Overview
- On Wednesday June 17 roughly 120–125 artists published a manifesto titled "Denok gara kultura" demanding transparency and equity in the distribution of public cultural funding.
- The outcry follows a €300,000 subsidy from the Basque Government to the band En Tol Sarmiento for their 'Bihotzen Konkista' concerts, a grant critics say was awarded with questionable clarity.
- En Tol Sarmiento defended the payment in a Radio Euskadi interview, with singer Iñigo Etxezarreta saying the funds let the group sell affordable tickets, raise production values and pay about 300 people involved.
- Prominent figures such as Fermin Muguruza led early criticism and media outlets have published a detailed list of the manifesto signatories that spans many genres and generations.
- The manifesto raises the prospect of wider sector pressure on Basque institutions to publish clear selection criteria and accessible application mechanisms, and observers will watch for any formal government response or rule changes.