Bilbao holds first Erribera Zorrotzaurre Zabalik festival

• Two open days where educational, cultural and creative organisations on Zorrotzaurre Island showcased their spaces and projects, and offered fun, multidisciplinary activities.
• Erribera Zorrotzaurre Zabalik was held as part of T-Factor, an EU-funded project. Bilbao City Hall through municipal company Bilbao Ekintza, TECNALIA and Espacio Open were also involved in the project. They all work to promote new urban regeneration models based on cultural, social and enterprising innovation.

Bilbao, 28 October 2021. The first-ever Erribera Zorrotzaurre Zabalik festival took place on Zorrotzaurre Island, on 29 and 30 October. It was the first project aimed at the public as part of the generation of a co-operation ecosystem between educational, cultural and creative organisations that carry out “meanwhile practices” during the urban transformation of Zorrotzaurre.

This initiative was part of T-Factor, an EU-funded project. Bilbao City Hall through municipal company Bilbao Ekintza, TECNALIA and Espacio Open were also involved in the project.

Erribera Zorrotzaurre Zabalik aims to create new links between creative projects that are arising on the island and universities at Zorrotzaurre and in the rest of Bilbao. The festival held two open days where the general public was able to see cultural and creative spaces and projects. The following fun, multidisciplinary activities were also held, free of charge:

• Espacio Open: Creative technology workshop at the Old Biscuit Factory to explore the world of welding. Participants were given the chance to make their own synthesiser pencils and try their hand at testing the enormous possibilities offered by electronics. This workshop was part of the Maker Faire Bilbao, the creative technology fair organised this year by Espacio Open throughout October and November. (Friday, 29 October and Saturday, 30 October)
• Pabellón 6: One of their latest shows, “Yo maté a mi hija, Hildegart” (I Killed my Daughter Hildegart). (Friday, 29 October and Saturday, 30 October) There was also a panel discussion after Friday’s show.
• Escuela de Creación Cinematográfica de Bilbao (ECCBI): Expanded cinema experience with live performances shrouded in the mystery of Halloween. Attendees were able to get to know more about this on Friday 29 October. This circus arts space presented the results of its juggling and movement laboratory, where various performing arts experts explored a mixture of disciplines. Two productions came out of this research: Tiempo and Kobr3, combining dance and juggling. Parts of these shows were featured at the festival and then there was a workshop where participants were able to discover the endless resources offered by the combination of these disciplines – dance and juggling. To close the session, there was a panel discussion to get to know more about the company’s productions. (Saturday, 30 October) Attendees were able to watch the videoperformance “Bolo Día / Bolo Noche”. Creators Sahatsa Jauregi and Ana Arsuaga (aka Verde Prato) have come up with a performance/concert where they mix sensitive sound materials to explore several different artistic formats. It is a mixture of traditional Basque culture, music and plastic arts and was shown at the Artiatx Centre on Friday, 29 October.
• Espacio 600: A meeting point for artistic and cultural initiatives that held various activities during the festival, with the aim of giving exposure to Bilbao’s youngest creators. The programme included a fashion show with local designers and the opening of the art exhibition on Friday, 29 October. On Saturday, 30 October, there was also a pattern design workshop in the morning, a street dance workshop in the afternoon and a live art session in the evening. In addition, participants were able to enjoy an acoustic concert in the evening on Saturday.
• BoBo Espazioa: The space for dance creation and training BoBo Espazioa prepared two activities for the weekend that explored performing arts, with the help of the audience. On Friday and Saturday they organised a workshop, “Playing with Space” – a place to have fun while moving around and interacting with other bodies, where you didn’t need any specific skills or prior experience. They also organised a performance called “Sobre la nada. Contra el mercado” (About Nothing. Against the Market). A performer helped the audience to experience different ways of watching a show.
• Herrizikleta Bilbao: A guided cycle tour for people who were keen to discover secluded corners of the island. On Friday afternoon, attendees were able to get to know more about the island’s industrial past and explore the initiatives that are emerging now.
• Guretxoko Skateboard Bilbao: The skateboarding school opened to the public so that anyone interested in this sport could have a go at it and show their skills. There were beginner classes led by experienced instructors. Classes were free and all the necessary equipment was provided. More experienced skaters, on the other hand, were able to show their skills at free skateboarding sessions, and get prizes for the best tricks, as there was an Instagram Stories competition for the most technical, original and fun tricks. There was also a space for artistic creativity, Arteskate. Participants were able to customise a skateboard and use it as a canvas to let their imagination run wild. The works were exhibited over the weekend and people got to take their creations home afterwards. To finish off the festival, there was a party with a local band. (Friday and Saturday all day.) The largest climbing centre in the Basque Country held an open day on Friday, 29 October Free climbing activities were held at the centre, for amateurs and experts alike.

T-Factor, co-creating cities with temporary urbanism

The aim of T-Factor is to promote new radical approaches to urban regeneration, focusing on the key role that spaces can have when unleashing inclusive, sustainable and flourishing urban areas.

As part of this initiative, there was a co-designing workshop, coordinated by all the agents who helped organise Erribera Zorrotzaurre Zabalik, to explore the collaboration potential and possibilities between all parties that operate in the island’s "meanwhile”. Other cities also take part in T-Factor are Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, Kaunas and Milan.