Participatory Performance “How to Become a Liepājnieks?”

A participatory performance based on the community of young musicians in Liepāja – “How to Become a Liepājnieks?”

The creative team is working closely with representatives of various musical genres and subcultures – young musicians from Liepāja – including jazz artist Ieva Anna Avotiņa, the band “Purva Šamaņi”, hip-hop artist Aleksis, pianist Artūrs Liepiņš, electronic music artist DJ Orthodox, and others.

The performance focuses on exploring Liepāja’s subcultures and discovering new perspectives on the city’s identity, rooted in the personal experiences, views, and search for belonging among Liepāja’s youth. Known in Latvia as the capital of rock music, Liepāja’s image is in the crossroads. One essential question in today’s world is: do the subcultures that defined Latvia’s cultural and musical landscape 20, 30, or 40 years ago still exist? Youth has always driven counterculture, and the creative team of this performance believes that subcultures in Liepāja are still alive and play an important role in the city’s development.

The performance will take audiences on a journey through significant places tied to Liepāja’s underground culture – discovering the people who keep these places alive and the stories that give them a sense of belonging to Liepāja. Throughout the experience, we’ll ask: what makes someone feel they belong to a specific place? How do we find common ground in our differences – and is that even necessary?

• Director & Playwright: Andris Zeļonka
• Musical Consultant & Composer: Jēkabs Nīmanis
• Artist: Katrīna Ieva
• Producer: Ieva Niedre

One performance is scheduled per day (October 17–20). The performance will take place in a traveling format, with audience members moving between locations via an organized bus. More information about the meeting point and ticket sales will be announced in early September.

The performances are organized by the foundation Equilibrium group and INITIUM, with financial support from the foundation Liepāja 2027 and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, as part of the “Rokam roku” program.