringing any type of cultural activity to the area.
ACOC states that it would like to ‘bring culture to our coast through musical, theatrical, and literary events, exhibitions, courses and workshops’.
The association’s president is the Albacete-born actor Antonio Cifo.
During an interview with Radio Cadena SER Orihuela, parts of which are used below, Antonio expanded on how ACOC came about and his vision for its future.
The president said it was felt that there was a need for the association due to the ‘total and absolute lack of cultural life in Orihuela Costa’, and to achieve this a group of people, residents on the Costa, decided to form a cultural association to, as far as possible, ‘reverse this situation’.
He notes that its principal objective is to ‘propose and carry out all kinds of cultural activities aimed at improving the quality of life of residents on the coast’.
One of these cultural activities is the first International Arts Festival of Orihuela Costa, a project about which ACOC is passionate.
Antonio observes that other towns and cities in the region are known for their cultural events, such as the Benicàssim music festival, Alfaz film festival, Torrevieja Habaneras contest, and the Valencia region scenic arts fair – which he usually attends if he wants to be kept informed of what is happening theatrically in the community, and on occasions he has participated as an actor with the Jácara theatre company.
Every week throughout July and August, the association organised ‘musical Fridays at the Club Náutico de Campoamor’.
Asked what the reception to these events was like, Antonio responded: “It is an honour and the truth to say that there was so much need for culture and so much hunger to be able to enjoy a regular cultural programme that we filled every event at the Club Náutico, and one that we held at the Alameda del Mar civic centre.”
ACOC does not currently have a base from which to develop its activities, but it is ‘hoping’ that Orihuela town hall will permit it to operate out of the Alameda del Mar civic centre, ‘as it is the only cultural venue available on the Costa’.
It was suggested that the association may find it difficult to function during the winter months, when the population of the area falls dramatically, to which the president responded ‘they don’t believe so’, as there is a resident population throughout the year.
“There are also several secondary schools, with a more than a considerable population of students to whom we have the obligation to offer both training and cultural activities to help them complete the development of future society,” he added.
One of their ‘imminent worries’ is the integration of different permanent resident collectives from other countries, including British, Belgian, German, and Nordic, etc.
“We want, apart from integrating them culturally, we aim to offer them attractive cultural activities,” said Antonio.
One such activity is that of an upcoming production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, for which ACOC is seeking English-speaking actors and actresses residing in Orihuela Costa and the surrounding areas.
For further information about the theatre production or ACOC in general, email info@acoc.es or WhatsApp 622 252 156 – they are waiting to hear from you.
Membership is free.