Pinya-Co was created in Brussels in February 2015 by Jonas Mertens and Marta Meix Garcia to facilitate the artistic and socio-artistic projects in which they were involved.
Jonas studied social-cultural work and before Pinya-Co was working during 5 years as youth worker for the organisation Foyer vzw, responsible for the creative workshops (circus, music, plastic arts), and in several socio-artistic projects.
Marta obtained a Bachelor degree of Art in Escola Massana (Barcelona),after which she received another Bachelor degree of specialized educator in L’institut Jean-Pierre Lallemand (Brussels). She worked for 5 years in organisations as Colipain asbl (circus), Atelier des Petits Pas (body expression), ULC de Louvain La Neuve (aerial silks), Centre of creation and creativity “Foyer des Jeunes”, responsible for creative workshops (body expression, aerial silks and art plastic).
Jonas and Marta (Pinya-Co) worked during these years in several socio-artistic productions/projects:
Zinneke Parade (a big socio-artistic performance in the streets of Brussels by Zinneke vzw), Kastelli (a socio-artistic project around the Castellers mixed with music and circus by Samenlevingsopbouw/Foyer/Ploef), De Karavaan (a socio-artistic project to stimulate dialogue between Roma and non-Roma through music by Madam Fortuna), Crossing (a social-artistic music-theater project with Roma youngsters of Vormingscentrum Foyer directed by Kris Kaerts), Karavane (many performances created by the different communes of Brussels who at the end came together in a big festival; Pinya-Co was coordinating the Molenbeek group in collaboration with Foyer & cultuurdienst Molenbeek).
