There are days that remain etched not only in our memory, but also in our bodies. On December 3, 2025, we were in Brussels to attend the Agricultural & Rural Inspiration Awards (ARIA) 2025 ceremony, where we were awarded the ARIA 2025 prize in the Socio-economic fabric of rural areas category. This category says it all: strengthening the socio-economic fabric of rural areas. That is exactly what wool does when it is turned into yarn: it binds. It brings together time, people, and knowledge.
That same day, December 3, International Basque Language Day, Europe heard a thousand-year-old language that was born close to the mountains and the flocks. And Joseba spoke in Basque, to remind everyone that this language not only names the land: it defends it, inhabits it, and loves it. It was like bringing the heartbeat of Karrantza to Brussels.
The EU CAP Network had selected us as finalists among the 24 most inspiring rural projects in Europe, after evaluating more than 120 applications from 26 countries in the ARIA 2025 awards, representing the Basque Country and Spain. Perhaps because we work from a strange place: a corner where art and shepherding converse, or where ancient crafts coexist with contemporary experimentation.
At Mutur Beltz, we have believed for years in something simple and radical: that wool is not waste, but a future. And that is why:
- We have recovered more than 8,000 kg of local wool, preventing it from being burned.
- Every year we buy wool from 14–15 shepherds at a fair price, the highest in the state.
- We have organized more than 40 cultural and educational activities.
- More than 5,000 people have participated in workshops, talks, residencies, and exhibitions.
- We have helped to defend extensive livestock farming and the value of the Carranzana sheep breed.
- And most precious of all: we have woven a vibrant, diverse, and caring community.
This award is really for the whole region of Karrantza. It is not just an honor for us, but for all the lives that have shaped the valley for generations. We do not feel alone. We were accompanied by the sheep that slowly graze the landscape, the shepherds and shepherdesses who rise before the sun, who card, wash, and transform the wool into yarn. We were also accompanied by the artisans, artists, neighbors, teachers, and children who have filled these years with workshops, residencies, exhibitions, and questions. And above all, we were accompanied by our families, who have given their time and care to make all this possible. This award bears the names of all of them and many more. Winning always means sharing 💕🐑
The ARIA award is not a trophy to be kept in a display case. It is a reminder that the countryside is present—not just past—that culture also springs from the fields, that the rural world is not a romantic landscape, but a place where the future is thought and made.
Eskerrik asko bihotzez 💚
Aupa Mutur Beltz! We continue, because there is still much to be done.