The traveling cultural project ‘El Mentidero’ proposes occupying town squares across the archipelago with the aim of reactivating the cultural and social use of public space in the Canary Islands. It seeks to foster listening, orality, games, and intergenerational coexistence through events open to all citizens.
Developed within the framework of the ‘Cultura y raíces’ program of the Canary Institute for Cultural Development, the project promotes the recovery of culture understood as word, memory, traditions, and music. Migdalia Machín, Minister of Culture for the regional government, highlights that these forms of encounter strengthen intergenerational bonds and keep traditions alive.
The upcoming events will take place on Saturday, July 18, at the Plaza de La Santa (Lanzarote), and on Sunday, July 19, at the Plaza de Tetir (Fuerteventura). The gatherings will begin with talks involving local elders, who will share stories about the area's past without microphones or stages, emulating old 'mentideros' (gathering places).
Following this, there will be sessions of traditional outdoor games, culminating in music, inviting attendees to spontaneous jam sessions. The project, which began in May in Gran Canaria, will continue its tour across other islands in the archipelago.
