• Tortosa was the capital of rural culture during the 7th edition of the Culture and Ruralities Forum organized by the Ministry of Culture
• Under the name "Water Scenarios," the theme that ran through this forum was "Culture, environmental challenges and intergenerational dialogue."

Tortosa is a municipality in the province of Tarragona (Catalonia), established as the capital of the Lower Ebro region and an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial center. As a result, it has become the venue for the 7th Forum on Culture and Ruralities organized by the Ministry of Culture.

Under the title "Water Scenarios" and within the incomparable setting of the Ebro Delta, the Forum addressed environmental issues that are central to the future of our rural areas—and their young people—such as climate change, biodiversity, the primary sector, the cultural and environmental role of river basins, water uses and management methods, drought, the advance of the sea and the resulting retreat of the coastline—particularly severe in the Ebro Delta—and the destruction of wetlands and ecosystems.

From a cultural perspective, the Forum once again discussed the role of culture as a transformative agent for the needs of our rural areas. And, as in every edition, a special focus was placed on intergenerational dialogue, with the presence of young cultural and artistic representatives to reflect on the role of youth in rural areas.

Simultaneous forum

The event featured an ambitious program , with morning and afternoon talks, packed with roundtable discussions centered on a specific topic, featuring specialists from around the world, led by a moderator. Simultaneously, cultural activities were held to explore local artistic expressions and the region in which they were held.

The Culture and Ruralities Forum was pleased to propose a prior cultural and artistic program, with the aim of expanding and broadening the forum's reach and impact in the region. This program was designed through a cultural program held in different locations in the province of Tarragona, with meetings with cultural stakeholders from the region. These activities required prior registration, in addition to attendance at the Forum.

For example, a visit to " Lo Pati " , the Terres de l'Ebre Art Center , was led by Aida Boix, director of Lo Pati. Three art co-creation workshops were also organized as part of the "Escola Nòmada" project .

"Escola Nòmada" is a project of the Tarragona Provincial Council that spreads artistic and cultural training throughout the Camp de Tarragona region, the Terres de l'Ebre region, and the Baix Penedès region. The goal is to create new opportunities in the region through artistic training, co-creation, innovative formats, networking, and the revitalization of the professional artistic and cultural sector through its talent. Currently, 30 municipalities with fewer than 9,000 inhabitants are participating in the project.

Youth projects

The Forum also previously held a public call to select cultural projects driven by rural youth who would like to present their own initiatives at the Culture and Ruralities Forum and join collaborative networks established within it. The selected projects can be viewed here .