Two cultural management projects led by graduates of the University Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at UIC Barcelona have been selected for the Second Call of the Fabra i Coats – UIC Barcelona Cultural Management Residencies 2026. The programme is organised in collaboration with Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació, a Barcelona City Council facility that supports artists and collectives from a wide range of disciplines. “D1ME: joc, mediació i cultura de les cures” and “The Mirror Project” were chosen following a competitive process that evaluated eight proposals.
The decision was announced on 10 February 2026 at Fabra i Coats, where the judging panel reached a unanimous agreement. The initiative, developed by the master’s degree for its graduates, aims to support the development, consolidation and implementation of cultural projects in a professional and community-orientated environment.
“D1ME: joc, mediació i cultura de les cures”, led by Anna Fando Morell (graduating class 2012–2013), is a cultural management project that uses a card game as a mediation tool to promote accessible and participatory understanding of Type 1 Diabetes. The residency at Fabra i Coats will enable the project to grow through workshops and materials adapted to a range of audiences and settings, including schools, secondary schools, civic centres, libraries and community spaces. The panel particularly valued its innovative nature, its social and community impact, and the author's professional career, in line with the values of Fabra i Coats and the work of the master's programme and the Faculty of Humanities at UIC Barcelona, especially in the field of Medical Humanities.
“The Mirror Project”, created by Olivia Indrén and Kasun Gunawardana (graduating class 2024–2025), is a community-based cultural platform that seeks to make visible and document the narratives of people with diverse gender identities and expressions, particularly those with migrant backgrounds. The residency will culminate in the production of an audiovisual series documenting the project’s creative processes. The judging panel praised its relevance within Barcelona’s cultural ecosystem and its ability to foster collaborative networks and safe creative environments.
The evaluation committee was made up of Carles Sala, executive coordinator of Fabra i Coats – Fàbrica de Creació and the Cultura Viva programme; Sergio Gómez Hita, head of Administration of the Administration Department of Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació i Centre d’Art Contemporani; Christoph Pasour, director of the University Master’s Degree in Cultural Management at UIC Barcelona; and Claudia Balboa, coordinator of Postgraduate Studies in Cultural Management and Professional Practice also at UIC Barcelona.
Each year, UIC Barcelona, in collaboration with Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació, opens a call for two residencies aimed at graduates of the University Master’s Degree in Cultural Management. The programme provides workspace in a professional environment that encourages interaction with artists, collectives, associations and cultural agents. With this second call, the University strengthens an initiative that promotes projects with the potential to generate social and cultural impact across Barcelona’s artistic landscape, reaffirming – through the University Master’s Degree in Cultural Management – its commitment to culture and society.
In the first edition, held last year, the selected projects were Sottobosco by Chiara Signorelli (graduating class 2012–2013) and Artist Ally by Julia Xavier Fernandes and Blake Zigrossi (graduating class 2021–2022). Both residencies have since been completed and successfully implemented, establishing this line of collaboration as a meaningful space for growth and professional development for graduates of the master’s degree.
