GIBRALTAR (EuropaSur) The official opening of the Instituto Cervantes, Spain's equivalent to the British Council, took place yesterday after the move from temporary headquarters in Casemates. Located on the second floor of the Cloister Building on Market Lane, which belongs to the Gaggero family, the 150m2 offices are a mixture of the modern and the traditional, where the predominant colours are those of the institute's logo: red and white - by chance, the same colours as on Gibraltar's flag. The Director is Francisco Oda (photo), a very busy man yesterday, not>
only because of the new place but also because its opening has caught the media's attention, as it is not without controversy. Also, it was the first day for registration for Spanish classes, which also brought plenty of people wanting information and/or registration. In fact, some exams already took place in Casemates and 125 students already know to what level they belong. There are six beginners levels, two intermediate one advanced, one superior and one for perfecting Spanish. There will also be classes for children from 5 to 7 and from 8 to 10, as well as for teenegares of 11-13 and 14-16. There is also a class for English-Spanish translatorsnd another on Cuban literature. In all cases places are limited, says Oda.
As for the Instituto itself, there is a fully computerized library,and the offices on side of the building, and classrooms on the other, of which three are permanent, plus a conference that is fully adaptable and can become another two classrooms.
only because of the new place but also because its opening has caught the media's attention, as it is not without controversy. Also, it was the first day for registration for Spanish classes, which also brought plenty of people wanting information and/or registration. In fact, some exams already took place in Casemates and 125 students already know to what level they belong. There are six beginners levels, two intermediate one advanced, one superior and one for perfecting Spanish. There will also be classes for children from 5 to 7 and from 8 to 10, as well as for teenegares of 11-13 and 14-16. There is also a class for English-Spanish translatorsnd another on Cuban literature. In all cases places are limited, says Oda.
As for the Instituto itself, there is a fully computerized library,and the offices on side of the building, and classrooms on the other, of which three are permanent, plus a conference that is fully adaptable and can become another two classrooms.
The director is pleased that things are at last getting under way, even though he and his team have benn working for months. As the Instituto Cervantes exists to promote the Spanish language and culture throughout the world, Francisco Oda says that it also wants to strengthen the many existing cultural links bertween Spain and Gibraltar, and become a "place for dialogue and a meeting point."
One of the things the Instituto does very well (Prospero has experience of it in London, Dublin and Miami) is promote parallel activities to the classes it offers. There is always a full programme of activities and events. One of these in Gibraltar is the cinema cycle that is scheduled for Mondays. The fiinaugural film is the Goya prize-winner Tesis, directed by Alejandro Amenábar. Another is a fascinating lecture by astrophysicist Juan Belmonte, from the Canaries Institute, who will be speaking on May 4 about archaeo-astronomy (the study of f how people in the past "have understood the phenomena in the sky, how they used phenomena in the sky and what role the sky played in their cultures," according to Wikipedia. Stonehenge is an example.)
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