The Esquerra de l’Eixample castella gang has started a campaign for the City Council to provide them with a new, safe and optimal rehearsal space. One of the actions they will carry out will be to cut Calle Entença in front of La Modelo this afternoon, at 7:30 p.m.
The 120 members have been forced to rehearse at La Modelo, both in the central courtyard and in the panopticon, which causes them to practice in a place that is neither safe nor suitable for this activity, the castellers denounce. The colla not only has these problems, but in some cases the spaces are already occupied by other cultural events, which forces the practice to be suspended.
Repeated complaints to the administration have not brought any solution, they say. Laia Segur, president of the castellera group, asks for short-term solutions: “The City Council told us that four years from now we would have our own space in La Modelo.” The group maintains that it has been met with evasion from representatives of the City Council who tell them that they cannot structurally modify La Modelo to adapt the space since it is a protected building.
The president of the human towers also complains that they are not allowed to use the storage spaces to store the necessary safety equipment.
The association requests a space with a net and an adequate surface to avoid injuries, as well as a place where the little ones are safe. In addition, they demand a space to store their backpacks since they have suffered several thefts.
Segur affirms that this evasion is not only suffered by them, but also by several entities that live with the same problem. “We want to strengthen the fabric of the neighborhood, but there are few places for socialization,” he says.
The bell
