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Catalonia's education system is facing a turbulent start to the new school year, with teachers continuing to strike over pay, working conditions and investment in schools. In this episode of Filling the Sink, Lorcan Doherty and Cillian Shields look at the background to the long-running dispute between teachers' unions and the Catalan government, and hear from teachers and parents taking part in the latest mobilisations, as well as education officials responding to the strikes. We also look at Catalonia's controversial PISA results. A "technical incident" meant that almost a quarter of selected students were exempted from the tests, making the results invalid for comparison with previous years or other regions. And with further negotiations, a proposed increase in education spending and more mobilisations on the horizon, what happens next for Catalonia's education system?

Expanding career opportunities, helping children with their homework, building friendships and relationships, and feeling at home in Catalonia – these are just some of the reasons Catalan learners give for learning the language. This episode of Filling the Sink explores what it's like to learn Catalan, and the challenges and opportunities facing the language today. Lorcan Doherty is joined by Jordi Ballart from the CPNL (Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística) and Catalan learner Grace Ferris to discuss the current state of the language, the growing demand for Catalan classes, and the transition from the classroom to real-life conversation. Cillian Shields speaks with CPNL teacher Mafalda Palà and one of her students, Alejandro Merayo, who moved to Barcelona from Argentina and has embraced learning Catalan as part of settling into life in Catalonia. We also drop in on a Speak Catalan meetup, organised by Eloi Rodrígues and Arnau Torner, where learners and native speakers gather in cafés and other venues to practise Catalan through conversation in a fun, informal setting.

100 years since the death of architect Antoni Gaudí, his vision, the Sagrada Família, is almost complete. This episode marks several milestones: the centenary of Gaudí's death, the Pope's inauguration of the Sagrada Família's Tower of Jesus, and the 250th episode of Filling the Sink! Lorcan Doherty explores the life and work of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and his masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, in conversation with Marta Otzet, Director of Culture and Social and Educational Outreach at the basilica. Cillian Shields takes viewers on a tour of Gaudí's Barcelona, exploring his dragon-inspired designs, fascination with the natural world, and the tragic accident that ended the architect's extraordinary creative life. Anna Glass looks at the relationship between Gaudí and Eusebi Güell, the industrialist whose financial support helped bring many of the architect's ambitious ideas to life.

Solar, wind, fossil fuels, nuclear. Energy makes the world go round. But, on an ever-warming planet, the question of where it comes from is increasingly urgent. As well as the green energy transition and the climate crisis, geopolitical tensions and energy sovereignty are also shaping the debate. On this episode of Filling the Sink we're looking at the state of play in Catalonia, just over a year on from the blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula. Catalonia is still heavily reliant on nuclear power and lags behind Spain and the EU on renewable energy, with only around 20% of electricity coming from green sources. From a low base, solar capacity is now expanding and energy communities are growing rapidly in Catalonia. Batteries are emerging as a key solution to balancing supply and demand, although progress remains limited. Lorcan Doherty is joined by Cillian Shields with additional reporting from Telma Altes Safont.

Bona diada de Sant Jordi a tothom! April 23 is Saint George's Day, the patron saint of Catalonia, and it is a magical day here. Full of love, romance, roses, dragons, and books. It's like Valentine's Day but better.  Today, we'll be exploring the world of Catalan literature, together with a special guest, Izaskun Arretxe, Director of the Literature Department at the Ramon Llull Institute, who we were delighted to welcome in studio to discuss how Catalan literature is spreading across the globe. In this episode, we pose the question: Sant Jordi is obviously a huge literary celebration within Catalonia, but does it help give Catalan literature visibility outside Catalonia? And with major international success in recent years with Eva Baltasar's Boulder, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize through its English translation by Julia Sanches, as well as Irene Solà's When I Sing, Mountains Dance (Canto jo i la muntanya balla), we examine if international readers are more likely to discover Catalan literature through the classics or through these more contemporary voices. Plus, we hear from Oriol Escudé who clears up some common myths and misconceptions about the literary day, and Cillian Shields visits Backstory and Come In, two English-language bookshops in Barcelona, to learn about how they’re fostering community among international readers in Catalonia.

