Juan Pablo Mendiola has a long-standing career in the creation of stage proposals, among which his creations for the companies PanicMap (Harket [protocol], Dystopia, and Petit Big Blue), Maduixa Teatre (Ras!, Consonant, and Dot), L’Horta Teatre (Lluna, The Sleeping Beauty, The Lost Socks), Institut Valencià de Cultura (Alexandria), L’Auditori de Barcelona (Händel & Friends), and Gran Teatre del Liceu (La Barcarola) stand out. Some of these works have toured extensively, performing in 15 countries across Europe, America, and Asia.

His interest in digital arts and their application within the performing arts has led him to investigate their use in stagecraft as a narrative-discursive element, beyond their aesthetic use. With his creations, he has carved a niche among stage creators in the current landscape of contemporary theater. He conducts various workshops and seminars at different universities and events across the Iberian geography, focusing on the creation of new dramaturgies related to the use of technology.

Currently, in addition to his involvement with projects from other companies and institutions, he is at the helm of the artistic direction of the company PanicMap, which he founded with Margarita Burbano in 2012. The company is committed to innovation, articulating narrative, body, space, and the digital device in performing arts. It continuously investigates to integrate digital arts within stage creation, resulting in a unique, recognizable language that pushes the boundaries of theatrical experience. As an artistic director, Mendiola develops his most personal proposals here.

PanicMap's artistic works: Harket [protocol] (2012), Dystopia (2016), Petit Big Blue (2018), and Closka (2023) invite audiences to immerse themselves in unsettling worlds, where the digital universe and poetics come together to tell real stories; dramaturgies of our time that question the identity of the individual in the present day.

His works have been awarded on several occasions. Some of the awards received for his proposals include the Max Award for Best Family Show, several FETEN Awards, various Performing Arts Awards granted by the Generalitat Valenciana, BBVA Award for Best Show, among others.

In 2019, he received the Digital Scene Award granted by the international forum Digital Jove.

Mendiola's theatrical training began at I.B. La Misericordia in Valencia. In 1993, while studying for his baccalaureate, he attended theatre classes taught by Enrique Culebras, where he participated in the collective creation, "Suma y sigue." The following year, he decided to train in acting at the Municipal Theater School of Mislata, then directed by Ana Campos and Roberto García. During these years, he was involved in various productions such as "Caprichos" (1994), directed by Ana; and "El diario de Noa" (1995) and "Salsa Kurda" (1997), directed by Roberto García. The latter, produced by Cia. GatAmagat, was programmed in the burgeoning alternative circuit of Valencia and marked Mendiola's first project in lighting design, a field in which he would progressively specialize. At the EMT of Mislata, he also took courses in improvisation (with Xema Palanca and Xavi Vilaplana) and creative dance (with Anna Felipe), among others.

Throughout his training at EMT Mislata, between 1994 and 1997, Mendiola also attended other courses such as the Young Theater Meetings, organized by the Valencian Institute of Youth (1994-1996). It was here that Mendiola first learned about theater management and production with Toni Pastor and Empar Puig, as well as the application of audiovisual tools in performing arts. This interest in new technologies applied to theater would become one of the most notable features of his later career.

Concurrently, Mendiola completed his acting training at two more schools: the Nuria Espert Theater Institute in Valencia (1995-1996), with teachers like José Manuel Casany or Pepe Galotto; and the School of the Actor (ESAC) (1996-1999), where he received classes from professionals such as Jaime Pujol, Pepe Sobradelo, Amparo Fernández, and Vicente Genovés, among others. At the former, a group of students founded the Company La Tarde, debuting with "3-0 (TRES A CERO)" (1996), a project developed from training work with Mario O. Passero and a workshop with Pep Ricart. This production was staged at Atelier-Moma and Carme Teatre. At ESAC, he was part of the school's first class of performers and participated in showcases like "La visita de la vieja dama" (1999) and "Persecución y muerte de Jean Paul Marat" (1999), both directed by Jaime Pujol. He also worked on productions of Teatre de l’ULL, a company associated with the school, such as "LBLB (La balada de las bestias)" (1999), by Fernando Granell, directed by Salva Bolta; and "Get the Fim Symbol" (2000), directed by Granell, Mamen García, and Gabi Ochoa.

During these years, Mendiola also regularly collaborated with projects linked to or operating in the university environment. As an actor, he participated in "In the bosc" (1998), directed by Amparo Urieta; and as a lighting designer, in numerous works by university groups such as Zozobra, TeaDret, 3 Danza, or the Theater Group of the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Undoubtedly, this experience was quite significant for his learning as a technician and lighting designer.

From 1999 onwards, Mendiola began teaching theater courses in public schools in Valencia and even in Bogotá, where he premiered "La vida te da sorpresas" (1999) with Grupo 162. That same year, he also took charge of various introductory theater workshops at the EMT of Mislata, a pedagogical task he carried out until 2011, alongside other teachers such as Miguel Casells, Mónica Pérez, and Irene Mira. Over those twelve years, he explored other territories of performing arts such as dramatic writing and stage direction through courses conducted by professionals like Juan Carlos Gené, Paco Zarzoso, Lilo Baur, Joaquim Candeias, and Andrés Lima.

