Call for applications: ‘learning tour’ to Flanders

Etxepare Basque Institute/Flanders Arts Institute/Flanders Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In November 2021, the Etxepare Basque Institute joined forces with the Flanders Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Flanders Arts Institute to arrange a cultural visit to the Basque Country for Flemish art and culture professionals. The purpose was to spread awareness of Basque culture and create cultural networks and collaborative projects between the two countries.

We are now putting together a visit to Flanders for Basque cultural organisations and professionals can learn about Flemish culture, institutions, stakeholders and creators. These exchanges set out to foster cultural cooperation between FLANDERS – BASQUE COUNTRY in autumn 2022 and all of 2023, with the aim of creating projects with Flemish cultural and creative agents and promote the participation of Basque creators in events and festivals in Flanders.

The Basque art professionals involved in the programme will get to know the organisations and art professionals operating in Flanders, each according to their area of practice and interests.

The tour is open to 15 professionals in the area of Basque culture. The types of meetings with professionals and cultural agents in Flanders will depend on the participants’ interests.

Who is the call intended for?

We are looking for cultural professionals (creators, programmers/curators, cultural agents) and arts organisations with a basic interest or knowledge of the Flemish cultural ecosystem who wish to collaborate and can undertake a cooperative project.

The call is open to both individuals and stakeholders/entities.

Applicants must be involved in visual and plastic arts, music, performing arts, audiovisual, literature or multidisciplinary arts practices.

Candidates must submit a bio (entities) or CV (individuals) explaining why they wish to participate in this initiative and the people and/or stakeholders and places they would like to meet in Flanders. They should also include and explanation of their motivation for participating in this project.

Candidates must be available for the full three days of touring plus two travel days.

Practicalities

• Dates: outward journey - 31 May; ‘learning tour’ - 1-2-3 June; return journey - 4 June.
• The working tour will be conducted in English. However, translation will be provided, if necessary, by the organising institutions.
• The Flanders Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Flanders Art Institute will cover the costs of the stay (4 nights), including meals and cultural agenda.
• The cost of the outward and return journeys for Basque artists, professionals and institutional representatives will be covered by the Etxepare Institute.

How to apply

Candidates wishing to participate in this working tour are required to complete the following  application form and return it no later than 11:59 pm on Friday 31 March 2022. 

Apply using the following form: https://forms.gle/VykDjzfLQDf6nTgS9

The Basque delegation will be decided on by a committee of four: two appointed by the Etxepare Basque Institute and two appointed by the Flemish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What happens next?

In summer 2022 the Flemish Government and the Presidency of the Basque Government will launch a call for proposals for specific cooperation projects. This call aims to support two-way collaboration projects, both artist exchanges, exchanges of creative projects and possible ‘windows’ into Basque culture.

These learning tours and the call for projects are part of the Memorandum of Collaboration, which also includes cultural exchange, signed in November 2021 by the governments of Flanders and the Basque Country.

More information

For further information, contact the Etxepare Basque Institute (a-aginagaldelopez@etxepare.eus) or the Flanders Arts Institute (sarah.rombouts@kunsten.be).