Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Assembly Festival: Erain + Helena Wilhelmsson

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of the world’s largest international performing arts events, takes place every August in the Scottish capital, transforming the city into a vast stage for companies and artists from around the world. Beyond its artistic dimension, the festival provides an important platform for companies to gain visibility and connect with programmers and professionals from the international cultural sector.

As part of the Etxepare Basque Institute’s collaboration with Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, Basque choreographic creation will once again be represented at the Fringe this year, with performances by Erain and Helena Wilhelmsson, alongside activities aimed at dance professionals and international cultural operators.

´Jarraibiderik gabe´

7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 August | 13:00 | Dance Base – Studio 3

Jarraibiderik gabe creates an evocative dialogue between bodies and objects, in which materials, play and transformation become tools for creation. Combining physical rigour with an imaginary world open to multiple interpretations, the piece constructs a universe in constant transformation.

Erain is a young dance company formed by dancers Oier Zuñiga and Lorea Bakero.

´Trembling Frequencies´

7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 August | 13:00 | Dance Base – Studio 3

Trembling Frequencies is a poetic and visceral piece in which dance and myth intertwine. Inspired by the figure of the sirens and their mysterious power to attract through their voices, the work explores themes such as identity, loneliness, anger and the search for one’s own artistic voice.

Swedish dancer Helena Wilhelmsson, who has been based in the Basque Country for several years, presents her first choreographic work with Trembling Frequencies, a solo created together with choreographer Jordi Vilaseca.

Professional programme

The Basque presence in Edinburgh will be complemented by a range of initiatives aimed at the professional sector.

From 4 to 9 August, Helena Wilhelmsson will teach contemporary dance classes for professional dancers as part of Dance Base’s training programme.

In addition, on 11 August, from 10:00 to 12:00, Dance Base will host the Basque Dance Pro Presentation, aimed at international programmers and cultural professionals. Representatives of ADDE, the Association of Dance Professionals of the Basque Country, and the two participating companies will present an overview of the Basque dance ecosystem and the Basque Dance catalogue. The event will also provide an opportunity to introduce the Etxepare Basque Institute’s support programmes aimed at promoting the international presence of Basque companies.

These activities are part of the ongoing collaboration between Etxepare Euskal Institutua and Dance Base to strengthen the international presence of Basque dance, raise the profile of its artists and foster new connections with programmers and professionals worldwide.