Next Saturday, November 22, the Institute will hold the event ‘La recerca en salut surt al carrer’, which includes an escape room, medical tests, CPR workshops, and a demonstration of how an ambulance works.
The Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) will organize the fun event ‘La recerca en salut surt al carrer’ on Saturday morning, November 22, in the center of Tarragona. This initiative is part of the celebrations for the Institute’s 20th anniversary. It was already held in Reus last October and was very well received, with more than 500 people taking part in the activities. Now, IISPV brings the event to Tarragona, specifically to Plaça Corsini and the Mercat Central. Activities will include an escape room about the Institute, non-invasive medical tests, CPR workshops with mannequins, and a demonstration of how an ambulance works. All activities are free, but participants must register in advance on the IISPV website to join the escape room.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Tarragona City Council, Tarragona Markets, and the Servei d’Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) of the Generalitat. Its goal is to help citizens learn more about the work of this biomedical research institute, which has been operating in southern Catalonia for 20 years. The activities planned are:
Escape room ‘Investiga… I ajuda’ns!’
Four groups of five people will help IISPV stop an attack that aims to sabotage the work of its researchers. Each group will face different challenges to protect the four research areas of IISPV: metabolism and nutrition, oncology, mental health and neurosciences, and infection, immunity and environment. The activity lasts about 45 minutes and requires prior registration. It will take place at Tarragona Espai Comerç”, and the meeting point is the entrance to the Central Market on Cristòfor Colom Street. Time slots are: 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30.
Medical tests ‘Aquí et cuidem!’
Throughout the morning, the interior of Tarragona’s Central Market will host several non-invasive medical tests, available to anyone interested:
Workshops ‘Anima’t i reanima!’
All morning long, Plaça Corsini will host the ‘Anima’t i reanima!’ workshops, led by professionals from IISPV and SEM. Using mannequins, participants will learn how to identify a cardiac arrest and how to perform CPR. They will also get to see how an ambulance works, with one on display in the square.
The Santa Tecla 2025 festival in Tarragona has a strong solidarity focus. It puts cancer research at the center of the celebrations, with help from groups like Rotary Tarragona.
The Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) will receive money to support breast cancer research. This is thanks to Rotary Tarragona Club, which is bringing back the popular “Tarragona Cards” for the festival. These cards, first made in 2023, have festive drawings. The money from selling them will go to research projects led by IISPV.
This new edition—limited to 1,000 sets—will be for charity. But that’s not all: Rotary Tarragona is also creating the first Solidarity Microtheatre Show, happening on September 13 and 14. The theatre groups Amanida Teatre, Escena 6, Dones de Mar Teatre and Ves Per On Teatre will perform short plays. Their goal is to raise money for the Mamapop Foundation, which also supports breast cancer research and works with IISPV.
Ideas with “added value”
The Culture Councillor, Sandra Ramos, said during the presentation on Wednesday, September 3, that these ideas “add value” to a festival that already brings people together. With this solidarity effort, Santa Tecla 2025 shows its commitment to health and science, turning festive culture into a way to help society.
