The Liepāja 2027 Foundation has concluded its co-financing competition for international contemporary and multi genre art events, which was announced in June 2025. As a result of the competition, 11 projects with a total value of EUR 640,000 will be supported and implemented across Liepāja, South Kurzeme and the Kuldīga regions in 2027.
“We’ve made it our mission to get Liepāja talking to the rest of the world. The projects we’re supporting right now are proof that these aren’t just ideas – they’re becoming real-world partnerships. We’re creating a proper dialogue between our home-grown communities and the wider European scene, bringing some truly bold and boundary-pushing events, all feeding into a programme of contemporary art of our 2027 celebrations”, emphasises Baiba Bartkeviča, Artistic Director of Liepāja 2027.
The competition attracted strong international interest, with 72 project proposals submitted from 16 European countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, Hungary, Sweden and Portugal. Eleven of these proposals were selected for financial support. The supported projects will contribute to several Liepāja 2027 programme clusters, including “Moving Horizons”, “World of Images”, “Karosta Radosta”, “Island of Adventure”, “Open Theatre Quarter” and “No More Heavy Metal”, and are scheduled for implementation in 2027.
Among the commission-supported initiatives:
- The World Nature Fund Foundation will implement the project “Regenerative Textures”, creating three environmental installations that highlight the importance of biodiversity and the potential of sustainable materials. Using 3D ecological concrete, reeds and recycled materials, the installations will combine modern technologies with traditional techniques and will be accompanied by educational and cultural activities. The project has received EUR 69,000 in funding.
- The association “Latvijas Jaunā teātra institūts “ (Latvian New Theatre Institute) has been awarded EUR 90,000 for its co-creative project “The Soft Layer. Karosta Decor Atelier. Bringing together music, visual and performing arts and urban design, the initiative will take place in the Karosta multi-storey residential area and will be developed in close collaboration with the local children’s community and project partners, strengthening public participation in the development of outdoor public spaces.
- The Latvian New Theatre Institute will also implement the project “Karosta Children’s Symphony. An Orchestra’s Guide to the Life of a Young Person”, which has likewise received EUR 90,000 in funding. This co-creative initiative will unite music, visual and performing arts through an 18-month collaboration between the Bristol-based artist collective “Action Hero”, the Karosta Children’s Music School, its students, children with no prior musical experience, and young composers. Together they will create an original symphonic work and stage production.
- The association “PFT Progress”, with its “Liepāja 2027 X HÖR Berlin”, will expand the “No More Heavy Metal” project cluster. In July 2027, an electronic music event will take place at the former “Liepājas Metalurgs” steel plant, bringing together local and international artists in collaboration with the global streaming platform “HÖR Berlin”. The event will offer a powerful sonic experience set within an industrial environment and has been awarded EUR 30,000.
- The association “GolfClayderman” has received EUR 31,000 for the international contemporary art exhibition “Energy Charge”. The project will merge art, movement and ideas of sustainable fashion in an innovative way. Hosted at the “R.D.A.” store in Liepāja, the exhibition will extend into the adjacent sports hall, integrating artworks into everyday spaces and creating a dynamic cultural environment. Professional artists from Latvia, France and Liepāja will take part.
- The association “Pāvilostas kultūrvēsturiskais vides centrs” (Pāvilosta Cultural History Environment Centre) will add an international sculpture symposium titled “Jūras sāls” (Sea Salt) to the Liepāja 2027 programme in Pāvilosta. Focusing on current ecological issues in the Baltic Sea and human relationships with the coastal environment, the project will include educational activities on the Baltic Sea ecosystem, lectures and discussions with environmental experts, as well as practical workshops for local residents and town visitors. The project has been awarded EUR 40,000.
- With EUR 71,000 in funding, the association “Blind Carbon Copy” will implement the project “The Fine Margin of Change”, focusing on culturally neglected spaces in Kuldīga and highlighting their significance in today’s social and cultural landscape. The project includes the creation of a large-scale mural by artist Viktors Timofejevs in collaboration with the local community. In addition, the “Līva” shopping centre will host an interdisciplinary installation and film project by Laura Gozlan, developed in close dialogue with local artisans and bringing together traditional skills and contemporary art. The project will conclude with the community initiative “The Neglected” by artist Robin Levy, centred on the documentation of oral history.
- In 2027, Liepāja will also host the interdisciplinary art programme “Certain Uncertainty”, implemented by individual merchant Raivis Alksnis and supported with EUR 71,000. The programme will bring together painting, sculpture and visual media, with its core being a multimedia exhibition in the historic Tosmare shipyard and former submarine workshop. This industrial setting will be transformed into a space for large-scale paintings, sculptures, video and audio installations, revealing Liepāja’s industrial heritage as a platform for ambitious contemporary art experiments.
- The association “Kultkom” has received EUR 49,000 to organise the exhibition “Banned Images: Censored Photography in the 21st Century”. The exhibition will present works by fifteen international photographers and artists whose work has been censored in Europe during the 21st century for various reasons. It will explore how society, institutions and state authorities respond to uncomfortable themes and how censorship shapes public space.
- Liepāja Puppet Theatre has been awarded EUR 49,000 for the project “Sensory and Inclusive Visual Theatre Experiences in Liepāja”. By engaging international artists, the project will create four inclusive visual theatre performances and organise six international masterclasses, expanding cultural accessibility for people with visual, hearing, mobility and perception impairments.
- The contemporary art programme “Embodied Empathy”, implemented by the association “Tuvumi” and supported with EUR 50,000, will invite people in 2027 to explore movement, space and art as tools for developing empathy and understanding. The programme will combine performances, installations, workshops and masterclasses by international and local artists in locations across the city, involving both professionals and local communities in an open and inclusive shared creative process.
The submitted projects were assessed by a seven-member commission comprising Baiba Bartkeviča and Eva Ciekurze, members of the Board of the Liepāja 2027 Foundation; Andra Rutkēviča, Referent at the Sectoral Policy Division of the Cultural Policy Department of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia; Nauris Lazdāns, Deputy Head of the Liepāja Culture Department; Agnese Lapsiņa, Cultural Specialist at the Kuldīga Culture Department; Kristīne Feldmane, Public Relations and External Communications Specialist at South Kurzeme Municipality; and Monta Janeka, Liepāja 2027 Ambassador.
As previously announced, this competition’s goal is to add the Liepāja 2027 calendar with fresh, international contemporary art. The co-financing takes care of the essentials – like project management, hiring venues, paying artists and technicians, and sorting out travel and accommodation. It will also help with the costs of promoting your work to the public.
More information about the competition is available at: liepaja2027.lv/en/participation
Released by
Foundation “Liepāja 2027”
Public Relations Specialist
Kristiāna Paula Lībiete
Phone: + 371 22 355 771
E-mail: kristiana.libiete@liepaja2027.lv
