Ticket sales have opened for the third international conference “Cultural Renovation”, organised by Liepāja 2027, which this year carries the tagline “All My Relations”. The conference will take place on 4 November 2026, from 9:00 to 18:30, at the Great Amber Concert Hall in Liepāja, and will turn its attention to socially engaged contemporary art practices and to collaboration with the many communities that live in, and help shape, the city. Tickets are available from today at “Biļešu paradise” box offices.
This year “Cultural Renovation” will explore questions that are gaining ever-greater weight both within the cultural sector and across society: what actually constitutes a community, and how might different communities build new relationships through the act of creating together? How have community-based creative practices evolved over time, and what ethical, political, social and practical questions do they raise? How does an art event give rise to new communities and networks of connection – and whether it’s time to recognise that creating is not simply a profession, or a privilege reserved for the few, but a fundamental part of life itself?
According to conference curator Gundega Laiviņa, this year’s programme and its guiding theme draw on the philosophy of the Lakota, an indigenous people of North America, encapsulated in the phrase “Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ” – a spiritual concept expressing total interconnectedness. It translates roughly as “All My Relations” or “We are all related”, capturing the deep, reciprocal bond between humans, animals, plants, water and all other forms of life. This idea will thread through the entire day’s programme, with lectures, discussions and practical workshops encouraging participants to broaden their understanding of co-creation as an essential practice for forging new relationships between people, places and diverse communities.
The morning sessions will focus on the notion of community and on the city as a shared space. One inhabited and shaped not only by people, but by other living beings too. We will take a look at the phenomenon of participatory art and the role played by European Capitals of Culture in developing this practice, alongside the social and political potential of co-creation and international examples in which artists, local communities and the landscape become equal partners in the creative process.
In the afternoon, we shall focus on specific participatory art projects from Latvia and abroad, practical workshops, exploring methods of co-creation, the role of art in supporting the well-being of individuals and communities, principles for working with children, and approaches that foster new relationships with the landscape and other forms of life.
Among those taking part will be social anthropologist and diversity expert Agnese Cimdiņa; architect and programme director for Matera – European Capital of Culture 2019, Ariane Bieou; artist, researcher and children engagement practitioner Andy Field; health and culture researcher and research assistant at the Latvian Academy of Culture’s Institute of Culture and Arts, Inga Surgunte; artists Krista Burāne and Laura Stašāne; and designers Rūta Jumīte and Tīna Alise Drupa, among others – together offering a wide perspective on contemporary cultural processes and collaborative practice.
“Cultural Renovation” will be a valuable gathering for cultural professionals, artists, educators, local authority representatives, non-governmental organisations, community leaders, students, and anyone with an interest in the role culture plays in shaping society and in developing new models of collaboration.
A detailed conference programme, along with further information about the guest speakers, will be announced in September. Tickets for “Cultural Renovation” are already on sale through “Biļešu paradise” ticket offices.
The “Cultural Renovation” conference is organised as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, with funding from the City of Liepāja, the South Kurzeme Municipality, Kuldīga Municipality and the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, Jsc; its partner in legal matters SIA “Sorainen ZAB”, Ltd; its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd; alongside its maritime mobility and international communication partner SIA “Stena Line”, Ltd;
The Foundation’s media partners are: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd; SIA “Žurnāls Santa”, Ltd; SIA “Tvnet grupa”, Ltd; and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
Anita Smilkts
Foundation Liepāja 2027
Public relations specialist
Phone: +371 25 408 337
E-mail: anita.smilkts@liepaja2027.lv
Today, August 26, the Liepāja 2027 Cultural Breakfast took place at the Liepāja Latvian Society House, bringing together representatives of the culture industry and collaboration partners.
The Liepāja 2027 Foundation is inviting young people from Liepāja, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities to apply for the 2026/2027 youth training and mentoring programme. Applications are open until 15 September.
To strengthen youth’s understanding of sustainable design and promote a creative approach to material research, the Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, launched the introductory phase of the “Craft + Design” project in June.