Two festivals have joined together to fight more strongly against endometriosis, a disease that affects 150,000 women in Catalonia, almost two million in all of Spain. This is the Ulisses a flea market Five artists united to raise funds for the Hospital Clínic to help understand and combat this disease, which causes numerous pain and reproductive problems that for years have been hidden due to the lack of information, for which the sexist bias of the society has also been responsible. investigation.
“Four years ago I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a disease that I was completely unaware of,” explains Anna Bassols, who in 2022 and alone conspired to “make noise”, so that people would know about an illness that is too often confused with abdominal pain. ruler. “I didn’t expect a festival like the one that is being consolidated to be created, but I had a good response from the Premià de Dalt City Council, and a great response from the Clínic.” With the reference of the Ulisses festival, which last year celebrated its seventh edition in the town of Maresme, Bassols undertook the task of gathering sponsors, patrons and convincing artists to participate in the event by reducing their cache with the aim of raising funds destined to endometriosis research at the Hospital Clínic headed by Dr. Francisco Carmona, “the Messi of sexual and reproductive health,” as Bassols herself defines it.
In the two previous editions, the Endofest has had the presence of Judit Neddermann, Búhos, Ramon Mirabet or Delafé y las Flores azules to put music to an altruistic event that has raised more than 43,000 euros. “It’s a very big festival, but everyone rolls up their sleeves, the bar is self-managed, and like ticket sales and the collaborations we get, it’s meant to raise funds.” In this third edition, managed three-way by Bassols itself, the council and the Clinic, the City Council proposed merging the festival with Ulisses, its initial referent, which since 2016 and over the course of seven editions held in September presented artists such as Sopa de Cabra, Friends of the Arts, Julieta, Triquell, Stay Homas, Blaumut, Dj Amable or Miqui Puig.
“The first year was a success, but one thing has led to another and now we are talking about a third edition of a consolidated festival,” says Bassols, who at 33 years old has built this project in the hours that his job left him. social worker, “it is already an intense enough job, but as an endometriosis sufferer I receive a positive and therapeutic return”, an encouragement that also comes from the other activities she carries out throughout the year, such as solidarity paddle tennis tournaments , calçotadas, round tables and talks in high schools, in addition to his collaboration in the last Marató de TV3, dedicated to sexual and reproductive health. “Everything has arisen from day to day, from the desire to make noise and the understanding between all parties”, the best combination for a long path that, thanks to the work of Anna Bassols, is full of music and enthusiasm.
