Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Promoting a more accessible culture in partnership with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
At Iberdrola, through our foundation in Spain, we collaborate with the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. on social inclusion initiatives seeking to enable children, young people and adults to gain access and take part in accordance with their particular individual needs.
At Iberdrola, we maintain a close partnership with the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, an alliance based on a shared commitment to culture, sustainability and access to knowledge. Through our support for the museum, we contribute to the development of initiatives that bring art to new audiences, foster social inclusion and reinforce the role of culture as a driving force for transformation and progress in society.
Patronage as a key driver of culture and inclusion at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Iberdrola’s support for the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum helps to strengthen projects that broaden the institution’s social impact and bring culture to an increasingly diverse audience.
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Culture as a social driving force
We promote initiatives that foster access to art and encourage cultural participation as a tool for social cohesion and development.
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Inclusion and diversity
We support programmes designed to integrate different realities, needs and perspectives, ensuring a more open and representative cultural experience.
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Accessible education
We support educational and cultural outreach activities that facilitate learning and engagement with artistic heritage for people of all ages and backgrounds.
We are celebrating our 125-year history with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
At the Iberdrola Group, we are celebrating our 125 years, a milestone on the long journey that has led us to become Europe’s leading electricity company by market capitalisation and one of the two largest in the world. To mark the occasion, we have organised an extensive programme of activities, including art exhibitions and initiatives in partnership with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.
The relationship between Iberdrola and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: inclusive initiatives and exhibitions
Iberdrola’s patronage of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum takes the form of various initiatives, projects and series of workshops that help to build a culture accessible to all.
Inclusion and education programmes
‘Hecho a Medida’ project
Project dates: 2020 to present
Our sponsorship has also enabled the long-running ‘Hecho a Medida’ programme to be free of charge for participants. For over 10 years, this initiative has enabled everyone to take part in projects tailored to their needs, ensuring, through the museum’s Education Department’s programmes, that all visitors have equal rights, whilst promoting social inclusion and adaptation to different groups.
‘Dinamo / Alternador’ workshop series
Project dates: 2021 to present
The ‘Dinamo / Alternador’ project, supported by Iberdrola, arose from the need to create spaces for meeting and training between professionals in the social, community and healthcare sectors, alongside museum specialists.
The workshops that make up the series enable participants to explore new ways of using the Museum and its content through reflection and experience. The aim is to equip social and healthcare professionals with creative tools and to foster ongoing dialogue to strengthen their role as agents of community engagement and social transformation.
Cognitive and sensory accessibility
‘Graphic Novel’: ‘Weaving Lives, Telling Stories Through Paintings’
Publication date: 2020
One of the most notable examples of the collaboration between the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and Iberdrola was ‘Weaving Lives, Telling Stories’, an easy-to-read graphic novel that offers a very special journey through the museum’s collections based on the biographies of different people. The publication, by the artist and graphic storyteller Aitor Saraiba, was released in 2020 and was based on a selection of artworks and the life stories of the participants.
The work forms part of ‘ : Graphic Novel[10] ’, an inclusive cognitive accessibility project in easy-to-read format, created by the Education Department of the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum with the support of the Iberdrola Spain Foundation and in collaboration with AMÁS Fácil (the easy-to-read service of the AMÁS Group).
What is Graphic Novel?
Dara's story.
Because of lockdown, a WhatsApp group was formed that brought the participants even closer together.
‘Easy Museum’ project
Project dates: October 2018 to June 2019
Another example of Iberdrola’s patronage was the creation of ‘Museo Fácil’ (Easy Museum) [12] , the first easy-to-read guide to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection. This inclusive project involves adapting the text, visuals and design of the publications to enhance their cognitive accessibility for various groups with reading comprehension difficulties.
A working group was formed to develop the guide, which included people with reading difficulties from different groups with functional and intellectual diversity.
‘Touch to See’ initiative, as part of the ‘Museo Fácil’ project
Project dates: 2023 to present
Among the initiatives associated with the ‘Museo Fácil’ project, ‘Tocar para ver’Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. stands out. This sensory accessibility initiative enables people with visual impairments to explore a selection of works from the Thyssen collection through touch. It was organised around five works adapted using tactile reproductions and resources such as Braille, Navilens QR codes, audio recordings and tactile exploration guides, facilitating a more independent and inclusive experience. This initiative helped to broaden the ways in which people can engage with art and promote a cultural experience that is accessible to all audiences
‘Vídeo Sensaciones’ initiative, as part of the ‘Museo fácil’ project
Duration of the initiative: September 2022 to July 2023
The ‘Museo fácil’ project explores different ways of accessing art beyond reading, as exemplified by the ‘Vídeo Sensaciones’ initiative. Through this initiative, the content of five works from the collection is conveyed via Spanish Sign Language and non-verbal forms of expression such as music and dance, using resources designed to make the artistic experience more accessible and to encourage cultural participation among all audiences
Innovation and new languages
‘The Dedal Games’ video game, as part of the ‘Museo fácil’ project
Project dates: September 2020 to September 2021
Throughout the history of the ‘Museo fácil’ project, innovative initiatives such as ‘The Dedal Games’Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. have also been promoted; this is an inclusive video game launched in 2021 thanks to the support of Iberdrola. This resource was made possible through the collaborative work of older people, students and groups linked to disability and mental health. The project used five works from the Thyssen collection as a starting point to create interactive stories addressing themes such as equality, discrimination, loneliness and inclusion. The video game incorporated accessibility tools such as easy-to-read text and augmentative communication systems, making it an innovative educational and cultural initiative that brings the museum closer to new audiences through the digital environment.
Sponsored exhibitions
‘Sorolla and Fashion’ exhibition
Project dates: 13 February 2018 to 27 May 2018
At Iberdrola, we have also helped to sponsor a number of the museum’s exhibitions, such as the ‘Sorolla and Fashion’ exhibition [17] , organised in partnership with the Sorolla Museum, with which we also collaborate.
This exhibition, curated by Eloy Martínez de la Pera, brought together nearly 70 paintings from national and international museums and private collections (some of which had never been shown to the public), as well as a selection of accessories and dresses from the period.
