With the aim of promoting and boosting the values of the social economy, the third edition of EKOS, the Creative Festival of Social Economy, has been launched. This initiative seeks to capture the principles of the social economy in an original and impactful way through graphic and audiovisual works. Registration will be open from September 8th to October 26th, and the main event will take place on December 16th at the Kursaal in San Sebastián.
The festival, organized by El Diario Vasco, aims to highlight the importance of the social economy. Rosa Lavín, president of the Basque Network of Social Economy (EGES), stated that the social economy represents 10% of the Basque GDP and employs 91,000 people, forming a "solid and diverse reality".
The promoters of this event are the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa. Jokin Diaz, director of Social Economy for the Basque Government, emphasized that the project aims to "raise awareness and attract people to the social economy, especially those not typically involved in this field." Amaia Arregi, director of Economic Promotion for the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, considers creativity "an ideal tool," particularly for "conveying its values to new generations, who will be the protagonists of future companies."
The competition is divided into two categories: for students aged 15 to 18 (4th year of ESO, Bachillerato, or Intermediate Vocational Training Cycles) and for those over 18 (University students, Higher Vocational Training students, and the general public). Participants must submit their work in either a graphic or audiovisual format, focusing on one of the four main themes: inclusion, sustainability, local development, and equality.
The schedule includes six phases, starting with the registration process from September 8th to October 26th, via the website www.festivalekos.com. Finalists will be selected between October 27th and November 5th, with their public announcement on November 6th. The professional jury's evaluation and public voting will take place from November 9th to December 6th. Finally, on December 16th, the winners will be revealed at the Kursaal.
Prizes will range from 600 to 3,000 euros. The EKOS de Oro will receive €2,000 for the 15-18 year old category and €3,000 for those over 18. The EKOS Populares will award €500. Additionally, the four sponsors will present the EKOS Destacados: Eroski with the Sustainability Trophy, Laboral Kutxa with the Equality award, ONCE with the Inclusion award, and Izar Cutting Tools with the Local Development award, each with an associated prize of €600.
