“It is important for us that the fair be a national initiative, rooted in Ziburu”
- We spoke to Ladix Arrosagarai, a member of the Baltsan association, IV of Ziburu. The eve of the Basque Book and Record Fair. The members of this association that organizes the fair with ARGIA are anxious, with the confidence that the sky will respect and encouraged by the illusions they perceive both among the editorials and among the citizens. Why was the Baltsan association born in 2012 and what dynamics do its 60 partners have?
How and why did they create in Balsa?
On a Basque cultural level, apart from the Ikastola and AEK there are no other agents in Ziburu.
The Basque cultural association Sagaio took place in the 1980s and for the first time organized a week of Basque film in Iparralde, issued the film Amalur... This association stopped, since then it was not faithful and some ten years ago some young people started to move, saying that there was a lack of cultural animation in Ziburu, which required a dynamic by the Basque culture... So we realized that in Ziburu there were many nationalists, there was a basis for creating something.
Baltsan is a cultural association created by nationalists. Our objective is to develop Basque culture, to promote, revitalize and disseminate Basque culture. And thus ensure the sociocultural animation in Ziburu. In the association not all are Euskaldunes, but all give priority to Euskera.
It is both a cultural association and a gastronomic society...
Yes, it has both functions and the gastronomic functioning allows us to finance events. As a result, events involving a loss of money are held, as we know that acts purely in Basque sometimes result in a loss of money. The objective is to propose to people to live in Basque and to make the Basque live in our people.
What kind of activities do they organise throughout the year?
At first there's usually a lot of dynamic and almost once a month we did something: documentaries, debates, concerts, meals... Those who were young are no longer so young, have small children, have to get involved in the ikastola...
We were living with age-related limits of involvement, and COVID19 cut off the dynamics that once made it difficult to sustain. Since then we have reunited and the dynamic is underway: We organized the Feria del Libro y Disco Vasco, we organized a bertsos meal every year, if it is a group of mintzapraktika, this year the opening day of the Baltsan festivities we had the opportunity to have the animation under the tent of the plaza, so we brought Basque groups and at the beginning of the festivities we were able to create an Euskaldun atmosphere...
Our challenge is to contact the new generations. Partners under the age of 30 are missing to breathe into the partnership.
What is it for Ziburuko Azoka Baltsan?
With its extension it has become the main exercise of the year. Most of the events we organize throughout the year are held within the Baltsan association, but the fair occupies a place. It is important for us that it should be a national initiative, organised jointly with ARGIA, and that it should be an initiative for the whole of the Basque country, rooted in Ziburu.
In Baltsan, we have a Market Committee to organise the Ziburu trade fair, where ten people meet all year round. On the day of the fair we work over 30 people, all besutruk.
