The Fair Saturday Awards were born in Bilbao in 2017 with the aim of recognizing, at an international level, the initiatives of inspiring individuals and organizations that have proven to generate social impact through art and culture.
This award emphasizes the value of promoting new models of action with the mission of generating more inclusive, fair and sustainable growth.
The awards ceremony is traditionally held at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and is attended by a broad spectrum of institutional, cultural and social representatives.
These awards are gaining impact and notoriety among a new generation of international prizes and awards for social innovation.
Fair Saturday Awards 2026
Rigoberta Menchú
1992 Nobel Peace Prize
(Guatemala)
Dr. Rigoberta Menchú Tum is an internationally renowned advocate for human rights and Indigenous peoples. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, she has devoted her life to advancing social transformation, justice, and the dignity of Indigenous communities across Latin America. As an activist, author, and global leader, she has worked tirelessly to document crimes against humanity, preserve Indigenous cultures, and build bridges between different cultures and worldviews. Her career brings together political advocacy and education, inspiring millions of people around the world to engage with causes related to social justice and environmental sustainability.
Shirin Ebadi
2003 Nobel Peace Prize (Teherán)
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, human rights and democracy activist, and the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, becoming the first Iranian citizen and the first Muslim woman to receive the award. A law graduate from the University of Tehran, she was appointed judge in 1969, becoming the first Iranian woman to hold that position. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, she was dismissed and relegated to administrative duties, but continued her work by writing books and articles on human rights. Throughout her career, she has worked on numerous cases involving human rights violations, with particular focus on women and children. She is co-founder of the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child and the Defenders of Human Rights Center. Internationally recognised, she now lectures worldwide on peace, international justice, human rights and the role of women.
Waad al-Kateab
2020 BAFTA for Best Documentary (London)
Waad al-Kateab is a Syrian filmmaker, journalist, activist and co-founder of Action For Sama, an advocacy campaign working to protect civilians and healthcare workers in conflict zones and demand accountability for war crimes. She uses storytelling as a tool for impact through films such as For Sama, nominated for an Academy Award and winner of a BAFTA, We Dare to Dream, Death Without Mercy and Maybe Tomorrow, co-directed with Wafa Mustafa and premiering at Sheffield DocFest in 2026. Alongside her filmmaking, Waad is an internationally recognised voice on war, displacement and human rights. She was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2020, received the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women in 2021 and, in 2025, joined the inaugural Selection Committee of the Displacement Film Fund.
Nancy Fraser
Philosopher (New York)
Nancy Fraser is Henry A. and Louise Loeb Professor Emerita of Philosophy and Politics at the New School for Social Research and a member of the Editorial Committee of New Left Review. A philosopher by training, she is a leading voice in critical social theory and political philosophy, widely known for her work on redistribution, recognition, justice and capitalism. Her recent research explores capitalism’s links to racial oppression, social reproduction, ecological crisis, feminist movements and right-wing populism. Her books include Cannibal Capitalism (2022), Feminism for the 99% (2019), The Old is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born (2019) and Capitalism: A Conversation in Critical Theory (2018). Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. She has received numerous international honours, including the French Legion of Honor, six honorary degrees and major awards for critical scholarship.
Daniel Innerarity
Philosopher (Donosti)
Daniel Innerarity is Professor of Political and Social Philosophy, an Ikerbasque researcher at the University of the Basque Country, Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance and holder of the Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Democracy at the European University Institute in Florence. His work places philosophy at the heart of the major democratic, social and technological debates of our time, helping us think through complexity without giving up on collective responsibility. Author of books such as A Theory of Complex Democracy, A Critical Theory of Artificial Intelligence and The Future of Democracy, he has received distinctions including Spain’s National Essay Award, the National Research Award in Humanities and the Euskadi Essay Award. He is a regular opinion contributor to El País and La Vanguardia.
