Elixabete Etxanobe
Bizkaia, a territory of shared culture
With pride and a deep sense of commitment, Bizkaia welcomes this event that celebrates European cultural diversity and recognises the power of heritage as a driving force for cohesion, identity and a truly shared future. It is an opportunity to highlight what unites us: the conviction that cultural capital is essential for the growth, development and strength of our societies.
Bizkaia is, and wants to continue to be, a territory of culture. A territory where we disseminate, preserve and showcase our heritage, and where museums play a key role in this shared mission. In a globalised world, preserving our identity is a major challenge, and museums, as spaces for memory, research and dissemination, are key allies in this endeavour.
That is why it is important to emphasise, once again, the importance of heritage and museums as pillars of social cohesion and as drivers of new perspectives for the future. Bizkaia is a territory of heritage, a place where we care for our roots while continuing to move forward, innovate and open ourselves up to the world.
Euskararen Etxea, which is hosting this event, fully embodies this vision. It offers a renewed way of approaching the Basque language, demonstrating that our language is not merely a means of communication, but also a unique way of understanding and looking at the world. That is its true added value: reminding us that linguistic diversity is, in essence, cultural wealth. From this home of the Basque language, we highlight one of the great pillars of our collective identity: a language that identifies us, unites us and sets us apart in the world.
Bizkaia has an extraordinary array of museums. More than 40 museums make up a diverse ecosystem that showcases this territory’s history, art, memory and heritage piece by piece. Each one offers a unique perspective, and together they form a shared narrative that defines us and charts our path ahead.
The celebration of EMYA also comes at a particularly significant time for Bizkaia’s museums. This year sees the completion of the expansion and renovation projects of two institutions that are fundamental to our territory: the Museum of Fine Arts and the Basque Museum. Both return completely transformed, adapted to modern times, but with their essence and roots intact.
Ongi etorri, bienvenidos/as, welcome to Bizkaia, a territory where culture carries real weight, where we understand culture as a springboard that propels us towards the future.
Welcome to a territory of shared culture, to a territory innovation through culture.
Elixabete Etxanobe
President of the Government of Bizkaia
Welcome to Bilbao on behalf of the European Museum Forum.
Together with our valued partners Euskararen Etxea and its Basque Language Interpretation Centre, we are delighted to welcome you and to bring our community together once again.
This conference is a moment for celebrating innovation across the European museum sector, and for creating space for exchange, learning, and meaningful connection among colleagues from across the continent and beyond.
We are especially pleased to gather this year at the Basque Language Interpretation Centre, an inspiring museum dedicated to the Basque language and its living heritage. Its emphasis on the interconnectedness of European languages and cultures, reflects the diversity and cultural richness that lie at the heart of EMYA. The city of Bilbao and Bizkaia region provide an exceptional setting for our meeting, with their vibrant cultural scene, architectural innovation, and dynamic museum landscape.
Amina KRVAVAC
At a time shaped by conflict, polarization, and social injustice, museums remain among the most trusted institutions in our societies. This year’s conference invites us to reflect collectively on the role and responsibility that comes with that trust. How do museums respond to division—and to the complexity of the realities they serve? How do they remain relevant, ethical, and open, while fostering care, dialogue, and responsibility within their communities?
Our conversations in Bilbao will be framed by the theme Disrupting the Museum: Inclusion for All. Addressing these issues, we will reflect on how long-established museological frameworks have shaped what is seen, valued, and remembered—and where their limits have become apparent. Together, we will explore how museums can embrace more inclusive, caring, and participatory practices that better reflect the complexity of our societies, in the past and present times.
On behalf of the European Museum Forum, I warmly welcome you and look forward to meeting in Bilbao this June for meaningful conversations and new perspectives.
Amina KRVAVAC
Chair, European Museum Forum
Iurdana Acasuso Atutxa
Dear Participants,
For twenty years, Euskararen Etxea and its Basque Language Interpretation Center have been actively promoting and disseminating the Basque language, aiming to be a point of reference for organizations involved in revitalizing this language. Located in the city of Bilbao, they provide a place to immerse oneself in the Basque language.
In 2023, the Interpretation Center was completely remodeled, providing a new approach based on the senses and offering an innovative experience for both local citizens and visitors.
The new exhibition shows the vital force of the language, highlights its integrative nature, and links its survival, promotion and development to the preservation of diversity.
It is based on the concept of “adding up”, which structures and encompasses the different spaces. Therefore, the exhibition is committed to diversity and multiculturalism, understanding that Basque society is increasingly multilingual. At the same time, it provides an ecological vision and a sense of sustainability of languages, because Basque is part of the world’s linguistic diversity.
We are proud that the work of our center has been recognized internationally in 2025, as we were awarded the prestigious European Museum Award 2025 by the Council of Europe, as part of the European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA). This distinction underscores the importance of our work and inspires us to continue our efforts to promote and disseminate the Basque language.
We are proud that the work of our center has been recognized internationally in 2025, as we were awarded the prestigious European Museum Award 2025 by the Council of Europe, as part of the European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA). This distinction underscores the importance of our work and inspires us to continue our efforts to promote and disseminate the Basque language.
I don’t want to say goodbye without first reminding you that Basque adds up: it adds up identities, it adds up people, it adds up cultures.