The ROCE Meeting brings together leading national and international speakers at the Auditorio from April 23 to 25
Next week, the Auditorio de Tenerife will welcome the annual event organised by the Network of Organisers of Educational and Social Concerts (ROCE). The details of the sixteenth edition, which will take place from April 23 to 25, were announced today (Tuesday, 15th) by José Carlos Acha, Minister of Culture of the Island Council of Tenerife, and José Luis Rivero, Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife.
José Carlos Acha explained that ‘the Auditorio is more than a venue for opera, dance, and music performances; it is a hub for cultural creation and a place for dialogue and reflection. That is why this meeting is being held here, under the title Tenemos un plan, ¿y ahora qué? La música como derecho cultural (We have a plan, now what? Music as a cultural right), featuring distinguished speakers from Spain and abroad.
The island Minister emphasised that ‘the cultural sector is increasingly recognising the importance of inclusivity and the need to break down visible and invisible barriers that limit cultural access. That is why the Auditorio de Tenerife is essential to this discussion. He also highlighted that “for the first time in the 15-year history of these meetings, the European Network for Opera, Music, and Dance Education (RESEO) will be part of the scientific committee organising the event”.
José Luis Rivero pointed out that this is the second time the Auditorio de Tenerife has hosted the ROCE Meeting: ‘The first occasion was in 2020, which unfortunately fell during the pandemic, so we had to hold the event online. However, that circumstance allowed us to reach an international audience.’ In addition, he said, “At that time, our discussions revolved around well-being. This year, we focus on cultural rights, with sustainability, education, and accessibility as our three main pillars.”
The artistic director highlighted that the plan mentioned in the event’s title refers to the forthcoming initiative from the Ministry of Culture, which will be unveiled in May. ‘Contributions from a broad spectrum of participants, including artisans, hobbyists, professionals, and sector associations, have shaped this plan. After the presentation by the Ministry’s Director General for Cultural Rights, we will initiate a European dialogue, as we already have confirmed participants from Finland, Italy, and France,” he observed.
The committee will comprise the Artistic Director of the Auditorio de Tenerife, José Luis Rivero, and the coordinator of the Educational and Social Area of the Auditorio de Tenerife, Desirée González, as well as the president of ROCE, Silvia Carretero, the vice-president of ROCE, Mikel Cañada, the president of RESEO, Vania Cauzillo, and the member of the executive board of the European network, Sarah Théry.
The three-day event will provide an opportunity to reflect on the future of the Ministry of Culture of Spain’s plan to defend cultural rights. It will focus on three main areas: sustainability and societal impact, training and new skills, and accessibility. The General Director of Cultural Rights at the Ministry of Culture, Jazmín Beirak, will give the opening speech on Wednesday, 23 April, at 10 a.m.The talk is titled Derechos culturales: una política pública para (re)imaginar futuros. (Cultural Rights: A Public Policy for (Re)imagining Futures.)
Following the opening session, the first day will proceed with a panel titled Ecosistemas creativos y sostenibilidad: hacia otros modelos para la música (Creative Ecosystems and Sustainability: Exploring Alternative Models for Music), which will include contributions from José Luis Rivero, the professor at the University of Girona; Alfons Martinell, the executive director of Latin American Opera (OLA); Paulina Ricciardi, the Vice President of the Finnish Association for Music Education; Tuula Jukola-Nuorteva, and the musicologist and professor of the University of Basilicata, Dinko Fabris. The Technical Director of the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Broncano, will moderate this talk.
The Mujeres en la música (Women in Music) gathering will bring together Jazmín Beirak, Paulina Ricciardi, Silvia Carretero, Vania Cauzillo, and the president of the Spanish Association of Symphony Orchestras (AEOS), María Antonia Rodríguez. Wednesday’s programme will conclude with the workshop, ¿Qué poder estás dispuesto a ceder? (What Power Are You Willing to Give Up?) led by RESEO with members of ROCE.
On Thursday, the 24th, the day will start at 9:15 a.m. with José Luis Rivero and Desirée González introducing the programmes of the Educational and Social Department of the Auditorio de Tenerife to the participants. During the morning, attendees can enjoy El retablo de maese Pedro, a family opera featured in the Ópera de Tenerife season, along with Lua, a theatrical performance designed for children. There will also be a morning discussion featuring Vania Cauzillo, Juan Pablo Soler, a member of the Redescena Music Commission, and Sarah Théry and Vanessa Gasztowtt, both from RESEO.
The Thursday afternoon panel will explore inclusive practices and emerging aesthetics. Speakers will include Carmen Laucirica, President of Plena Inclusión España; Mikel Cañada, director of the project Lo imposible se hará; María Europa Luis, a singer involved in the project; and the representatives from RESEO, Alice Nardelli and Sarah Théry.
Following this, an engaging activity involving inclusive cards will take place, and the day will conclude with a workshop on inclusive music and dance led by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife (Tenerife Symphony Orchestra), with participation from Daniel Broncano, Ana Hernández Sanchiz, Antonio Quiles, and several orchestra members.
The sixteenth ROCE Meeting will wrap up on Friday (the 25th) with a closing report presented by Italian musicologist Dinko Fabris. At the end of the session, the ROCE and RESEO leadership teams will use the occasion in Tenerife to foster collaboration between both organisations.
The conference is for the heads of education and social initiatives of cultural authorities; creators; professionals in the fields of music, research, musicology, education, psychology and cultural mediation; heads of social groups; social workers and anyone interested in the subjects to be addressed at this 16th ROCE conference, which is supported by Iberia as an airline partner.
Those who wish to attend the events may sign up through the association’s website until next Friday, 18 April: www.rocemusica.org/encuentro-roce-2025
ROCE is a not-for-profit association of institutions and public and private organisations that was created to oversee its members’ educational and social initiatives. Its objective is to foster the creation of educational and social services or departments in orchestras, auditoriums, venues, foundations, music and dance festivals and other institutions that programme socio-educational concerts and educational undertakings involving music, opera and dance.
In recent years, ROCE has reached out to this broad cross-section of individuals and groups not typically part of the public attending musical events. Their backgrounds represent different sectors and aspects of society, such as social issues, economic matters, culture, gender, race, beliefs, and education, among others, which often constitute visible and/or invisible barriers that adversely affect or prevent their normalised access to live music events and other artistic manifestations.