Siri Hustvedt
Author · 2019 Princess of Asturias Award (Brooklyn, NY)
Siri Hustvedt is the author of a book of poetry, six essay collections, seven novels —including The Blazing World and Memories of the Future— and several works of nonfiction, among them Ghost Stories, published in May 2026. She holds a PhD in English Literature from Columbia University and is a lecturer in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. The Blazing World was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction. Hustvedt has received numerous distinctions, including the International Gabarron Prize for Thought and Humanities, the Prix européen de l’essai from the Charles Veillon Foundation, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award for Literature, the Princess of Asturias Award, and the Sigourney Award. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Lara Izagirre
Producer and filmmaker (Amorebieta-Etxano)
Lara Izagirre Garizurieta graduated in Audiovisual Communication from UPV/EHU in 2007 and later specialised in film directing at the New York Film Academy. After working at the independent production company Forensic Films in New York, she returned to the Basque Country and founded Gariza Films in 2010. Between 2010 and 2014, she wrote and directed several short films, including Bicycle Poem, Kea, Next Stop: Greenland, Sormenaren Bide Ezkutuak and Larroxa. Her debut feature, An Autumn Without Berlin, premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2015, and her second feature, Nora, premiered there in 2020. In 2025, she released the short film The Gift and the documentary Empoderío. In 2026, she shot Yerma, a contemporary reinterpretation of Federico García Lorca’s play, co-written with playwright María Goiricelaya.
Fair Saturday Awards 2025
Joseph Stiglitz
Nobel Prize in Economics 2001 (Indiana)
This award seeks to recognize the outstanding academic and social career of Joseph E. Stiglitz, American economist and Nobel Laureate in Economics (2001). Known for his contributions to the study of information economics, global development, and inequality, Stiglitz has transformed the way we understand markets and their profound implications for social and economic justice.
Professor at Columbia University since 2001, where he founded the Initiative for Policy Dialogue, he has held key positions in international organizations. Currently, through the Roosevelt Institute and as co-chair of global initiatives on inequality and taxation, he continues to influence international policies.
His voice remains firm in advocating for a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable economy for all societies.
Martin Wolf
Chief Economics Commentator (London)
This award seeks to recognize the influential career of Martin Wolf, British economist and journalist who, as Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times, has shaped the analysis of the global economy and financial policy for more than three decades.
Educated in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the University of Oxford, Wolf combines academic rigor with the ability to interpret contemporary challenges. In 2000, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to economic journalism and has received international awards.
Author of The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, he reflects on the tensions between democracy and the market economy, consolidating himself as a central voice in international economic thought.
Rania Moualla
ZADK Saudi Culinary Arts Academy (Arabia Saudí)
This award recognizes the leadership and transformative vision of Rania Moualla, founder and president of ZADK Saudi Culinary Academy, the first non-profit culinary institution in Saudi Arabia. A pioneer in social entrepreneurship and community development, she has dedicated her life to promoting education, sustainability, and the preservation of cultural heritage through gastronomy.
Thanks to her drive, ZADK has become a leading academy, committed to reducing food waste and transmitting cultural values. Her career and leadership have been recognized with numerous international awards and accreditations, establishing her as one of the most influential voices in the gastronomic and social spheres.
Adjoa Andoh
Actress (Bristol)
This award seeks to recognize the outstanding artistic and social career of Adjoa Andoh, British actress, director, and writer with more than four decades in theatre, film, and television. Internationally known for her role as Lady Danbury in Bridgerton, she has been nominated multiple times for the NAACP Image Awards. Recently, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to theatre, a recognition of her impact on the cultural scene in the United Kingdom.
Figura esencial de la Royal Shakespeare Company y del teatro británico, Andoh ha protagonizado producciones innovadoras y se ha consolidado como referente de excelencia. Su trabajo une arte y compromiso con la inclusión y la representación diversa, inspirando desde los escenarios y en su labor como actriz, directora, narradora y embajadora cultural.
Ahmad Joudeh
Dancer and choreographer (Damasco)
This award recognizes the inspiring artistic and human journey of Ahmad Joudeh, dancer and choreographer born in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk, Syria. Despite war and threats, he never gave up on dance, which became an act of resistance and hope.
In 2016, he was the subject of the documentary Dance or Die.. That same year, he moved to Amsterdam with the support of the Dutch National Ballet, beginning an international career across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East.
Committed to social causes, he takes part in projects on inclusion and children’s rights. In 2021, he published his autobiography Dance or Die and in 2024 he was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. His life affirms dance as a tool of freedom and hope.
Joaquín Achúcarro
Pianist (Bilbao)
This award recognizes the exceptional musical career of Joaquín Achúcarro, the pianist from Bilbao whose international trajectory spans more than six decades on prestigious stages such as the Berlin Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall.
