How to discover the cultural scene in Spain

Accessing culture isn't at all hard in Spain. At least not in the way that the question is phrased. Despite all the budget cuts since the "crisis" hit in 2008 local government still supports artistic ventures and entrance fees for private theatres, museums and venues are usually remarkably cheap in comparison to the prices I used to pay in the UK.

There are posters all over the place, if you look. Most town halls produce what's on guides, the tourist offices are full of offers and, if you sign up to the Facebook pages of the tourist office or town hall of your local towns, you will find yourself bombarded with any number of offers of theatre, music, dance, exhibitions and the like.

Culture, in a wider sense, the traditions, the fiestas, "folk" events and heritage of Spain are even more accessible. It would be an unlucky tourist who came to Spain for a week and didn't bump into some annual event from the incredible Easter week processions to a local craft fair.

On the other hand I think that building up cultural knowledge is perhaps more difficult than learning the language though the two go hand in hand.

I'm British and of a certain age. If someone says Stirling Moss or Vera Lynn or Factory Records or the Falklands or right swiping then I know what they mean. If I go to a wedding with a DJ who plays music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s etc I will be able to sing along - oh, and I know how a wedding is organised - best man, bridesmaids, speeches all that sort of thing. I know the Vicar of Dibley and Silent Witness and Ken Loach and Shaftesbury Avenue and Anthony Gormley and The Liver Building and the Inns of Court. It's what I grew up with. It seeped in for fifty or so years. In Spain I do know who or what Camarón de la Isla and Los Del Río and the Gran Wyoming and Godoy and Lavapiés and Francisco de Quevedo and the battle of Cavite and Covadonga and Boabdil are but, in comparison, to my knowledge of Morecambe and Wise and the varieties of British cheese, they are as nothing.

So, popping down the theatre to see a Zarzuela as easy as easy could be but knowing what the gossip magazines are talking about will take years and may be impossible.