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Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola presents its Report on the 2019-2020 Academic Year

Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE) has recently presented its 2019-2020 Report, in which it describes the activities carried out during the school's second academic year, which began in September 2019 and concluded in December 2020, and was strongly impacted by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic that disrupted all scheduled activities from 13 March onwards.

07/01/2021
Despite the coronavirus crisis, 75% of the academic syllabus was taught face-to-face.
Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola presents its Report on the 2019-2020 Academic Year

The report describes the activities carried out during the school's second academic year

Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE) has recently presented its 2019-2020 Report, in which it describes the activities carried out during the school's second academic year, which began in September 2019 and concluded in December 2020, and was strongly impacted by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic that disrupted all scheduled activities from 13 March onwards.

In the weeks following the declaration of the State of Alarm in Spain and the announcement of the nationwide lockdown, the school was unable to continue with its scheduled face-to-face classes and was forced to adapt its theoretical and practical content to an online format. This adaptation affected part of the fourth and the whole of the fifth module of the academic syllabus, and necessitated a series of modifications to the content and development of certain subjects, although the number of subjects taught hardly changed at all. Of all the subjects scheduled within the 2019-2020 syllabus, 75.55% (806 hours) were taught face-to-face and 20.95% (168 hours) online. Only three subjects, corresponding to 3.49% of the syllabus (60 hours), had to be cancelled since they could not be adapted to the online framework. To compensate, three new subjects were established that were taught face-to-face during the sixth module, with the aim of covering some of the material that had not been imparted. In this sense, despite the effort made to maintain face-to-face interactions and exchanges as much as possible, the effects of the pandemic in EQZE have been similar to those felt in other academic and professional fields throughout the world.

EQZE reopened its doors to students on 1 June (and has since remained open in an uninterrupted manner), coinciding with the reopening of Tabakalera. The resumption of face-to-face activities was carried out in accordance with a prevention plan that is still in effect today, and which includes a series of measures, protocols and recommendations for the entire school community.

Capacity for adaptation and consolidation of the project

The 2019-2020 Report highlights 3 specific aspects:

1. The school's flexibility and capacity for adaptation

On the week of 15 March, an adapted non-face-to-face syllabus was established, along with a student aid and guidance programme that included, among other things, individual attention and monitoring of students' progress (with attention being paid to administrative, domestic, health and family issues). After face-to-face teaching resumed in June, the syllabus was extended to include a support plan for end-of-degree projects and the school's facilities and equipment were reconfigured to adapt them to the new situation. This was also accompanied by a compensatory academic syllabus that was taught face-to-face in August.

2. The school's teaching model was put to the test

The coronavirus crisis presented to EQZE with several dilemmas, to which the school responded by reaffirming its staunch commitment to face-to-face teaching, as opposed to the general trend towards remote classes. It assumed its institutional responsibilities as a space of ongoing confrontation with reality and strove to continue shaping the concept of community (students, alumni, faculty and the professionals working at both the school and the institutions that participate in it), as a learning network that stretches far beyond the world of academia. 

3. Consolidation of the project 

The school has enormous capacity to generate connections and productivity, as evident in the many shared initiatives on which it has embarked in collaboration with the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the Basque Film Arhive, the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and other institutions, as well as in its extensive catalogue of student projects. This was already one of the hallmarks of the project. However, the huge challenges faced during the 2019-2020 academic year have enabled us to consolidate the idea of the EQZE as an open, permeable and dynamic system.

During this second academic year, EQZE continued and expanded its educational programme, which comprises three postgraduate courses (Film Preservation, Film Curating and Filmmaking) that stem from the specialist knowledge areas of the institutions involved in its running. As well as running postgraduate courses, the school also has an active Research Department which aims to foster exploration, reflection and innovation.

Between the teaching staff at the school, professionals from the world of film (filmmakers and representatives from festivals, institutions, film libraries, museums and collection, etc.) and guest lecturers, over one hundred professionals visited the school during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Created and funded by the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council, with the participation of the Basque Film Library, the Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture and the San Sebastián International Film Festival, EQZE is part of the network of official schools belonging to the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).