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Pau, France.  The Basque Center Lagunt eta Maita is looking for a Basque teacher for the 2011-2012 school year, as club president Jean Pierre Urrutia explained to EuskalKultura.com.  This teacher would be in charge of the Gau Eskola (night school) at the center, giving one class a week, on Mondays from 8pm-10pm.  “In previous years, we had teachers and students from the University of Pau, and last year we had an older teacher as well.  But these students leave when they finish their studies and now we need new professors,” he added.

Pau’s euskal etxea has been offering Basque courses for a number of years, “we think it is very important,” emphasized Urrutia, noting that previous enrollments numbered 30-40 students.  Last year that number decreased to 15.  “If we can find a couple of professors, more students could enroll.”  People interested in collaborating with the association should contact Bernadette Cabatous (0559 812403) or Jean Pierre Urrutia (0612 724664), or send an email to: laguntetamaita@wanadoo.fr.

New Locale

The association starts this fall with great news: the inauguration of its new locale.  The center measures 300 square meters and will open its doors this Monday.  This will allow Lagunt eta Maita to expand its courses and activities.  The center already offers a great variety of courses:  Basque dance, singing, music, language and many more.

“We have three choirs,” explains Urrutia, “men’s, women’s, and a mixed choir.  There are currently 40 children in the kids dance group and another dozen or so in the young adult dance group.  The adult dance group has 40 members.”  The center also offers txistu lessons, and every year it organizes a pelota tournament of considerable size.  Last year there were 350 pelotaris participating.

Urrutia added that the creation of a Basque Library is also among the plans for the new locale.  There will also be computers and a multimedia room dedicated to Euskal Herria that will be open to the public.

The address and hours of the new locale are: 94 avenue de Buros, 64000 Pau.  It is open M-F from 2pm-5:30pm.  Laurence Lavignesse is the secretary and can be reached at: TelFfax: +33 (0)5 59 02 09 43.

-Lagunt eta Maita’s website here