Club Cronopios Reopens

club-cronopios-reopens

Having been a frequent participant in open mic nights in my hometown in California, I was seeking to find something similar in Barcelona upon moving here. One day, I simply searched on Facebook the words “micro abierto,” and found the page for a place called Club Cronopios. Was it a bar? A café? No. It turned out that it was a cultural center entirely dedicated to events and workshops related to writing, poetry, music, improv, etc. When I finally worked up the nerve to go to the Monday open mic night by myself without knowing a single person there, what I found was a cozy, crowded, enchanting haven for lovers of the arts.

Unfortunately, a month or two after I started attending events there, they announced that they had to close due to remodeling. Finally, seven months later, Club Cronopios has been reopened to the public and once again is offering its full slate of arts-related events.

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About the Club

Photo by UrbanrulesBCN02 via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Being arguably the most bohemian and culturally cutting-edge neighborhoods of Barcelona, it’s only fitting that Club Cronopios is located smack dab in the heart of El Raval. When you enter, you will feel as though you have stepped into an underground literary gem, with the entrance to the space hosting a small library. All of the walls are a cool exposed brick. As you step further down (making the underground-ness more legitimate) you will find a bar and even a small kitchen where they whip up mean bocadillos and serve beer, wine, etc. Finally, as you continue on, you will see the stage and audience area, with either side of the stage flanked by sofas. Meandering over to the opposite wing of the space, away from the stage, you will find a quieter, more secluded area with lots of sofas and comfortable cushions to lounge at, have a drink, work on your next short story, etc. Overall, the atmosphere feels very artsy, cool, and as if you were in someone’s home.

Types of Events

Photo by UrbanrulesBCN02 via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA

The aforementioned Monday night open mic, wherein the stage is open for anyone to play music, recite poetry, etc., is probably the most popular event that they put on. The list is always full, and the event tends to go on past midnight to accommodate all of the performers. The space is always packed to the brim, leading to a lively and energetic night.

Additionally, Jam de Escritura, a live writing event that allows anyone in the audience to improvise prose and has since spread to numerous locales throughout Barcelona, was born here. Another popular event is the Saturday night Jam de Poesía in which people get together to share their pre-written or improvised poetry with one another. Club Cronopios also holds shows for local musicians as well as stand-up comedians and improvisational comedy.

Details

Club Cronopios is open every day of the week from 5:00 P.M. on. It is located at Carrer Ferlandina 16 in Raval near metro Sant Antoni (purple line 2) and Universitat (red line 1 or purple line 2). To stay up-to-date on events check out their Facebook page

About the author

Alise

Alise is a spoken word poet, writer, and a dance and yoga enthusiast living in Barcelona.