Margalida Grimalt Reynés is an actress and co-founder of a trilingual Montessori school in Barcelona. She recently became a mother for the third time and still finds it challenging to balance her career and family life. Margalida’s upbringing was in an artistic environment, so she tries to incorporate moments of free play and self-organization into her children’s daily routine. How important is it for her to embrace shyness? Let’s find out!

Hi Margalida! Could you introduce yourself?

I’m Margalida Grimalt Reynés and I became a mother for the third time not long ago. I co-manage a children’s project, which I try to fit in with my career as an actress. I don’t sleep more than two hours at a time. I think this is what defines me the most at this time in my life. I’m so tired!!!

 What is a typical day in your life like?

There’s no typical day in our life! Every day is different. We find out what our schedule is 24 hours in advance, so the logistics are always changing. Trying to manage the logistics of a family of five is insane! There’s no monotony, that’s for sure!

How did your life change from having 2 to 3 kids?

In our case, having our third child was very similar to having the first one! There are 6 years between the second child and the third one, so in the first part of the day the little one is like an “only child”, and it’s been such a long time since we have looked after babies, we have forgotten everything!!!.

You are an actress and the co-founder of the MA Espai Educatiu, a Montessori trilingual school for children aged 1 to 6 located in Barcelona. Please explain to us how this project started and tell us about the educational project.

My interest in education began at home where most of the members of my mother’s family came from the world of education. But it wasn’t until my first child was born almost 9 years ago that I felt that I could use my creativity in the service of education. MA is the project through which I channel my creativity, my passion for education and my desire to create a project where my children and those of many other families can grow without becoming disconnected from their essence.

The seed of MA was a project that we set up together with other families and educators for our children in our country. We lived in one side of the house and the other was used for the educational project, which a few years later became too small and it grew into what is now MA.

What’s the connection between your creative life as an actress and your role at the school?

An infant school is the most creative place I can imagine. The way the girls and boys move, how they draw, how they organise their day, how they cope with their difficulties, their dialogues… And how they play! How they play is a huge source of inspiration. In English (and in many other languages) the verb to play is the same as the verb to act, or to play a role. The way children get fully involved and committed when they play is exactly what you need when you are acting. This is one of the connections, but there are many more… An important task actors have is to train themselves to become present in the moment, without pre-empting, to be open to what might happen, and this is precisely the very nature of childhood, being present. We can also talk about the light and magnetism of children, everything they do is a delight to watch and everything they say is a delight to listen to. I could go on and on…To be a witness to the life of children who can play the role of who they really are with nothing more expected of them, is a great source of inspiration.

Your life partner, Roger Coma, is also an actor. What is your children’s relationship with the world of the theatre and the cinema like?

They love the theatre and cinema. When they have been on film shoots or rehearsals, they generally love everything that has to do with backstage in the case of theatre and the “behind the camera” in the case of film or television. The stage machinery coming down into the theatre, or being able to listen through the sound technician’s headphones, this is the real spectacle for them.

What was your upbringing like? Did you also grow up in an artistic/creative environment? Are there things that you’re consciously trying to incorporate into your kids’ upbringing?

I grew up in an artistic environment. When I was little, I made the connection through dance and music, and the theatre came later. I am very grateful and it makes me happy to remember those days, but perhaps my childhood lacked a bit of “boredom”. Moments of doing nothing, of just being at home, of not knowing what to do, times of free play, simple moments of connecting with oneself. But I suppose that is what I’m trying to preserve in our children’s day-to-day lives. Making sure that their daily routine is full of these moments when they manage their own time and self-organise.

Any special upcoming projects?

Our big project at the moment is for our youngest son to be able to be with us while we are still keeping active and working. It’s a huge challenge; there are some incredible moments and some crazy ones. But, so far so good! I really want to embark on some new projects but I want to spend as much time as possible with the children, especially with the little one…so, one step at a time.

The SS23 LIVING IN A SHELL collection is about shyness seen as a trait, not as a flaw. Do you consider yourself a shy person? Are any of your kids shy and how do you embrace this trait they might have?

I love the theme of this collection. Nowadays, it’s difficult to give space to anything more discreet, more internal, more subtle and shyer. All of us have a more introverted side, a part of us that needs protecting inside a shell for a while, so that we can come out of it stronger and live the life we want. I try to make my children see the value of this shell, that they take care of it and allow it to grow with them… so that they can go inside it whenever they need to.

Shop Baby

A story by Fantastic Mr Nilsson @fantasticmrnilsson  AD & Styling by Mafer Navas @mafernavas Photography by Anouk Nitsche @anouk_nitsche Production by Txell Hernández-Gil @txell_hg Styling Assistant is Ana Fernández @anfecasals Models are Margalida Grimalt @margalidagrimalt, Roger Coma @rogercoma, Simó, Pau, and Roc.