Acclaimed for his virtuosity and sensitivity, he has performed with leading orchestras and conductors, establishing himself as one of the great interpreters of the contemporary piano. Recognized by UNESCO as an Artist for Peace, he has also received the Gold Medal for Fine Arts, Spain’s National Music Prize, and the Grand Cross of Civil Merit.
His pedagogical legacy continues through the Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation, which supports new generations of pianists. His life and work embody artistic excellence and a commitment to musical heritage.
Gerediaga Elkartea
Cultural agent (Erandio)
This award seeks to recognize the valuable work of Gerediaga Elkartea, a cultural association from Durangaldea founded in 1965 and a benchmark in the preservation, promotion, and development of Basque culture. From the creation of Durangoko Azoka—now an international milestone for Basque-language culture—to projects in archiving, documentation, and innovation, Gerediaga has been a driving force of memory and future in the cultural sphere.
With programs that combine tradition and modernity, the association has strengthened the identity, social cohesion, and heritage of Bizkaia and Euskal Herria as a whole. After six decades of collaborative work, Gerediaga Elkartea remains an open, participatory space, symbol of resilience, creativity, and community commitment.
Fair Saturday Awards 2024
Abhijit Banerjee
Nobel Prize in Economics 2019 (Mumbai)
This award wishes to recognize the academic and social work of Abhijit Banerjee, renowned economist and Nobel Prize in Economics (2019*), known for his contributions in the field of development economics and the fight against global poverty.
As co-founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), Banerjee has led innovative research to assess the impact of various policies and programs aimed at improving the lives of people living in poverty.
A tireless advocate for social justice and economic equality, through his rigorous, evidence-based approach, Banerjee has inspired economists, policymakers and academics around the world, transforming the way public policy is designed and implemented.
*with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer
Javier Sábada
Philosopher (Portugalete | Madrid)
This award recognizes the outstanding career of Javier Sádaba, an influential thinker in the field of contemporary ethics and bioethics. Sádaba has dedicated his life to exploring and disseminating fundamental questions about morality, the meaning of life and human values, making a significant impact on both public and academic debate.
Through his numerous publications, conferences and participation in the media, Sádaba has brought philosophy to a wide audience, fostering a culture of critical and reflective thinking. His ability to address complex issues in an accessible manner has contributed to a greater understanding and awareness of ethical and moral issues in our society.
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Film director and producer (Karachi)
This award recognizes the outstanding filmmaking and activist career of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, an award-winning filmmaker and journalist internationally recognized for her courageous work in the defense of human rights and social justice.
With two Oscars and six Emmy Awards, Obaid-Chinoy has achieved global recognition for her more than 24 works that address critical issues such as gender-based violence or honor killings in Pakistan and around the world. She has also made history as the first woman to direct a “Star Wars” film.
Obaid-Chinoy runs SOC Films, a film and animation production company through which he continues his mission to promote social awareness and bring about meaningful legislative and social change.
Keishia Thorpe
Global Teacher Prize 2021 (Washington DC)
This award recognizes the brilliant career of Keishia Thorpe, winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2021. Keishia Thorpe has dedicated her career to transforming lives through education, promoting inclusion and equal opportunities for all her students.
Through her classroom work and community initiatives, Thorpe has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to empowering youth from diverse, immigrant and refugee backgrounds. Undoubtedly, her innovative approach to teaching has helped countless students overcome language and cultural barriers, enabling them to reach their full academic and personal potential.
Trésor Nzengu Mpauni
Tumaini Festival. Founder (Lilongwe)
This award recognizes the work of the Tumaini Letu organization, founded by Trésor Nzengu Mpauni (“Menes la Plume”), poet, rapper and social activist.
Tumaini Festival, Tumaini Letu’s flagship program and born in 2014 in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, is the world’s only large-scale art and music festival held inside a refugee camp. This festival, created and run by refugees in collaboration with the local host community, not only celebrates creativity and resilience, but also promotes integration and cultural understanding between the two communities.
Under Mpauni’s leadership, the Tumaini Festival has become a symbol of hope and an example of how art can serve as a bridge between cultures and a tool for social change.
