The 8th Culture Next Conference was hosted in Aveiro, Portugal during October 12th and October 14th in the presence of representatives of 26 cities from 16 European countries, including Liepāja.
The conference was a space for inspiration and networking with the Aveiro cultural community, but also with the New European Bauhaus network, with the MESOC consortium for measurement of the social impact of culture, with the Culture Action Europe network team, and with the newly established EIT for Culture & Creativity.
The main goal of the conference was to strengthen the capacity of European cities to implement the projects included in their applications, regardless of whether or not a city was awarded the title of “European Capital of Culture”.
The vast majority of cities recognised that cultural and creative organisations, whether from the public, private or non-governmental sectors, face major challenges on their way to achieving their desired goals. These include not only a lack of funding, but also weak cooperation between European cities. The cities agreed that by joining together in a larger organisation it would be possible to jointly develop various cultural policy documents, strengthen the introduction and implementation of artist exchange programmes.
The conference was just one of the events taking place in the Portuguese city at this time. Its participants also had the opportunity to attend several sessions of the “New European Bauhaus Goes South” conference and to take part in “Aveiro Tech Week” events such as the new media festival “Criatech” and the illumination festival “Prisma Art”.
“The biggest benefits of such events are, of course, gaining new contacts and the opportunity to be part of the wider European cultural life. The synergy of cultural organisations from different countries working together on ideas and resources is important enough to bring great results. The teams of the European Capitals of Culture and candidate cities are committed enough to implement the initiatives they have started, while Liepaja is now starting its journey with the implementation of planned projects and is eager to meet different partners to implement the ideas,” comments Inta Šoriņa, “Liepāja 2027” Project Manager.
The second European Capital of Culture will be selected this year in Portugal, with Aveiro being one of the four candidate cities. Representatives from other Portuguese candidate cites also attended the conference – from Braga and the Azores.
The Supervisory Board’s purpose is to oversee the project’s content, financial utilization, and achieved results, as well as to facilitate cooperation between municipalities, state institutions, and other stakeholders.
Launching the month of Liepāja’s 400th anniversary celebration, the Liepāja Holy Trinity Cathedral on Saturday, 1 March 2025, at 17:00 will host a sacred music concert, “Caur gaismu nāk un sudrabs top” (Through Light Cometh Silver Shine). This event brings under single musical umbrella newly composed works by Liepāja-spirited composers Ēriks Ešenvalds, Jānis Lūsēns, and Andris Kontauts, paired with samples from the cathedral’s historical sheet music collection, creating a harmonious bridge between past and present.
This competition was launched to inspire the creation of an innovative and artistically refined environmental object that integrates seamlessly into Liepaja’s urban landscape.