CREW
Bitamine is a room for artistic, cultural and social research on the border. Our mission is focused on favouring a worthy framework for the construction of thought associated with contemporary art and local culture with international projection and connection. Always in relation to the territory we inhabit and its unique citizenship. This is promoted through the development of projects, calls for creative grants and residency programmes. Bitamine is currently a project of Bitamine Kultur Elkartea, based in Irun, but its origins date back to 2010, when it was conceived as a shared space for a group of women artists and cultural managers with common objectives. With extensive experience in the public field, mediation and participation, the objective that has been set in motion since 2021 is to contribute the knowledge acquired over more than ten years to provide an improvement to the local artistic and cultural community of which we are a part. The commitment lies in the design of programmes and the production of shared spaces of thought to gather the results of research, social innovation, mediation and historical memory projects. With the artistic axis running through each section of knowledge. We cooperate and participate in the assessment and implementation of dynamics, projects and processes for other institutions and shared initiatives. We operate in a network, we co-create and collaborate because in this way we enrich both the projects themselves and the people involved in them. Diversity fosters innovation and working together promotes social cohesion.
CONTENTS & INTERNATIONAL HELGA MASSETANI PIEMONTE
PRODUCTIONANDER GARMENDIA ITURRIOZ
THE SPACE
Bitamine's home is located in the Ventas neighbourhood of the city of Irun, in a space dedicated to social innovation. We inhabit an open and flexible space that allows creative work, as well as the exchange of knowledge and experiences. It has an office, meeting room, warehouse, shared canteen and a residence for artists.
Networks
Networking and cooperation are strengthening both the projects and also the members involved in it. Together with Nekatoenea we have created the Mugakide cross-border cooperation network and we are part of Trans Europe Halles as well, a European network of cultural initiatives driven by citizens and artist groups that connects more than 100 spaces across the continent and the European Network of Cultural Centres (ENCC), based in Brussels, Belgium, another European network founded to promote dialogue and cooperation, which currently represents more than 5,000 cultural centres in 24 countries, with programmes and activities aimed at empowering their respective communities. Since 2024 we have also been part of the community of partner organisations of REAS EUSKADI, the Alternative and Solidarity Economy Network created in 1997.
Mugakide
Mugakide, a cross-border cooperation network, was created in 2015 with the aim of strengthening communication and promoting the artistic-cultural network of the Bidasoa region, driven by the Bitamine (Irun) and NEKaTOENEa Résidence d'artistes (Hendaye).
DiscoverTRANS EUROPE HALLES
A network of grassroots cultural centres with members in 36 European countries. Bitamine is member since 2018. https://www.teh.net/our-members/bitamine/
DiscoverEUROPEAN NETWORK OF CULTURAL CENTRES
The European Network of Cultural Centres was founded in 1994 to promote dialogue and cooperation between social-oriented cultural centres in Europe. In the 2000s it became a “network of networks”, before gradually opening membership to local networks in direct interaction with communities and citizens. It also includes individual organisations and professionals as associated members. https://encc.eu/
DiscoverREAS EUSKADI
Red de Economía Alternativa y Solidaria was founded in 1997 and aims to develop the solidarity economy, understood as a vision and a practice that vindicates the economy in its different facets (production, financing, trade and consumption) as a means - and not as an end - at the service of the sustainability of life. It is a network that forms part of an economic, social and political movement that contributes to the transformation of the current local and global socio-economic system by promoting alternative economic initiatives. https://reaseuskadi.eus/
Discover