Bernardine Evaristo
Writer. Booker Prize 2019 (London)
This award wishes to recognize the literary work of Bernardine Evaristo, an acclaimed writer and advocate for diversity in literature. Evaristo has dedicated her career to exploring and giving voice to stories of often marginalized people and communities, challenging conventions and broadening the horizons of contemporary storytelling.
Through her award-winning novels, poetry and plays, Evaristo has demonstrated an exceptional talent for weaving together multiple perspectives and narrative styles, creating works that are both innovative and deeply human. Her novel “Girl, Woman, Other” has been especially influential, winning the prestigious Booker Prize and being acclaimed for its vivid and multifaceted depiction of the experiences of black British women.
Salvador Sobral
Musician (Lisboa)
This award wishes to recognize the outstanding artistic career of Salvador Sobral, a singer and musician known internationally for his profound sensitivity and ability to convey emotions through music.
After triumphing at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest with his soulful rendition of “Amar pelos dois” and overcoming a serious heart condition, Sobral has redefined the standards of contemporary music, combining elements of jazz, classical music and fado in his performances.
Beyond his success on stage, Sobral is a clear example that music has the power to connect people and transform lives. His courage and authenticity have made him an influential figure in today’s music scene, inspiring many with his talent and resilience.
Bilbao Choral Society
(Bilbao)
Special Prize
This award wishes to recognize the historical trajectory of the Bilbao Choral Society, a prestigious institution founded in 1903 that has maintained a constant commitment to excellence and musical education, offering high quality training to students of all ages from Bilbao, Bizkaia.
Over the years, the Bilbao Choral Society has played a crucial role in the preservation and promotion of the Basque choral tradition, as well as in the collaboration with other ensembles and composers that enrich the Basque musical panorama. Its ability to unite citizens through music and its contribution to the cultural enrichment of the territory make it one of the cultural organizations of reference in the Basque Country.
Fair Saturday Awards 2023
Brittany Butler
Harvard SICI. Executive Director (Boston)
This award wishes to recognize the work of the Harvard SICI (“Social Innovation + Change Initiative”), an initiative established at the Harvard Kennedy School in 2016 with the goal of empowering citizens around the world to address challenges related to implementing social change in their environments.
Whether through rigorous research or educational programs, SICI seeks to empower individuals and groups to be effective and successful change agents in creating positive impact in their communities and beyond. The initiative has become an important source of knowledge and resources for those interested in social innovation and change, providing guidance and support to address the most pressing social challenges in different contexts.
Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE
Chineke! Orchestra. Founder (Londres)
This award recognizes the outstanding artistic career of conductor Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE, founder of the Chineke! Orchestra , a beacon of change in the classical music industry that demonstrates that music is a powerful tool for celebrating the richness that comes from the inclusion of diverse perspectives.
Chineke! has become one of the leading international organizations in promoting the representation and talent of musicians of African descent and diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Beyond live performances, Chineke! is also characterized as an organization committed to education and community inclusion through programs that encourage the participation of young musicians who inspire future generations of diverse cultural backgrounds.
James Rhodes
Pianist and writer (Londres)
This award recognizes the outstanding artistic career of James Rhodes, internationally recognized pianist and writer.
With seven acclaimed albums and performances on world-renowned stages, his talent has captivated both outdoor festivals (Latitude and Sonar) and prestigious theaters such as the Roundhouse and the Royal Albert Hall in London. In addition to his musical career, James Rhodes is a prolific writer and presenter, with contributions to prominent media and television programs such as the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky Arts.
Beyond his artistic career, Rhodes stands out for his work as an ambassador in the fight to eradicate child violence, working for the achievement of a new law to protect children from violence that came into force in June 2021.
Evelyn Glennie
International Percussionist (Aberdeenshire)
This award wishes to recognize the artistic career of Evelyn Glennie, an internationally recognized figure for being the first person to create and maintain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, paving the way for orchestras around the world to present percussion concerts.
At the age of 12 Dame Evelyn Glennie was diagnosed with profound deafness, which has not stopped her from shining in her musical career. Glennie maintains that deafness is largely misunderstood by the public, claiming that she has learned to hear with parts of her body other than her ears.
Through its mission “Teach the world to listen”, it aims to improve communication and social cohesion by encouraging everyone to discover new ways of listening to inspire, create, engage and empower.
