On October 16–17, 2025, the international conference “Breathing Spaces in the Revitalization of minoritised Languages” was held at the Soreasu theatre in Azpeitia, organized collaboratively by Soziolinguistika Klusterra, UEMA, UEU, and the Coppieters Foundation.

The two-day event focused on the concept of “breathing spaces” and their importance—namely, the role of territories or spaces where a minoritised language maintains strong social use in language revitalization processes. The conference had two main objectives: on the one hand, to promote international reflection on the importance of breathing spaces in the revitalization of minoritised languages; and on the other, to present measures and proposals to strengthen the sociolinguistic situation of these spaces.

The program featured both Basque and international speakers, bringing in experiences from places such as Wales, Scotland, and Canada. The topic was approached from multiple perspectives, including sociolinguistic dynamics, language policy, socio-economic development, legal protection, and the empowerment of speakers.

The conference brought together around 250 participants in Azpeitia, including experts, researchers, representatives of public institutions, and social stakeholders working in the revitalization of minoritised languages. In this way, the concept of breathing spaces, developed within the Basque context, was placed within an international dialogue, in comparison with the experiences of other language communities.