Astero
Ikastaroak: "Gurea" Educational Workshops
This series of traveling Basque culture workshops, in conjunction with the Basque Government, is an opportunity for communities to come together across generations to enjoy themselves while learning something more about Basque culture.
HOSTING / COST REQUIREMENTS. The BG pays their flights, and NABO covers the rental car for internal travel. Your club, meanwhile, would cover room and board while they are with you (either a hotel room or staying with a family). You would also have to make the necessary arrangements to secure a large room of sorts for the gatherings, and the purchasing of some craft supplies.
The instructors for the workshops come to us from the Directorate for Citizens and the Basque Communities Abroad were they work as interns. They come prepared to provide workshops for both children and adults.
OVERVIEW: Why these visiting workshops?
In some of our clubs we are finding some success in drawing youth participation; we'd love to hear about it so that we can make this idea available to other clubs. Most of our clubs encounter various challenges in keeping Basque things going. That is why NABO in conjunction with the Basque Government of Euskadi, is organizing a series of visiting workshops that would come to your town for a few days. It would entail hosting (room & board) 2 young adult instructors from the Basque country, and they would present workshops on various aspects of Basque culture--for young and old--in an effort to get families together in your community to learn a few more things about Basque culture.
"If Mohammad can't go to the mountain, let the mountain come to Mohammad."
As the above saying states, it makes sense for us too. If people are not able to attend NABO events, then we have to develop initiatives where we bring the action closer to them. If we can't find viable ways of keeping things active and engaging in our local Basque communities, then larger regional or national Basque events will not likely appeal to them because they have long-since not been connected.
Once again, the key is to create some events where families can get together because one of the main things that Basque culture has to offer--what we have to "sell" sort of speak--is that we do things across the generations. In our society, that is not usually the case. Teenagers hang around their own age group, senior citizens with their own etc. So the more we do things like this, the better chance we have of showing what special things Basque culture possesses.
Gurea Summer 2010 Workshops
Summer 2010 was the first time that we tried a series of workshops in three Basque communities. Two visiting instructors from the Basque Government put on several days of activities, all which aimed to get Basque families together to learn more about Basqueness.
These workshops are made possible by the support of the Basque Government and the hosting of local Basque clubs.
Visiting Team of Instructors
Aimar Rubio |
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Asier OrtegaWinnemucca - Aug 6-7-8
Buffalo, WY - Aug 13,14,15
Salt Lake City, UT - Aug 20, 21, 22
Instructors travel from Basque country to present cultural workshops
By Tiffany Bertsch
Article from the Buffalo (Wyoming) Bulletin published Aug. 18, 2010
Reprinted here in case it is re/moved from original source: www.buffalobulletin.com
When Aimar Rubio and Asier Ortega stepped off the plane in Salt Lake City earlier this month, they were on a trip to the United States for the very first time. Having traveled from the Basque country between France and Spain, the duo arrived in this country for a tri-state, cultural workshop tour.
Ortega and Rubio are grant holders who work for the Basque government. Rubio is from Bilbao in Bizkaia and Ortega is from Vitoria-Gasteiz in Araba, both of which are located on the Spanish side of the Basque country. Having finished their college educations, the two were working together for the Basque government when an idea was generated.
“John Ysursa, the man from NABO (North American Basque Organization), told us that for knowing how the Basque people abroad live, we have to go to where they are. This is how this idea started,” Ortega said.
Ysursa, who is the NABO manager in Boise, began to put the plan into action with collaboration from the Basque government.
“He tells us that we could come to the United States to different Basque clubs to make some speeches, show some films…” Rubio said of Ysursa. “This is the first time the Basque government has done anything like this.”
“And we hope it will not be the last,” Ortega added.
After much planning, and preparation of a “menu” of workshops for Basque club members to choose from, Rubio and Ortega were on their way to the United States to share their culture.
Their first stop was a three-day stint in Winnemucca, Nev. From there, they traveled to Buffalo. The tour will end in Salt Lake City this weekend, where after presenting their workshops, Rubio and Ortega will depart for home.
While in Buffalo, the pair played games and created handicrafts with local children. They also offered various workshops and presentations about the Basque culture. On their final day in town, they participated in the Big Horn Basque Club’s celebration that involved food, dancing and presentations.
