Korrika - Basque Country & Ar Redadeg - Brittany 

Your name:

Siôn T. Jobbins

Your organisation:

March Glas

Your language community:

Welsh

Organisation visited:

AEK in yn the Basque Country; Diwan in Brittany

Dates of visit:

Basque Country: 9 – 12 February 2010

Brittany: 13 – 17 May 2010

1. Please explain the main reasons behind your visit

To study the feasibility of setting up a Welsh language version of the Basque relay race, Korrika and Breton Redadeg.

The Korrika/Redadeg is a relay race where participants sponsor to run a kilometre of the route. Sponsors can include individuals, families, clubs, schools or businesses. The money raised goes towards strengthening the indigenous language of the participating countries. Similar races are also held in Galicia and Catalonia, and I learnt very late in the day, now in Ireland.
 

2. How did the visit answer the original goals and objectives? 

Both visits answered the goals extremely well. The goals of the visits were to learn more of the nature of the relay races, the logistics of holding the race (financial, personel, community interaction). The objectives were to see how what was learnt in the Basque Country and Brittany could be transported and translated to a Welsh context.

Korrika - Basque Country 

I was accompanied on the visit by:

Patrick Carlin - translator Welsh, Basque and occasional Spanish and expert on the cultural and linguistic situation in both Wales and the Basque Country. Patrick was intrumental in setting up many of the interviews with the AEK body which teaches Basque to adults and organises the Korrika.

Alun Owens - head of the Welsh youth movement, Urdd Gobaith Cymru's Cardiff Centre 9 www.urdd.org/caerdydd ). I envisage the Urdd with 50,000 members under 25 years old would play a pivotal role in the Welsh Korrika. This was Alun's first visit to Basque Country. 

Ar Redadeg - Brittany

I was accompanied on the visit by:

Alun Owens - head of the Welsh youth movement, Urdd Gobaith Cymru's Cardiff Centre. I envisage the Urdd with 50,000 members under 25 years old would play a pivotal role in the Welsh Korrika. This was also Alun's first visit to Brittany. 

Kevin Davies – head of Menter Iaith Rhondda Cynon Taf (Welsh language promotion and facilitating organisation which is partly-funded by Rhondda Cynon Taf county and other individual grants, www.mentrauiaith.org ). Kevin was chosen as his Menter is also part of a Welsh-wide network of other Mentrau Iaith. From my visit to the Basque Country it became obvious that the Mentrau Iaith would have a pivotal part in the organising and staffing the race drawing on their expertiese and knowledge in promoting Welsh at a grassroots level across most of Wales.

Dr Gareth Popkins – former lecturer in Russian history and presently a lawyer. Gareth speaks French and was our translator.

Jaqueline Gibson – I came into contact with Jaqueline Gibson who is Breton and speaks Welsh. Jaqueline is the Chair of the Breton section of Cymdeithas Cymru-Llydaw (Wales Brittany Society). She helped organise meetings, our participation in actually running part of the race and also accommodation at her house in Landreger.

3. What are the main things you learnt?

 Basque Country

The Korrika is a huge cultural as well as sporting event which is held every second year and was the main inspiration for my decision to look into the feasibility of holding a similar race for the Welsh language. 

The Korrika is organised by AEK (Alfabetatze Euskalduntze Koordinakuea) is a non-governmental organisation which teaches Basque and Basque literacy to adults. It is held over 10 days covering 2,500km, has some 600,000 active participants and raised some €2.3m.

The visit learnt how the money that raised and spent by the AEK.  We learnt how the Korrika is structured at national, regional and local level. How the route is chosen, who is responsible for the staffing of the route, the pricing structures of the rate as well as other means of raising income.

We were also given a valuable insight into the work undertaken by AEK with the money raised by the Korrika.

Brittany

If the Basque Country’s Korrika was the initial inspiration then the Breton Redadeg was the catalyst. Learning that the Breton-medium school network, Diwan, had managed to hold a successful Redadeg race in 2008 showed that it would be possible to hold a similar event in Wales.

The group were interested to see how the race could be organised with minimal financial and political support as opposed to the Korrika. The visit was organised to coincide with the second Redadeg. We interviewed many people including the national organiser, Jean-Michel Scanner as well as many local organisers including Patrick an Habask (who spoke excellent Welsh) and was responsible for the Bro Kerne (Quemper area) section.

Again the team learnt how the Redadeg is structured at national, regional and local level. How the route is chosen, who is responsible for the staffing of the route, the pricing structures of the route as well as other means of raising income. We also learnt of ways of publicising the event and coordinating the runners.

Unlike the Korrika the race is organised by Diwan with half the money going to the schools network and half to other Breton language cultural bodies e.g. Breton local radio stations.

4. How will you disseminate this information throughout your language community?

The work of disseminating information has already begun.

I gave an introduction and description of the Korrika/Redadeg to the executive committee of Mudiadau Dathlu’r Gymraeg (a organisation of about 20 Welsh-language organisations based on the Basque Kontselua, www.dathlu.org ) in October 2009.

I gave a talk on the principals of the Korrika/Redadeg to the national council of MIC (Mentrau Iaith Cymru, the national body for the network of ‘mentrau iaith’ ( www.mentrau-iaith.com ) in November 2009.

I will give a report on my visit to the Basque Country and Brittany and my recommendations to the annual meeting of the Partners of the Welsh Language Board on 30 June 2010. The WLB Partners include the main organisation in the promotion and of the Welsh language including the broadcasters, S4C and BBC Cymru.

Alun Owens gave a report to Efa Gruffudd, Chief Executive of the Urdd on 18 May 2010. Kevin Davies will give a report to MIC on 11 June 2010. Both were inspired by the visit(s) and believe they can work within Welsh society and context to bring the event to life.

I conducted a live radio interview on BBC Radio Cymru on Monday 17 May following the Redadeg race. Postings and photos have also been placed on the Cymdeithas Cymru-Llydaw blog ( http://stwnsh.com/redadegpondi) and I’ve conducted an interview for the Welsh language weekly magazine, Golwg. A short piece highlighting the benefits of a Welsh Korrika has also been published the November issue of Yr Athro, the internal magazine of UCAC, the Welsh language teacher’s union. I have also spoken informally to a producer at BBC Radio Cymru about the race and its potential implications in terms of publicity and promotion for Radio Cymru.

Whilst at the Basque Country we also conducted two interviews, one for the national daily, Berria and the other for the local daily for the Zarautz region, Hitza.

5. Are there any specific elements of what you have learnt that you are able to apply in your own language community? If so, how would you go about doing this?

The biggest element is that this is an event which the Welsh language community can and should hold.

The research work conducted in the Basque Country and Brittany gave me a strong indication of what is possible and what is not.

Expert analysis by Patrick Carlin who is familiar with both countries was invaluable in the context of the Basque Country.

The commitment, fun and professionalism of the Breton organisation, from the running to the cultural events during the day and evening underlined my assumption that this event would be an excellent vehicle for the promotion of the Welsh language.

It will also generate intergenerational activity; cooperation between Welsh speakers, learners and non-Welsh speakers; help improve the physical wellbeing of participants; ultimately help raise money which is independent of the state; create a series of micro events which will strengthen the Welsh language media and opportunities to use Welsh among young people and families and be a general celebration of the Welsh language and will to live and thrive.  

I am very grateful to the Welsh Language Board for informing me of the NPLD grant and grateful for the grant given. The money covered my costs and part of the costs of the other participants who also paid from their own pockets or with some support from their organisations.