- Around forty cultural actors met last April 23 in Uztaritze on the occasion of the synthesis of the Elkartuz workshops launched by the Basque Cultural Institute in October 2020. All areas worked in the workshops (theatre, literature, dance and music to dance, bertsolarism, current music, coral singing, visual arts and cinema) were represented. Apart from the diagnosis of the Basque culture, wishes and wishes have been made known. In the coming months, the actors in each area have also mentioned concrete projects in which EKE can collaborate.
In order to exchange, share and offer proposals on Basque culture, Euskal Kultur Erakundea launched the ELKARTUZ meeting cycle in October 2021. To this end, it invited professional artists and amateurs, as well as associations working in the field of Basque culture, to participate in this genuine deconcentration.
The objective has been to make a shared diagnosis of the Basque culture at the level of Ipar Euskal Herria, which will feed the cultural project of EKE for the coming years. The objective was also to bring together the different cultural agents of Ipar Euskal Herria.
About 90 people (professional artists and amateurs, representatives of different associations) have participated in 17 workshops organised in Uztaritze between October 2021 and April 2022.
The representatives present at the April 23 synthesis session gave a brief review of the situation in each of their areas, showing the levels of structuring and the different problems they experience. Cross-cutting issues such as the collection and transmission of memory, the importance of cultural mediation, the visibility of artists, the place of the Basque country or the renewal and cultural exchange have also appeared.
In each area, dreams and desires, as well as projects that can be carried out in the medium and short term, have been aligned.
Concrete priority projects have been selected. They will be worked and deepened by the different cultural agents. The Basque Cultural Institute will collaborate in this work, ensuring group animation and follow-up.
The motivation of the participants in the Elkartuz workshops is noteworthy.
In general, this mismatch has once again highlighted the diversity and richness of creators' ideas, as well as the need for friendly work in order to respond more closely to needs.