According to Rubio, the trip has gone “very, very well.”
“The Basque community of each club has been so, so lovely with us,” he added.
The pair said the main target of the program is to “try to join the Basque community abroad.”
“It’s an excuse for joining the Basque families,” Ortega said. “That’s the most important thing. To join the Basque families.”
“For the Basque government it’s important because it’s a way to enclose relations between the Basque country and the Basques who are living abroad,” he added. “So it’s a way to enclose these two worlds which are very far away. To meet each other and know how they live.”
Rubio and Ortega both shared their excitement about the opportunity to come to the United States to give the cultural presentations.
“This is incredible,” Rubio said. “We are learning more than we are teaching…how the Basques in the United States are living.”
When the pair returns home, they will begin working on an article for a Basque Club magazine about what they have learned on their adventure.
Joyce Inchauspe, a director on the board of the Big Horn Basque Club, said, “We’re just thrilled to have them here. I personally learned a lot at the kids’ workshop and I’ve learned a lot about young, modern-day Basque.”
Because the program is offered through a two-year grant, next year, two new instructors will travel to the United States from the Basque country to offer presentations. They will visit different Basque clubs than Rubio and Ortega did, but the idea remains the same – to share their culture.
“For us the most beautiful state is Wyoming,” Rubio said. “We have had a good time here.”
WORKSHOP MENU SELECTIONS
Your club can select which of these they would like, mixing and matching, and the preferred time of day, etc.
Activity: Introduction to the Basque Country Nowadays (I)
(40-50min speech. PowerPoint available)
The workshop would consist on a brief presentation of the Basque Country, where the main topic would be to focus on the culture & history of the three different legal and political entities.
>Source: “The Basque Country” Insight into its culture, history, society and institutions. Published by Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Argitalpen Zerbitzu Nagusia, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Euskadi (2009)
Activity: Introduction to the Basque Country Nowadays (II)
(40-50min speech. PowerPoint available)
The workshop would consist on a brief presentation of the Basque Country, where the main topic would be to focus on the Society & institutions of the three different legal and political entities.
>Source: “The Basque Country” Insight into its culture, history, society and institutions. Published by Eusko Jaurlaritzaren Argitalpen Zerbitzu Nagusia, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Euskadi (2009)
Activity: Curiosities of Bizkaia, Araba and Gipuzkoa
(10-15 min speech each territory. PowerPoint available)
This workshop is focus on the curiosities of Bizkaia, Araba and Gipuzkoa. The aim is to consider and tell things that did not appear on the tourist guides.
>Source: each grant-holder is from one territory, so we could be able to tell some things about our country, and piqued the curiosity of the people.
Activity: Basque Film festival (Kids session)
(3-4 days long, 120 min pass approximate)
This workshop is focus on the screening of some films, related to the Basque Country. After the screening, playful activities will be available for kids, around the topic of the film.
Activity: Basque Film festival (Adult session)
(3-4 days long, 120 min pass approximate)
This workshop is focus on the screening of some films, related to the Basque Country. After the screening, we can performance a round table to chat about the topic of the film.
1. Aupa Etxebeste
Activity: Euskadi's Government programs for Basque Diaspora
(30 min speech. PowerPoint available)
This workshop is focus on the programmes of the Basque Government for the Basque Centres. The aim of this activity is to make an institutional introduction and memory about the activities and programmes of the Government for the Basque Centres, such us “Gaztemundu”, “subsidizes”, etc…
Activity: Transmitting the Basque heritage through games and play (for kids)
(3-4 days long, 1-2h. sessions)
This workshop is focus on Children’s Games, Games for sharing, Euskal pilota, Herrik kirolak (sports activities which specifically contribute to the promotion and enjoyment of the emotion of sports), etc…
Activity: Basque Workshop (for kids)
(3-4 days long, 1-2h. sessions)
This workshop is focus on painting, Basque handicrafts, etc…
Activity: Euskal Kondairak (for kids)
(50 min session, PowerPoint available)
This workshop is focus on Basque mythology, and would consist on a short presentation of Basque magic warlocks, fairies, etc.
