The University of Oviedo has set in motion the Leonard Cohen Chair, Prince of Asturias Award for Letters 2011, whose objective is to contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of the work of the Canadian artist and to promote poetical and musical creativity in our society, both from the point of view of dissemination and formation. The Rector of the Asturian academic institution, Vicente Gotor, and the director of the Prince of Asturias Foundation, Teresa Sanjurjo, presented this chair as a showcase of the relation between the winners of the prize with Asturias and the strong institutional collaboration.

The academic institution has signed an agreement with the artist by means of which it commits to disseminate his work and to promote cultural actions within society

This chair has been possible thanks to Leonard Cohen's desire to donate the economic prize of the Prince of Asturias Award (€50,000) to a cultural initiative and the support of the Prince of Asturias Foundation to make this proposal the destination of the donation. The project, singular and unique in Spain, aims at being "a meeting point between poetry and music, between creators and their audience, between art and society", as claimed by the agreement signed by the rector of the University, Vicente Gotor, and the artist Leonard Cohen.

Among the primary lines that the Leonard Cohen Chair will focus, as established in the aforementioned agreement, are:

• Promoting the knowlegde, dissemination, formation and research on aspects related to the works by Leonard Cohen and poetic and musical creation.
• Programming cultural activities around Leonard Cohen and poetic and musical creation (conferences, round tables, exhibitions, concerts, congresses, seminars, workshops, literary awards, etc.).
• Favoring and sponsoring research teams and works in the areas and topics related to its objectives, through grants or any other kind of actions.
• Disseminating the results of its projects and initiatives.

The artist has expressed his satisfaction in the creation of this cultural initiative related to Asturias. The Chair also fulfills one of the objectives of the Prince of Asturias Foundation: generating opportunities of a high cultural value that help strenghtening the links between the winners of the award with Asturias and which benefit its civil society.

The Chair will be managed by the University of Oviedo, through the Office of the Vice-Rector for University Extension and Communication. As with the rest of cultural Chairs, it will have a direction that will fall on a member of the teaching staff of the academic institution named by the Rector. Moreover, it will have a Direction Board that will approve the annual schedule.

Banner Image:

Leonard Cohen during the homage paid at the Jovellanos Theater of Gijón. Iván Martínez / FPA.