In a way, the EMT of Mislata became a stage for experimentation as a playwright and director for Mendiola. In fact, in 2001, the Laboratory Group was permanently established within the school with the aim of researching new scenic languages and processes of collective and interdisciplinary creation. Among the showcases he directed during those twelve years, are dramaturgies based on texts by various authors such as "Escenas de un pervertimiento" (2003), "Espacios sin humo" (2006), "Retazos de Beckett" (2008), and "Desconexión" (2011); but also, his own creative proposals like "Génesis Beta 1A" (2000), co-written with Emilio Encabo Lucini, "Mamá, tengo algo que decirte" (2002), "TSH or Todos Somos Halógenos" (2004), "Cuando el VHS acabó con el Betamax" (2006), "Despejar la X" (2008), and "PAL – Patologías Audiovisuales Latentes" (2010).

In addition to his time invested in teaching, Mendiola professionally dedicated himself to other tasks such as acting. Between 1999 and 2005, he worked in various productions of the company L’Horta Teatre such as "Ángel" (1999), by Juli Disla; and in plays written and directed by Roberto García like "Les tres porquetes" (2001), "Iglú" (2002), and "Miss Ceuta" (2002). Outside this company, he participated in staged readings like "Lluny" (2002), by Caryl Churchill, and "La rialla inacabada" (2005), by Àngels Aymar; or in the co-production of Tarannà Teatre and Teatres de la Generalitat Valenciana, "Com un blues" (2004), directed by Amparo Urieta.

The rest of the author's professional facets also largely developed at L’Horta, both the venue and the company. Between 2003 and 2011, he was a regular collaborator in Roberto García's creations. He worked as an assistant director in family-oriented plays such as "Pelussa, la intrusa" (2003), "María Fideus" (2004), and "La volta al dia en 80 mons" (2009); but also in adult shows like "Pica, ratlla i tritura" (2005), "Moby Disc" (2008), and "Eufòria" (2011). In many of these productions, Mendiola was responsible for the technological aspects and lighting designs, this continued collaboration being decisive for his future creations. At L'Horta, he also directed his first professional play, "La bella durmiente" (2006), by Roberto García, which was nominated for the best children's show at the Teatres de la Generalitat Valenciana Performing Arts Awards. The following year, he wrote and directed another play, "Los calcetines perdidos" (2007), which won the Abril award for the best children's show.

Between 2009 and 2013, Mendiola started a new and enriching collaboration with another company, Maduixa Teatre. From this professional relationship, three family shows emerged: "Ras!" (2009), "Consonant" (2011), and "DOT" (2013). These creations received numerous awards such as the Feten in 2011, 2012, and 2014; several nominations for the TGV Performing Arts Awards, as well as the award for the best children's show in 2011 for "Ras!"; and the Max Award for the best family show in 2015 for "DOT". Interestingly, a couple of the Feten awards refer to new technologies in the performing arts. Indeed, for the author, the period with Maduixa was an opportunity to delve deeper into the use of audiovisual media applied to the stage and in the roles of director and playwright. Moreover, it's worth mentioning the national and international projection of these pieces. For example, "Ras!" traveled to various European and Latin American countries; and "DOT", to the United States or China, among other European countries.

In 2012, together with Margarita Burbano, Mendiola finally created his own company, PanicMap - Proyectos Escénicos. This project is a statement of the author's commitment to researching and developing a personal scenic language where performing arts, visual arts, and digital arts converge. "Harket (Protocolo)" (2012) is the first production where Mendiola, in addition to the text and direction, handled the music and sound space, and with the assistance of Manuel Conde, the lighting design and the audiovisual conception (video mapping). "Harket" received various awards, such as the Toc del Puig Festival award for the best text (2013), the BBVA Theater award for the best show (2014), and a nomination for emerging authorship at the Max awards. Cristina Fernández, an actress and dancer with whom Mendiola regularly works, also won the BBVA award for best performance that year. The play went on an extensive national tour, visiting some prestigious festivals.

Four years later, almost with the same team, PanicMap premiered its second production, "Dystopia" (2016). Mendiola again took charge of the dramaturgy, direction, and audiovisual conception. However, the author did not abandon family-oriented stage proposals with the usual technological component and the presence of contemporary dance. With his company, he premiered "Petit Big Blue" (2018), which has traveled to China. In recent years, the author has also received commissions from other companies such as Maquinant Teatre for "Salüq" (2016) or, again, from L'Horta Teatre with "Lluna" (2021), the latter in co-production with the Centre Teatral Escalante. Particularly in this latter stage, he received other commissions from public entities like the musical pieces for audiences from three or five years old: "Händel and friends" (2016), from L'Auditori de Barcelona, and "La Barcarola" (2021), from the Gran Teatre del Liceu. In Valencia, the Institut Valencià de Cultura proposed him to direct the production "Alexandria" (2018), by Mertxe Aguilar and Guadalupe Sáez.

In 2023, at PanicMap, introducing new members to the company's creative team, he re-entered the laboratory to develop a new project directed at the family audience of the artistic platform. "Closka" premiered at the Mostra d’Alcoi in October of that year.

In recent years, Mendiola has been invited to conferences and to teach master classes about scenic creation and technology at the Carlos III University of Madrid, the University of Lleida, the University of Seville, and The App Date, among others. Similarly, his work has been the subject of research at universities such as the Polytechnic University of Valencia.

He is currently a member of AVEET (Valencian Association of Writers and Playwrights of Theater).

Current trajectory updated AUGUST 2021
© Xavier Puchades (Text extracted from the Dramatea website of the IVC (Valencià Institute of Culture)