Scotland Goes Basque 2019

Scotland is key for sharing Basque culture. Much like the Basque Country, it is a land with a strong sense of cultural identity, a place with proud roots and a passion for projecting its identity to the rest of the world.

Scotland’s rich and effervescent cultural life is also reflected in its many long-established international festivals of music, film, dance and literature, making it an indispensable nation for cultural exchange and conversation.

#ScotlandGoesBasque was developed in 2019 to forge bonds between Scotland and the Basque Country by promoting collaborative efforts by Basque and Scottish creators.

From literature to the performing arts to music and film, the Basque cultural cycle in Scotland, #ScotlandGoesBasque, showed the work of Basque artists at some of Scotland´s most important cultural events, including the Celtic Connections, the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The Scottish public and professionals from the creative, cultural and academic sectors had the chance to discover the variety and wealth of contemporary Basque culture and creation through forums, performances, gatherings and films, and create a space to exchange ideas with artists and industry professionals.

A total of 86 Basque creators (including musicians, performers, dancers, writers and film directors) took part in 106 activities promoted by the Etxepare Basque Institute. In addition to the many activities geared to the general public, two meetings were also held for industry professionals – one on cinema and another on music – as well as an international academic congress. A total of 137 Basque cultural stakeholders travelled to Scotland to take part in the different activities carried out throughout the year.