At a time when immigration is a political flashpoint across much of Europe and beyond, Spain appears to be taking a different approach. Around half a million undocumented migrants, including up to 150,000 in Catalonia, are set to benefit from the extraordinary regularisation announced by the Spanish government. But why now? And how will it actually work? Blanca Garcés, senior researcher at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB), explains how the plan is expected to benefit domestic care and hospitality workers in Catalonia and enable irregular residents to obtain permits without a job offer. Alicia Andersson reports on informal work in Catalonia, featuring insights from Oscar Riu (UGT), Fany Raquel Galesas Sánchez (CCOO), and Nuria Soto (Riders X Derechos) on the challenges faced by undocumented workers. Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to give a breakdown of who is eligible for regularisation, how the process works, and what sets Spain apart on the European stage when it comes to migration policy.

On January 20, a fatal derailment in Catalonia, just two days after the high-speed rail disaster in Andalusia, led to unprecedented levels of disruption, with the entire Rodalies network suspended several times due to safety concerns.  But the problems with Catalonia's rail network stretch much further back. In this episode of Filling the Sink, Lorcan Doherty and Cillian Shields examine Catalonia's Rodalies commuter rail network: decades of underinvestment, the recent Gelida accident and subsequent strikes and shutdowns, and the planned transfer of management from Spanish to Catalan authorities. Francisco Cárdenas, UGT union representative for Renfe workers in Catalonia, explains how years of neglect and insufficient maintenance have created a network that train drivers no longer feel safe operating. Rail expert Joan Carles Salmerón, director of private research center Terminus, provides his diagnosis of the structural weaknesses in Catalonia's rail infrastructure, including a disproportionate focus on high-speed lines at the expense of local commuter services.

In this episode, we explore a problem that refuses to go away: the near-impossible task many immigrants in Spain face when trying to secure appointments for their NIE (foreign identity number) or TIE (foreign identity card). Cybersecurity expert René Serral from UPC breaks down what is happening behind the scenes of the 'cita previa' appointment system – and what could be done to fix it. Law professor Natalia Caicedo examines whether the Spanish government is meeting its legal obligations toward newcomers. Honduran-born activist Carmen Juares describes how migrants are "treated as second-class citizens," calling the process of regularising legal status "a continuous obstacle course." We also hear directly from Catalan News readers, many of whom got in touch to share their own experiences navigating the system. With Lorcan Doherty and Oriol Escudé.

FC Barcelona are back home. After several false starts, Barça are once again playing their home fixtures at the iconic Spotify Camp Nou. After two and a half years away, fans are excited – and local businesses relieved – but the revamped stadium remains a work in progress. The return to the Camp Nou marks the beginning of a new era for FC Barcelona. After a decade of financial woes, could it also prove to be the saving of the club?  Oriol Escudé and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to discuss why the overhaul was needed, the controversies surrounding the construction, and the matchday atmosphere at the newly redeveloped stadium. We’ll hear from culers on the thrill of being back, local business owners on the boost to their trade, and a residents' group on concerns about disruption in the neighbourhood. Get in touch with the podcast team: [email protected] Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink or find out more here.

Cillian Shields joins Lorcan Doherty to look back at life in Catalonia under the Franco dictatorship, the transition to democracy that followed, and the challenges that remain today, including uncovering mass graves, ongoing legal battles, and a resurgent far right among young people. Andrew Dowling, Reader in Contemporary Spanish History at Cardiff University, explains how repression was felt in Catalonia during the dictatorship, and how that evolved over the decades of the regime. Catalan photographer Pilar Aymerich, who not only lived through the historic transition to democracy of the late 70s but actively documented it, reflects on that pivotal moment in history. The episode concludes by looking at the challenges that remain today, including ongoing efforts to uncover mass graves, stalled legal cases seeking justice, and the resurgence of the far right among young people.

It's a familiar scene across Catalonia: someone sitting outside a café, enjoying a coffee and smoking a cigarette. But it could soon be consigned to the history books, if Spain pushes ahead with a new bill banning smoking and vaping on terraces. On this episode of Filling the Sink, Gerard Escaich Folch joins Lorcan Doherty to talk about Spain's proposed smoking law. Catalonia's Secretary of Public Health, Esteve Fernández, and the head of the Association Against Cancer in Barcelona, Dr Laureano Molins, explain why the law on smoking needs to be changed, and what measures they would like to see included in the final version.   Joaquim Boadas, the secretary general of both FECASARM (Catalan Federation of Hospitality, Restaurants, and Nightclubs) and Spain Nightlife, outlines the hospitality sector's concerns over one of the most talked-about aspects of the legislation – a smoking ban for cafe, bar and restaurant terraces. Plus, we hit the streets of Barcelona to find out what smokers and non-smokers alike think of the proposed legislation.