Emmanuel Jal
Artist and social activist (Toronto)
This award wants to recognize the brilliant career of Emmanuel Jal, international hip-hop singer, activist and former child soldier from the young country of South Sudan.
From child soldier to ambassador of reconciliation, his career is a living testimony of resilience and overcoming, embodied in seven acclaimed albums and an award-winning documentary, “Warchild”. His legacy is forged in “Gua Africa” (the charity he founded in 2009), an organization that educates and empowers those affected by war and poverty in South Sudan. The organization has trained and educated South Sudanese refugees to become world-class professionals in the fields of medicine, law and education.
Drawing on his personal experiences and background, Emmanuel Jal brings his message of peace and self-improvement through his music and humanitarian work.
Labayru Foundation
Igone Etxebarria receives the award. Director of the Labayru Foundation (Bilbao).
This award recognizes the Labayru Foundation and its exceptional work in research, standardization, promotion and dissemination of the Basque language and culture.
The Labayru Foundation is a reference institution for the Basque spoken in the western part of Bizkaia. In the search for the fulfillment of its foundational objectives, Labayru carries out its work through numerous areas of work: teaching, translation, collection of popular heritage, plans for the standardization of the use of Basque, creation of didactic material and teaching, ethnography, lexicography, toponymy…
The Basque-themed library, Euskal Biblioteka, is an indispensable complement to this work and houses a valuable bibliographic and documentary heritage related to Euskal Herria, its language and surrounding territories.
Luis de Lezama
Colegio Santa María La Blanca. President (Madrid)
This award recognizes the outstanding role of Luis de Lezama in the promotion of education and values at the Santa María la Blanca School (Montecarmelo). His work is part of the Iruaritz Lezama Foundation, a non-profit organization whose main objective is the training and integral development of people in the labor and social fields.
Luis de Lezama also stands out as a tireless promoter of artistic training through the Instituto de Artes Escénicas Madrid (known as INARTES), a beacon of artistic excellence that gives students the opportunity to explore and perfect their skills in the performing arts.
This holistic approach to education, which encompasses both artistic training and core values, reflects Luis de Lezama’s vision of forming not only educated minds, but also individuals with a deep sense of empathy and respect for others.
Ahmad Sarmast
Afghanistan National Institute of Music. Founder (Kabul)
This award recognizes the exceptional work of Ahmad Sarmast, founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, in cultural, ethnic, religious and gender integration through arts education in Afghanistan.
Since 2010 she has worked tirelessly (even risking her life) with the aim of enabling the artistic education of young people in Afghanistan. From the first steps of the National Institute of Music she had clear priority around the cultural integration of women and people in situations of maximum vulnerability.
Ahmad was instrumental in securing the artistic rights of civil society, transforming lives and contributing to the establishment of a just and civil society in an internally fractured country. Since 2020 Ahmad has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of his students and fighting for the cultural rights of the Afghan people.
Fair Saturday Awards 2022
Nuccio Ordine
Ad Honorem Award. Writer and philosopher (Calabria, Italy)
This award recognizes the outstanding career of professor, writer and philosopher Nuccio Ordine, considered Italy’s best-known essayist in the world.
Recognized as a specialist in the period, art and literature of the Renaissance and the thought of Giordano Bruno, he is considered one of the most significant personalities of the international cultural scene along with thinkers such as Jürgen Habermas or George Steiner, contributing inestimably in the field of humanistic studies through the defense of the classical values of thought and literature.
Throughout his work, Nuccio Ordine underlines the importance of basic scientific research and humanistic research together in order to resist the dictatorship of the useful and the immediate.
Musicians without Borders
Laura Hassler, Founder and Director (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) receives the award
This award recognizes the exceptional work of Musicians Without Borders in cultural integration through arts education, eliminating differences, building communities and healing the wounds of war.
With long-term projects in the Balkans, the Middle East, East Africa, Central America and Europe, Musicians Without Borders is now a world leader in the increasingly recognized field of using music to bring about social change. They have been working for over 20 years with people and communities affected by war, conflict and displacement around the world. His team is made up of music professionals and enthusiasts who believe in the power of music to connect and imagine futures.
Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra
The award is accepted by Hyung Joon Won, Artistic Director (Seoul, South Korea).
