From 8 to 10 June 2026, the open culture forum “Think and Do” took place in Oulu, Finland, the European Capital of Culture 2026, bringing together partners from the international network of the “Open Latitudes” project, supported by the Nordic Culture Point programme.
The aim of the “Open Latitudes” project is to foster interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and collaboration around the relationship between humans and the sun, exploring this theme at the intersection of literature, science and the arts. The project forms part of Liepāja 2027’s “Nordic Solstice” programme, which invites audiences to explore the phenomenon of the solstice from different perspectives and discover new ways of communicating it to society.
One of the events within the “Nordic Solstice” programme will be the science-fiction and co-creation platform “Solarpunk Palace”. Representatives of Liepāja 2027 travelled to Oulu together with the platform’s curator, producer and researcher Andrew Gryf Paterson from Finland. During the gathering, ideas were further developed and open culture strategies were designed in collaboration with international partners to support the implementation of the platform.
The experience gained and the new collaborative connections established will serve as valuable resources in preparing and delivering events within the Liepāja 2027 programme. We extend our thanks to the Oulu team for their warm hospitality.
The project “Open Latitudes: Science, Heritage, and Future Arts in Relation to the Nordic Solstice” is implemented with financial support from Nordic Culture Point under its Short-Term Network Funding programme. The total project budget amounts to 27,850 euro, of which 19,000 euro has been granted by Nordic Culture Point. Project activities will continue until 1 April 2027.
More about the project: liepaja2027.lv/en/news
On 10 June, a meeting of the supervisory board for Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 was held at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
Liepāja Concert Hall Great Amber and The Andrejs Žagars Cultural Development Foundation on May 26, 2027 will present the legendary Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and its artistic director, the world-famous and beloved Maestro Andris Nelsons live in concert – featured in the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme.
From June 5 to 7, “Liepāja 2027” travelled to the largest city in Latgale — Daugavpils, which this year celebrated its 751st anniversary.
