March 13. Fabra I Coats

By Maddie Neiman

In 1925, Fabra I Coats was a textile factory that employed 2,000 workers. Its amenities were progressive for its time; a fire brigade to respond to ever-present safety risks, and a nursery to accommodate the factory’s many working mothers (80% of the factory staff were women). 

One hundred years later Fabra i Coats is a creator space that serves artists across all disciplines. It still identifies as a type of factory, but one producing arts and culture. Fabra I Coats is one of eleven such “art factories” in Spain. 

 Artist residencies last from one month to a year and provide artists with the space and resources to develop their practice. There are no requirements to produce an end product, and emphasis is rather placed on process and exploration.

Our tour of the facilities ended on the 3rd floor which serves as rehearsal space for performing arts. Our guide shared that mega star Rosalia was an alum of the program and the studio we stood in instantly felt like hallowed ground. Rosalia was here.

At night, I attended the opening dance performance for the Feedback Festival. The nights performer displayed a stunning feat of discipline and body control as she remained spinning for the entirety of the (20 minute?) performance.

As I watched her, it felt as if my brain was being cleaned. Each rotation unwound a thought in my own head. I was entirely mesmerized by her movements. It was easy to imagine any number of genius performers and artists being incubated at this cultural factory. The idea of mega stars like Rosalia emerging from this institution no longer felt like an anomaly- but rather an inevitability.