This award recognizes the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra for its fundamental work in generating encounter and dialogue between North and South Korea, promoting a message of reconciliation, peace and harmony through classical music.
The Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra brings together musicians from the Yale Symphony Orchestra and young musicians from South Korea and around the world to perform symphonies near the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas after a decade of attempts in which the two nations have been divided.
Apropa Cultura
Sonia Gainza, Founder (Barcelona) receives the award.
This award recognizes the work of Apropa Cultura in improving the lives of people in vulnerable situations through culture, opening the doors of theaters, museums, auditoriums and festivals throughout Catalonia so that these groups have access to their regular programming.
Apropa Cultura comprises a strong and inclusive network of cultural programmers who come together to facilitate access to culture for people at risk of social exclusion. The members of the organization work hard with the belief that public-private collaboration is possible, stressing the need to promote more cross-cutting and effective policies between culture, social, education and health.
Playing for Change Foundation
Jake Groshong, Executive Director (Santa Monica, USA), receives the award
This award recognizes the Playing for Change Foundation as one of the most relevant non-profit organizations in the cultural field at an international level, generating positive social change through music and arts education.
The Playing For Change Foundation grew out of the idea that music has the power to connect us beyond our differences. It currently has 16 schools around the world and in 12 different countries, reaching more than 3,000 students every week. Its educational and social programs involve young people at risk of exclusion in diverse communities, mainly located in low-income countries.
We Love Reading
Rana Dajani, Founder (Amman, Jordan) receives the award
This award recognizes the We Love Reading project – founded by Rana Dajani, one of the most influential scientists in the Islamic world – and its work inspiring and empowering communities (especially youth and women) around the world through reading.
We Love Reading is a positive movement focused on training local volunteers to read to children in their neighborhoods, changing their mindset through this powerful tool. Since 2006, it has expanded to more than 60 countries around the world, founding more than 4,400 libraries in a wide variety of communities, both rural and urban, as well as in refugee camps.
Pabellón Número 6
Ramón Barea, Artistic Director (Bilbao) receives the award
This award wishes to recognize the artistic trajectory of Pabellón Número 6, a reference and innovative scenic space born as a counterpoint to the virtuality and speed at which societies are advancing today.
In this space and artistic theater, the performing arts stand out as what they have been since their origin: a live collective celebration. Far from the usual business production and betting on a management of the space by the creators and artists themselves, from Pabellón Nº 6 they defend the relevance of theater, dance and the poetics of the body to increase the capacity of understanding and reflection and to feed the joy in society.
Candoco Dance Company
Joel Brown, dancer – representing Celeste Dandeker, Founder (London, UK) receives the award
This award recognizes the brilliant career of the Candoco Dance Company, an international reference in the creation of an inclusive space in which functional diversity is not a barrier to artistic creation.
Made up of dancers from different parts of the world, the company seeks, through teamwork, to expand the perception of what dance can be and who can do it. Bringing together the mainstream and the experimental and betting on the creation of distinctive performances, Candoco Dance Company celebrates different ways of seeing, being and making art, positioning it at the forefront of the conversation around dance and disability.
Garabide Elkartea
Special Award for the European Day of Languages (Aretxabaleta)
This award recognizes the Garabide Association and its exceptional work supporting the processes of linguistic revitalization of minority languages based on the experience of the Basque language.
The Association defends that the process of revitalization of language and culture in its broadest sense is a fundamental basis for transformative movements in favor of sustainability, human rights, gender equality and equity.
Fair Saturday Awards 2021
Karim Wasfi
Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra I Peace Through Arts Inc.
This award recognizes the work of Iraqi conductor and cellist Karim Wasfi in the use of music for the development of humanistic “new leaders” and social regeneration in Iraq.
With over two decades of experience in cultural diplomacy, Karim is a leader in the use of music as a tool for healing, cross-cultural integration, de-radicalization, tension prevention and the fight against violence and terrorism. He currently conducts the Iraq Symphony Orchestra and is the founder of Peace Through Arts.
Ahmad Sarmast
Founder and Director of Afghanistan ‘s National Music School
This award recognizes the exceptional work of Ahmad Sarmast – founder of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music – in cultural, ethnic, religious and gender integration through arts education in Afghanistan.
