Korrika, a Transmedia View

Abstract

Korrika is a popular relay race in favor of Euskara that traverses more than 2,500 kilometers of the seven Basque provinces every two years. It is a social and cultural event of the first order and its eighteenth edition was held last year. For this edition of the race, our research group worked on the development of the architecture of Korrika in order to expand its narrative through different media and formats. We defined a number of areas of special interest in this edition, working closely with undergraduate and master’s students at the University of the Basque Country with a particular interest in audiovisual production (both fiction and documentary). The use of social networking, web resources and social mobilization elements (massive competitions, flashmobbing, implementation of social participation techniques and new communication technologies, etc.) were another area of focus in this eighteenth edition of the race. Korrika became a research project “in progress”, in which we went beyond the role of mere observers to participate in its daily activities thus contributing to its development. This involved a lot of experimentation, in which the university, the Basque radio and television station and a contemporary culture center worked together, implementing the transmedia view in a real case.