Can you imagine a festival that transforms streets into a space for reflection and creativity? This is what happened in September during the Festival of Ideas, the new festival of thought held in the city of Madrid. Its first edition, which took place between 18 and 21 September, was conceived to get everybody talking about ideas, filling the city’s streets, squares and cultural spaces with reflective encounters.

The core theme of the festival revolved around Catharsis, a concept from Greek tragedy which represents emotional purification and liberation through artistic experience. In a world saturated with information and distractions, the festival invited us to pause, reflect and understand. How can we purify our past? How can we heal emotionally through art and reflection?

The heart of the Festival was located in the Plaza de España, where a huge stage at street level offered a close and accessible experience for all audiences. Our Director, Sonia Mulero, took part in the opening event, reflecting that “in this space you will find people who work with philosophy, ideas and words in a way that clearly shows that this festival will be transformative”. The Festival also extended into the headquarters of some of the organisations that we work with at the Foundation, such as the Círculo de Bellas Artes (cultural centre) or the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, allowing cultural dialogue to flourish throughout the city.

One of the most remarkable moments was a tour of philosophy with the title “Life at play” directed by the Spanish Iván de los Ríos, where we spoke about the playful nature of life, about fortune and justice, and about wanting to and not daring to take chances. It was a look back at the history of thought, from Nietzsche to Ortega, to Huizinga or Callois, and their reflections on the rituals of play, chance and fortune, boldness or cowardice.

The festival programme also included a performance by the talented young cellist, Guillem Gràcia, our scholarship student at the Reina Sofía School of Music for this 2023-2024 academic year. The Festival also served as a platform for the opening of a photographic exhibition entitled ‘Intelligences’, a project stemming from the “Topics of our Time” Ideas Laboratory coordinated by the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, developed with our support.