The AIE performers’ association has chosen the line-up for the Artistas en Ruta programme during the first half of 2020. All the performers – including the three Basque bands on the list: Hakima Flissi, Mississippi Queen and Nerabe – will receive subsidies for the concerts that will take place in venues all over Spain during the first six months of the year 2020.

Throughout 2019, the #ScotlandGoesBasque programme has put a spotlight on Basque culture at some of the most important events in Scottish cultural life: music at the Celtic Connections festival; film at CinemaAttic and the Edinburgh International Film Festival; performing arts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; and literature at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. In autumn, #ScotlandGoesBasque will focus on documentary films, with Europa Transit, and in the academia realm, with an international conference on minority languages and media.

The annual academic programme of the Bernardo Atxaga Chair at City University of New York (CUNY) will take place this year from October 7 to 11. This year a seminar will focus on the contribution of Basque culture and literature to peace and reconciliation through innovative processes. The seminar will be given by Annabel Martín, Associate Professor at Dartmouth College, and expert in contemporary Spanish culture.

The Basque author, Ana Malagón, is currently taking part in the Opowiadania International Short Story Festival in Wroclaw (Poland). The event, which brings together a large number of Polish and international writers, started on September 27 and ends on October 6.

The VII World Congress of Basque Communities Abroad begins today at the Euskalduna Conference Center. The slogan for the seventh congress, “SAREGINTZAN”, is meant to encourage work and collaboration between Basque communities and institutions. The opening ceremony of the Congress will be presided over by Basque President Iñigo Urkullu

Oreina, the latest film by Donostia-born filmmaker Koldo Almandoz, will premiere in Mexico as part of the Black Canvas Contemporary Film Festival, held October 1-8 in Mexico City.

The Basque PEN Club, which focuses on bringing Basque literature to international audiences, is an affiliate member of PEN International. The club has recently published the 19th edition of the magazine ‘Basque Writing’ under the title Writing in a Small Language. In it, several writers offer their thoughts on what it means to be a writer in a minority language like Euskara.

The Transpoesie poetry festival, held every year in Brussels, begins on September 26, marking the European Day of Languages. The festival celebrates the culture and languages of Europe through poetry. Activities will take place on four consecutive Thursdays, ending on October 17.

Etxepare Basque Institute is gearing up after summer with a flurry of activity. In autumn we’ll set our sights on international festivals and fairs, using our various networks to promote Euskera and Basque culture abroad. The Institute will also provide support and financial aid to enable numerous artists, companies and initiatives to present their work at these events. The new academic year is also the time to set in motion several initiatives overseen by Etxepare in collaboration with universities around the globe, including Basque language and culture programmes, university chairs and educational courses.

Held from September 25 to 29, the London Spanish Film Festival will feature a Basque Window as part of its official programme for the 10th time. Some of the most interesting Basque films of the last few years will come to London, most of them first time releases in the UK. The programme will include two feature films, a short film and a documentary.