'Tourist, go home!', 'Ban Airbnb', and even 'Stop brunch'. Some of the slogans you'll see graffitied around Barcelona, and on t-shirts and placards at the anti-tourism rallies that have made international headlines in recent years. In our first video podcast, Filling the Sink looks at the latest strategy to make tourism work for the people who live here too: a shift toward so-called quality tourism. Patricia Diez, professor at EAE Business School, and Eulogio Bordas, president of THR Innovative Tourism Consultants, share their insights on quality tourism – is it desirable, achievable, and how to make it work. Carla Izcara, a researcher at Alba Sud, and José Mansilla, from UAB's Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, offer a critical perspective on the promises and pitfalls of quality tourism. Oriol Escudé joins host Lorcan Doherty to unpack the idea of quality tourism and what it means for Barcelona and Catalonia.

Street names offer a window into every town's history, culture, and identity. From the structured Eixample grid in Barcelona to the smallest village in the Pyrenees, street names in Catalonia honor important figures, historical events and places. In this week's podcast, we discover the stories behind some of Catalonia's more interesting street names, find out what locals think and explore who names the streets and why some names are more popular than others. Journalists Oriol Escudé and Guifré Jordan join host Beth Cohen to look back through the history of urban toponyms and share a glossary of Catalan street vocabulary.  Miquel Parella, Head of Toponymy at the Catalan Institute of Cartography and Geology, explains how street nomenclature has evolved over time, influenced by politics, Catalan language normalization and events such as the banned 2017 independence referendum. We also take to the streets of Barcelona to test people's knowledge of street names, hear about their personal favorites and discover what names they would choose if given the chance. This week we have a double Catalan phrase, "Anar pel bon camí" versus "Anar pel pedregar." They have opposing meanings; the literal translation is "to go on the right path" or "to walk among stones" and the English equivalent would be "To be on the right track" versus "To be on the road to ruin."

Natural wine is a growing movement in Catalonia, rooted in both tradition and innovation. With diverse terroirs and a long winemaking history, regions such as Penedès, Alt Empordà, Conca de Barberà and Terra Alta & Priorat have become hubs for natural winemakers. This week on Filling the Sink we find out what natural wine is, who is making it and why Catalonia is gaining recognition on the global natural wine scene. Producer Rafa Camps from La Natural describes the challenges of small-scale natural wine production, including climate change and spontaneous fermentation. Experts Benji Sher and Ida Mogren from the natural wine education centre SucSuc explain the philosophy behind natural wine, rooted in ethics and sustainability. We visit the natural wine restaurant Amateur in Barcelona to meet owner Marco Bolatti and chef Tomás Esmoris and discover the cuisine and aesthetic which accompany the Catalan natural wine boom and which appeal to younger, less traditional wine drinkers. Plus reporter Cillian Shields joins host Beth Cohen to review some key natural wine terminology and discuss the up-and-coming natural wine bars in Barcelona. This week, our Catalan phrase is “Bon vi fa bon cor” - “Good wine makes a good heart”. It’s a classic saying which expresses the belief that wine, enjoyed in moderation, brings joy and warmth to the soul.

Catalonia has become a popular location for contemporary international film and TV productions, thanks to its diverse landscapes, strong production incentives and experienced crews. This week on Filling the Sink we review the history of international filmmaking in Catalonia and discover some of the most iconic movies and series filmed on Catalan soil. Montserrat Guiu from Barcelona Film Commission and Laia Boixader from Catalunya Film Commission explain what draws contemporary producers from around the world to shoot here and how the film industry is impacting the local economy. We visit Parc Audiovisual de Catalunya, an audiovisual production complex in Terrassa which offers sound stages, backlots and diverse locations such as an old hospital, tunnels and a church. Managing director Cristina Brandner takes us on a backstage tour to see the set and props of some of the current productions shooting there. Plus reporter Lorcan Doherty joins host Beth Cohen to discuss the upcoming Catalunya Media City plan, analyze Catalonia’s tax initiatives for audiovisual production and relive some of the best movie moments filmed locally. This week, our Catalan phrase is“Llums, càmera, acció” which translates as “Lights, camera, action!” and is the classic cue used on film sets to signal the beginning of a take.