'CULTURAL RENOVATION' / CreArt PARTNERS MEETING AND CONFERENCE IN LIEPAJA. 6-8 NOVEMBER

The Liepāja 2027 International Conference “Cultural Renovation” recently brought together cultural sector representatives from across Latvia for two days at the Great Amber Concert Hall, featuring discussions and presentations from local and international experts.

This event, organized by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, tackled critical issues such as diversifying funding for artists and culture professionals, improving inclusivity for people with disabilities in cultural events, creating relevant content to address 21st-century challenges, and broadening audiences for cultural experiences.

Author and director Michael De Kock, Artistic Director of the Royal Flemish Theatre, opened the conference with “The City as a Stage: New Narratives Shaping Art and Society.” A panel discussion on “Renovating Creativity – Content, Form, and Context in the Challenges of the 21st Century” followed, exploring how the title of European Capital of Culture impacts local economies and how crises like the pandemic and war have reshaped values, perceptions, and the cultural sector as a whole.

On the second day, Ellen Loots, Associate Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam, presented on diversifying fundraising for the arts, while Oleksandra Kushchenko, who is a journalist and a founder of the “ArtLvivOnline” platform, discussed culture’s resilience through crisis.

Other speakers included Kaspars Vanags, the director of the Pauls Stradiņš Museum of the History of Medicine, art critic and curator, who emphasized the need for content and form transformation within cultural institutions; Henrik Sand-Dagfinrud, who is the programme director of Norway’s City of Bodø – The 2024 European Capital of Culture. He shared strategies for expanding cultural engagement; and Egita Prāma, the administrative director and lawyer at the Open Society Foundation "Dots" who spoke on the Lampa Festival’s path to sustainable funding.

The "Funding renovation" opportunities in Latvia were explained by Dr.oec. Ieva Zemīte, who is the director of the joint master’s degree programme “Creative Industries and Growth Management” at the Latvian Academy of Culture and Rīga Technical University.

Vlad Yaremchuk, who is the programme director of Ukraine’s largest music event, “Atlas Festival” shared insights into the current state of Ukraine’s music and cultural sectors, emphasizing the vital role of music as a force within the resistance movement. Meanwhile, art therapist and inclusive culture advocate Lība Bērziņa explored ways to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in Latvian cultural spaces – not only as audience members but as active creators and contributors to events.

Moderated by media expert, editor and translator Rita Ruduša, the conference underscored culture’s potential to foster inclusivity, innovation, and resilience across Latvia.

VIDEO: here.

PROGRAM

CreArt partners’ meeting and conference

“Cultural Renovation”

from November 6 to 7 at the concert hall “Lielais dzintars”

moderated by Rita Ruduša

NOVEMBER 6

9.30 – 12.30 CreArt Work session. Venue: Liepaja 2027 office, Dārza street 4/8, 2nd floor, Liepāja, Latvija, LV-3401

12.30 – 14.30 CreArt Study visit to "Madame Hoyer's Guest House" and welcome lunch

Venue: Kungu street 24, Liepāja, LV-3401

14.00 – 15.00 Registration. Venue: Concert hall “Lielais dzintars”, 2nd floor foyer

15.00 – 15.30 Opening. Chamber Hall

15.30 – 16.30 "The city as a stage: new narratives changing arts and society"

Author, Director, Artistic Director of KVS Brussels

Michael de Cock Chamber Hall

16.30 – 17.00 Discussion

“How to restore creativity? Content, form and context in 21st century challenges”

Chamber Hall

17.30 – 18.30 Summary and conversations. Chamber Hall

19.00 – 21.00 Dinner. The venue details will be provided at a later date.

November 7

10.00 – 10.30 Registration. Venue: Concert hall “Lielais dzintars”, 2nd floor foyer

10.30 – 11.30 "Contemporary funding and financing in cultural and creative sectors" Associate Professor of Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Ellen Loots, Chamber Hall

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break in 2nd floor foyer

12.00 – 13.00 Parallel sessions:

"The power of horizontal connections in the artistic environment during

crisis situations"

Art critic, researcher, lecturer Oleksandra Kushchenko ENG, Chamber Hall

13.00 – 14.00 Parallel sessions:

"Before and after. Redefining the Medicine History Museum in the era of biopolitics"

Director of the Pauls Stradiņš Medicine History Museum, Art Curator, and Critic Kaspars Vanags

LV, Chamber Hall

Why are there no people with disabilities in the cultural landscape of Latvia and how to integrate Them? A diversity approach"

Art Therapist, Designer, and Accessibility expert

Lība Bērziņa

LV, Civita Nova 1st Floor

“Renovation of relations with audiences. Bodo 2024 experience" Director of the "European Capital of Culture 2024" program in Bodø, Norway Henric Sand Dagfinrud

ENG, Civita Nova 1st Floor

"So you need money...?" Associate Professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture

Ieva Zemīte

LV, Civita Nova, 6th Floor

"LAMPA Conversation festival: The path to sustainable funding" Lawyer, Administrative Director of DOTS Foundation for an Open Society Egita Prāma

LV, Civita Nova 6th Floor

14.00 – 15.00 Lunch. The venue details will be provided at a later date.

15.00 – 16.00 "How music in Ukraine fosters resilience and adapted to the wartime reality" Partnership Manager at Music Saves Ukraine, Programming Director at Atlas Festival Vlad Yaremchuk Chamber Hall