The Beñat Etxepare Theatre in Vitoria-Gasteiz has launched its 2026-2027 season, expecting to welcome over 13,000 attendees from more than 60 educational, occupational, and day centers. This project, coordinated by Paraíso Púlsar, receives support from the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council through the Municipal Theatre Network, Fundación Vital, and the Basque Government via Biargi Sarea. The initiative integrates performing arts programming, mediation, and actions to promote cultural participation.
Sonia Díaz de Corcuera, Councilor for Culture and Education, emphasized that "a city that guarantees encounters with the arts from the earliest ages is nurturing the sensitivity, thought, and capacity for coexistence of its citizens." Reflecting this commitment, over 60 centers, including schools, occupational centers, and day centers, have already reserved their attendance.
The program will feature companies from Valencia, Cantabria, and Catalonia, alongside four Basque companies. It will showcase diverse storytelling and audience engagement methods, including puppet theatre, movement and dance, multidisciplinary stage proposals, adaptations of classics, and participatory theatre, all coexisting with creations for early childhood.
Marta Monfort, director of the Municipal Theatre Network, explained that "we want to offer the public different ways of looking at and discovering the stage, with proposals that recognize their curiosity and ability to interpret what is happening." The offerings are aimed at students from Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Education, as well as adults with diverse needs, providing experiences adapted to various ages and approaches to the stage. Key themes include discovering the world through experimentation, intercultural coexistence, dealing with grief, and the importance of cultivating imagination. The program also presents new interpretations of literary and historical heritage, from the adventures of Don Quixote and the universe of the Roman Empire to a participatory theatrical experience of The Stranger by Albert Camus, inviting the audience to be part of a trial.
From the educational perspective, Ioritz Iñurrieta, director of Ikastola Abetxuko, highlighted the value of these experiences: "Performing arts enrich what happens in the classroom; they allow students to ask questions, express emotions, and engage with realities different from their own. Watching a play and discussing it helps us learn to listen and coexist. That's why we place such importance on their presence in school life."
This edition pays special attention to centers facing greater challenges, offering them a 100% subsidy to attend the play Elara. Efforts are also underway to address specific financial difficulties that might limit participation in other proposals.
With the Beñat Etxepare Theatre as a reference space, the inclusion of Arkabia from Fundación Vital expands collaborative possibilities. "Shared work allows us to bring the city's cultural resources closer to those who find it most difficult to enjoy them," stated Arantxa Ibáñez de Opacua, director of Fundación Vital.
Mediation will accompany the entire season. Teacher training will continue to prepare classroom dynamics, alongside complementary content developed with companies and city libraries. "The theatrical experience begins before the performance and continues afterward, when an image, an emotion, or a question finds space in the classroom," noted Ander Elorza, project manager. Family workshops, in collaboration with Izaskun Arrue Kulturgunea, will also be maintained, allowing exploration of the plays before attending with the class.