Since 2010 he has worked tirelessly – even risking his life – with the aim of enabling the artistic education of young people in her country. From the first steps of the National Institute of Music, he was clear about his priority around the cultural integration of women and people in situations of maximum vulnerability. Ahmad contributed decisively in guaranteeing the artistic rights of civil society, transforming lives and contributing to the establishment of a just society in an internally fractured country. Since August, Ahmad has been dedicated to ensuring the safety of his students and fighting for the cultural rights of the Afghan people.
International Society for Performing Arts
David Baile
CEO International Society for performing Arts (ISPA)
With this award we recognize ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) for its fundamental work of generating international encounter and dialogue through culture, leading a worldwide network of more than 500 cultural and performing arts references with a presence in more than 185 cities internationally.
Since its founding in 1949, ISPA has played a fundamental role as an engine of collaboration, cooperation and partnership between leading agents of the performing arts globally, promoting the creation of bridges and links between territories and people.
Henry Timms
Founder of Giving Tuesday and President of Linconln Center Society for Perfroming Arts
This award recognizes Henry Timms’ outstanding ability to inspire throughout his career, especially as founder of the Giving Tuesday movement and for his work as president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Henry is one of the world’s foremost international leaders for his vision and ability to launch initiatives – especially 92nd Street and Giving Tuesday – to create better societies based on greater social empathy. Undoubtedly his work as a humanistic leader stands out, reimagining futures from local spheres but with global vision, inspiring other people and organizations around the world and connecting communities across the globe. In 2014 he was named the most influential person of the year in the world of social organizations.
Humanity at Music
Iñigo Albizuri
Creator of Humanity at Music project I Global Public Affers of Mondragon Corporation
This award recognizes MCC for the “Humanity at music” project – as well as its alma mater, Iñigo Albizuri – for its capacity for innovation and social impact in celebrating the anniversary of the Mondragon Cooperative Corporation.
“Humanity at Music” is an innovative artistic project of intercooperation in which the cooperative experience of MCC is narrated around different artistic disciplines. It is undoubtedly one of the most recent and best examples of cultural and social innovation in the business world. “Humanity at music” is a real case that demonstrates the capacity to generate bonds within a business collective
around music, dance or poetry. This modern opera -composed by Fernando Velázquez- highlights the values of cooperation, responsibility or common good in the
cooperatives of the MCC group.
Moving Artists Project
Ixone Sádaba
Founder of Moving Artists Project
This award recognizes the work of the “Moving Artists” project – founded by Ixone Sádaba – to support and protect artists in conflict zones.
Since its creation in 2017, “Moving Artists” works with a central idea in situations of conflict or crisis, contemporary artistic practice is an intangible heritage at risk of disappearing that we must protect. From then on “Moving Artists” works to facilitate the mobility of artists from and to areas in a situation of cultural isolation, promoting creation in times of crisis, building bridges and drawing future scenarios.
“Moving Artists is a pioneering project that goes beyond the protection of monuments and works of art in places of conflict. Through its vision it wishes to protect and help people capable of generating positive changes from culture.
Fair Saturday Awards 2019
West-Eastern Divan Orchestra
This award recognizes the Daniel Barenboim Foundation and the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, for being an inspiration and an international reference on the use of music as a generator of a positive social impact in conflict situations; acting as a vehicle to promote tolerance, acceptance and understanding between different people. For its achievements in breaking down barriers and establishing dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples through music.
Artscape Theatre Centre
This award recognizes the courage and determination shown by Marlene le Roux as a human rights activist and social leader for the rights of minorities and vulnerable groups in Cape Town. For her example in promoting social justice through culture at the Artscape Theatre Centre, making it a benchmark for inclusion and civic empowerment, facilitating access to culture for the people of Cape Town, especially groups at risk of exclusion.
Ingoma Nshya, Woman Cultural Centre
Ingoma Nshya is the first group of female drummers in Rwanda, acting as a catalyst for increasing women’s participation in Rwanda’s development and becoming a powerful symbol of optimism and hope on the 25th anniversary of the genocide. Ingoma Nshya’s initiative generates a very positive impact on her environment, changing the perception of women’s role in the community and fostering their empowerment through drumming.
