I was over the moon to undertake a residency at Jiwar, in Barcelona. Jiwar is an Arab word which means neighbourhood. Beyond this meaning, Jiwar aims to bridge experiences and promotes inter-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange. “As is true of most of Spain, the province of Catalunya, and especially Barcelona as its capital city, suffered greatly under the Franco dictatorship, a period lasting from the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 until 1975. Catalunya was punished in particular because of its successful struggle for national autonomy and active anarchist movement and resistance before and throughout the Civil War. As the Republicans and leftist resistance faltered, Franco’s subsequent fascist dictatorship severely repressed any public activities, writings and even discussions in Barcelona and the greater province associated with Catalan nationalism, democracy and left-wing ideologies.”
