Once again, UIC Barcelona has celebrated Cultural April with a full programme of activities that placed culture, creativity and artistic expression at the heart of university life. On 23 and 24 April, the Carpas fair took place on the Sant Cugat and Barcelona campuses, featuring live music, charity events, a barbecue, games, literary sessions with vermouth, and spaces where students could showcase their clubs.
During the celebrations, prizes were awarded in various student life competitions, including the literary and photography contests. The literary prize was awarded to Marta Boncompte Sánchez for her work La sombra de papel and María Ramírez Martín for Nanas y pesadillas. In the photography category, the winners were Víctor Cerdán Nogales with Primavera en amarillo lo festín del polen y la miel and Isabela Lessa Rizzo with El motor que hace florecer.
The Rector’s Tournaments also formed part of the cultural calendar. In the padel category, Manu Lorenzo and Màxime Marty were crowned winners in the men’s competition, with Judit Moldes and Paula Sorolla winning the women’s. Recognition was also given to the sporting achievements of Carles Gracia and Paula Alba, as well as to Patricia Astiz for her title as Spanish Equestrian Champion.
In the area of solidarity, special mention was given to the commitment of students Ana Ximena Urrea Hong, Ariadna Sánchez Reguera and Mabelle Halatsch Gómez for their participation in volunteering activities throughout the year.
Exhibitions and performances by cultural groups
Throughout the month, several exhibitions were held under the theme “Paths”, featuring more than forty works from the student painting groups and the painting competition. The programme also included a photography exhibition titled Colours of Springtime and a display of selected quotes from the literary contest.
Theatre and music also played a leading role: the Barcelona Campus theatre group staged King Lear: Deconstructing Shakespeare, while the University choirs performed during the Carpas celebrations. A cultural visit was organised to explore the city’s Roman heritage, along with a literary discussion centred on the book Inmerso en mí.
In partnership with the Maria Canals Barcelona association, a grand piano was installed on the Sant Cugat Campus for any member of the university community to play live music. One of the most heart-warming moments of the month took place on Saint George’s Day, when handmade roses were distributed to local care homes for the elderly.
According to Núria Rovira, head of Culture at the University’s Student Services Office, “promoting and nurturing cultural activity at university is not an optional extra – it is a necessity. It is a way of forming well-rounded, free and responsible citizens.”
Cultural April has become firmly established as a celebration that reflects UIC Barcelona’s commitment to a well-rounded education – one in which culture and the humanities are essential to both personal and collective growth.
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