Excellent reception of the Basque creators cultural programme in Montreal

The Saison Quebec - Pays Basque cultural exchange project, organised by the Etxepare Basque Institute, is now in the final stretch. The project will run through autumn 2022, and so far the first events in September have been highly successful. The public, artistic creators and academics from Montreal universities have had the chance to enjoy Basque film, dance and language through various presentations and screenings, all of which have been warmly received.

Some of the cultural programme highlights in Montreal took have already taken place this September. As part of the Focus Basque section, the Quartiers Danses Festival featured the the Malandain Ballet Biarritz, Lasala, Proyecto Larrua and Osa+Mujika companies, with nine shows and 15 performances; the Basque film season organised together with Cinémathèque Québécoise screened seven Basque films from 9 to 18 September; and the Elbira Zipitria Chair in Basque Studies was inaugurated at McGill University.

“The initiatives carried out in September have been very significant. Besides being quality performances and highly successful, some of them will go on to other stages. In the visit to Quebec we’ve managed to consolidate the continuity of part of the project," said Etxepare Basque Institute director, Irene Larraza.

The continuity of the project is precisely one of the objectives of the project. In The delegation led by the Basque Government´s Minister of Culture and Language Policy, Bingen Zupiria, held a series of meetings with officials from the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) to continue the path forged by the Saison Québec - Pays Basque project.

Focus on Basque creation

On 8 September, Malandain Ballet Biarritz opened the Quartiers Danses Festival at the Maisonneuve Theatre to an audience of 1,300, with a performance of ´La Pastorale´. They have also performed ´Nocturnes´ and ´Mozart a deux´ in different venues in the city.

Lasala, directed by Judith Argomaniz, was another of programme highlight. The company presented the pieces ´Fight´, ´Alive´ and ´IU´. The artistic duo formed by Jaiotz Osa and Xabier Mujika, Osa + Mujika provided the following act with street performances of their show ´Expectations Will Not Kill You´. Last on the roster was Proyecto Larrua, with their shows ´Muda´ and ´Idi begi´.

Telmo Esnal´s film ´Dantza´ was screened at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Bilaka dance group gave a performance at the opening of the ´Soka´ exhibition at the Centre des Musiciens du Monde (World Musicians´ Centre).