Colors in Catalan - Colors Sitges Link

For historical reasons of discrimination, the LGTBIQ+ collective has been creating its own spaces for interaction and socialization in our city. All this is very evident and the LGTBIQ+ collective, for the most part, does not have any type of relationship with traditional cultural movements and does not know traditions or cultural aspects of Sitges.

For a few years, with the entry of a new management team more sensitive to these issues, in the association we have been developing a work of approaching this historical, cultural and linguistic reality both to our associates and to the rest of the citizens and LGTBIQ+ visitors. .
Our work philosophy has been to make small changes that mean big steps for the promotion of the Catalan language and the promotion of Catalan and local traditions.
In constant collaboration with the Department of Culture and Social Services, we also work on these aspects to interconnect these social and cultural realities that had no relationship with the LGTBIQ+ population of Sitges and with the rest of the Sitgetan population</ strong>, especially, with all those traditional cultural events typical of our town (Corpus, Fiesta Mayor, Carnival, Cavalcade of Kings, traditional cultural groups…). A fundamental part of our objectives as an association is to generate synergies and create links with other traditional associations in the town, such as the Sitges Popular Dance Group, the El Retiro Recreational Society or the Prado Suburense Casino.

Catalan is one of Colors Sitges Link’s communication languages. All our publications, public interventions, newsletters and web page are made in three languages, Catalan, Spanish and English. This is a great step forward given that before everything was given only in Spanish and English because a large part of our partners are newcomers who have settled in Sitges for many years.

The idiosyncrasy of Sitges as a municipality is very personal: it is a town that cultivates and cares for its traditions (traditional, giant and big-headed dances, Corpus…) but, in addition to tourism, has a high rate of foreigners (especially Anglo-Saxons and French) who have settled in Sitges, who create their own social groups and who, despite the years, neither speak nor understand Catalan.

That is why, from the association, we promote the knowledge and use of Catalan through:

Holding workshops or language exchanges and linguistic meetings in Catalan.
Cultural activities:
- LGTBIQ+ choir called “Cantem Colors“, made up of 10 people, with a repertoire mostly in Catalan.
- Through an agreement with the Sitge Museumss, we have incorporated guided tours of the Sitges museums< into the international program of SITGES PRIDE and the BEARS INTERNATIONAL MEETING. /strong>. In this way, we have brought the Catalan culture and language closer to Sitges LGTBIQ+ visitors, all of this had never been done in the more than 10 years of holding these international events.
  In addition, also thanks to this agreement, we do guided tours between associates.

- We celebrate Sant Jordi with a stand for the sale of second-hand books, a way of bringing this special day and ours closer to our newly arrived members.
- We celebrate the Corpus: we organize working groups with volunteers to make the floral carpet of the association. A way to integrate and live a tradition so deeply rooted in our Villa de Sitges.
- We organize different exhibitions and cultural festivals where the use of Catalan is fundamental: Queer Bodies Diverse Minds, Colors Sitges Queer Fest, LGTBIQ+ Endimaris Sitges Film Festival.
- Reading club in Catalan run by Cristina Torremorell, which focuses on reading encouragement plans.
- Our historical memory group works for the recovery of LGTB memory in Sitges and we collaborate with the Sitges Museums to organize exhibitions (currently, Pepito Zamora: an artist of magazine).
- We publish the annual magazine Vision Magazine in Catalan, Spanish and English.
- In social and sports activities (social gatherings, cultural outings, walks, beach volleyball, paddle tennis…) we promote the use of Catalan.

OBJECTIVES

That our newly arrived members can be part of the life of Sitges and in Catalan, understand and be understood in their day-to-day activities, in their relationship with institutions (city council, SOC, courts…), with socio-sanitary (CAP, hospital, residences…), with social services of Sitges and SAI, etc.
That they can be understood in their commercial relations.
That they can participate in social, political and leisure life not focused on tourism, etc.
That they can interact with more people who are not from their usual sphere or linguistic circle.
That they can actively participate in all the health, social and cultural activities proposed in the Colors Sitges Link entity.
To be able to continue with the work of historical memory of the LGTBI collective in Sitges.
Being able to continue with the recovery of historical figures, relevant and linked to Sitges