16km Festival. Voices Foundation
This award recognizes the example of Voices Foundation with its project “16kms” for its work of social inclusion of young people of gypsy ethnicity in La Cañada Real, opening new perspectives of training and professional development through audiovisual creation. For breaking harmful stereotypes, raising the self-esteem and pride of the population, and steering the young population away from potential risky behaviors.
Musical Bridges around the World
Musical Bridges around the World has become one of the leading diversity organizations in Texas. This award recognizes its constant work in recent years, staying true to its principles especially in times of international instability. For its work in making music an accessible terrain, promoting multiculturalism as a necessary characteristic for social and economic development in the future.
Cine Invisible International Festival
This award recognizes the example of the Cine Invisible International Film Festival, which uses film as a tool to generate social change, promote diversity, provoke reflection, raise awareness about multiculturalism, fight for equal opportunities and social commitment of young people. For its exceptional work in the promotion of films on different social issues, generating an international meeting around audiovisual creation and social justice.
Lita Cabellut, Fair Saturday Ad Honorem Award
For his vital example, for his artistic and personal strength, for the humanist sensitivity that his works transmit. This award not only wishes to recognize his brilliant career, but also his commitment to the human being, bearing in mind the “forgotten of society” in his works. For being a source of inspiration for many people in difficult situations who still have dreams. And for hundreds of artists and cultural organizations around the world. Among them, Fair Saturday.
Fair Saturday Awards 2018
Sleep in the Park
It is one of the main projects of Social Bite, which aims to end homelessness, providing access to a home, resources and work to affected people. A night in which thousands of people sleep outdoors with the only shelter of a sleeping bag in order to raise social awareness around this problem and generate funds to continue fighting.
Symphony for Peru
It promotes musical training for young people living in at-risk situations and has 21 centers and a total of 7,000 beneficiaries. Its training system has had a transcendental impact on the self-esteem, creativity, identity and ambition of thousands of young people in the country. Today it has become an international case study of how music can transform entire communities.
BEMIS Scotland
BEMIS is an umbrella organization that supports minority ethnic organizations, communities and individuals in the Scottish third sector and the communities they support. BEMIS presents an innovative vision in the field of social inclusion. A new way of working on integration, from the recognition and enhancement of the differences, identities and individualities of the different cultures of a country.
Nalaga’at Center
Nalaga’at Center is one of the most innovative cultural centers in Israel; it is a cultural center that aims to create a meeting place for the blind, the deaf and the general public. It seeks to send a message to the world that culture should be universally accessible, and that it is necessary to ensure access to it regardless of personal abilities, on an equal footing, generating new, more inclusive and developed atmospheres.
WOMAD Festival
It was one of the first large-scale festivals focused on multiculturalism and ethnic and popular music. In addition, WOMAD’s philosophy has made it possible to introduce many artists to an international audience with a concept based on enthusiasm for all forms of music with a strong pro-diversity character. The award recognizes Peter Gabriel’s commitment to creating a new festival concept that was created to promote the richness of the world’s cultures, to make new styles of music visible and to favor diversity and multiculturalism.
British Paraorchestra
The world’s first orchestra of professional musicians with disabilities. Founded in the city of Bristol in 2012, they managed to perform at the closing of the London Paralympic Games in the launch year and at the Glastonbury Festival in 2016. The award wants to recognize the brilliant work of Paraorchestra & Friends and their musical ensembles in delivering innovative and high quality music combined with their social and inclusive nature. For their continued work to end the limitations that have been placed on these musicians, not so much because of their physical limitations, but because of the lack of opportunities.
The founding artists of Fair Saturday
This award has gone to the 22 choirs and 3 soloists who participated for the first time in Fair Saturday 2014, performing that November 29, all at 20:15h and supporting in each event a social project. A pilot edition in which all of them showed that this little madness could become a reality. We thank them for their courage, their vision, their trust and their involvement in the growth of Fair Saturday.
Richard Demarco, Fair Saturday Ad Honorem Award
Renowned promoter of visual and performing arts. For years his gallery “Richard Demarco Gallery” promoted cultural ties with Eastern Europe by organizing exhibitions of contemporary Polish art and was responsible for promoting the connection between Scottish artists and the rest of Europe. Demarco has been one of the major promoters of Scottish art internationally and has worked to make art and culture accessible to everyone regardless of their origin.
