At the beginning of May, Outdoor Arts Italia ETS and Artekale – with the support of the Basque Government and the Municipality of Leioa – chose Umore Azoka as the ideal stage for the first concrete step in a three-year cultural exchange project between Italy and Euskadi. From May 15 to 18, during the 25th edition of the Leioa Street Artists’ Fair, five Italian programmers were hosted to explore the vibrant street arts ecosystem and lay the foundation for a unique professional network.
The five festivals represented – Terminal Festival (Udine), Festival Battiti (Rome), Tutti Matti per Colorno (Parma), Valdemone Festival (Isnello, Madonie), and Asti Teatro Festival – offered a snapshot of the rich diversity of Italian artistry: from open-air contemporary circus to multimedia performances, from puppetry to dance in historical spaces, and the fusion of live music with urban installations. The goal was to bring together those who program, fund, and shape artistic paths, in order to share criteria, audience development strategies, and artistic visions.
At the heart of the experience was the "UMOREMEETINGS" session: more than 25 one-to-one meetings between the Italian programmers and Basque or international representatives (including members of Green Man Festival, the SESC São Paulo network, and the Iparralde ecosystem), complemented by informal networking moments. It was during one of these informal picoteo gatherings, facilitated by Artekale, that the dialogue became especially genuine: between bites, discussions emerged around site-specific co-productions, residency methodologies, and community engagement practices, highlighting the urgent need for horizontal and ongoing dialogue.
The signing of the “BASQUE STREET ARTS ITALIA” letter of intent solidified this momentum into a memorandum of understanding: concrete commitments for bi-national co-productions, reciprocal artistic residencies, and shared calls for proposals, as well as the creation of a digital platform for immediate exchange of promotional materials. With continued support from the Basque Government and the Municipality of Leioa, the door is now open for placemaking labs, urban dance workshops, and cultural advocacy projects.
This first milestone demonstrates that the true value lies not in "staging an event," but in building long-term relationships between diverse organizations capable of speaking with a unified voice on international stages. Outdoor Arts Italia reaffirms its role as an institutional facilitator, weaving networks that connect independent small festivals with large public institutions, and fostering collective action towards policymakers and funders.
Looking ahead, the energy is tangible: joint residencies, itinerant “Best of” circuits, and institutional meetings are already being outlined within a shared timeline for 2025–2028. The horizon is wide open: between Italy and Euskadi, a true community of practice is being built – one that promises to reshape the landscape of street arts by exploring new boundaries and interconnecting creativity, territories, and institutions through a spirit of collaboration and optimism.