After so many years, how do you approach the challenge of launching a new season without losing the essence of ‘Go!azen’, while still making sure it remains a current and relevant series for new generations?

Before we start writing the new season, we look at topics that may be important to our children and young people. What issues do we want to address? How can we help? Last year, it was dyslexia; this year, visual impairment… On the other hand, being part of such a prolific period for Basque music also helps us enormously when it comes to taking on the challenge of combining new songs with others from previous eras.

What new developments can we expect to see in this thirteenth season?

This year, Basakabi will become a music school, which will change the dynamics of the series. We have also introduced some new sets, and a teacher called Imanol will be joining the cast.

The series ‘Go!azen’ has achieved something quite unusual: it has remained a benchmark for young audiences in Basque for many years. What do you think is the key to its success?

Well, if I knew, I’d probably have the answer to everything… One of the keys may be that, since 2016, we have been clear that the series has to offer something more. We don’t have a huge budget, but we do have something very important: a close connection with our audience. We believe it’s important for our viewers to be able to see the actors live and to show them that they are “real”. That’s why we place so much importance on premieres, concerts, the magazine… And then, of course, the series has to be well made, combining elements of comedy, music and adventure.

The series has also evolved as its viewers have evolved. How has your way of developing and telling stories changed from the early seasons to now?

The standard of the actors has also risen. Young people in the Basque Country are increasingly well trained, and that has allowed us to develop the storylines further. At the beginning, I remember everyone telling us that our project would be unviable, that we wouldn’t find young people capable of acting, singing and dancing, and that limited the storylines. What could we explore, and how could we do it…? But now, every year, we see better-prepared people coming to the auditions. That allows us to develop different storylines and introduce other musicals as well. And, of course, in general, stories are told differently now: viewers have so many platforms to choose from, and we have to adapt to all of that too.

In your opinion, what role does ‘Go!azen’ play within the Basque audiovisual sector and, in particular, in the creation of content for young audiences in Basque?

I always say that we are a gateway. A gateway to audiovisual content in Basque, to music… We are not the end goal, so to speak; if we can be a gateway, we’re delighted! Many of our followers have discovered Basque music groups because they have heard versions of their songs in our series, and that makes us very happy, because we love Basque music.

You’ll be returning to Donostia once again this year. What does it mean to you to be part of the festival programme every year?

It’s incredible! For the tenth season, we came up with the idea of doing something special. At first, we thought it would be a one-off, just for that year… And look at us now! It’s also true that, when we made the film, we didn’t think any further ahead. We thought it would just be a film… And here we are, still going!

Presenting an episode at the San Sebastian Festival also means bringing a series aimed primarily at young audiences to one of the territory’s biggest film showcases. What does this meeting between the series and the festival mean to you?

It’s wonderful. As I said before, as a gateway or a window, we like to think that many of those who come to the Velodrome will, in a few years’ time, go to the Festival to see other Basque productions in Basque, having developed the habit of watching content in Basque with us.

After 13 seasons, is there anything that still surprises you about the relationship the series has built with its audience?

I don’t know if it surprises me, but it really moves us when families going through difficult times get in touch with us and tell us what a small gesture from one of our actors has meant to them. Whether it’s a video, a visit… They tell us incredibly moving stories about how important ‘Go!azen’ has been to them, and hearing these kinds of stories is genuinely very special.