At the end of April, Liepāja2027 Artistic Director and Board Member Baiba Bartkeviča visited Molenbeek, Belgium, where she has been invited to join the international forum European Spring Ateliers as one of the recognised experts in the European cultural field.
Molenbeek – a district of Brussels currently competing for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030 – has brought together a wide network of professionals from past, present and candidate European Capitals of Culture, including participants from Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Morocco, Finland, Kosovo and beyond.
European Spring Ateliers is a dynamic two-day workshop dedicated to peer learning, knowledge exchange, and building new partnerships. The programme focuses on key topics such as cultural participation, urban development, digital transformation, civic engagement, and cross-sectoral collaboration.
We are honoured that Baiba was invited to contribute to the forum, sharing insights from Liepāja’s successful ECoC journey and offering guidance on developing complex, multi-layered cultural programmes with international scope and lasting impact.
The concept guiding Molenbeek’s candidacy – Sadaka (meaning generosity in Arabic) – embodies values rooted in solidarity, mutual respect and openness. The team’s determination to implement these principles in practice – regardless of the competition outcome – reflects a strong, long-term vision for cultural development in the city.
We wish the Molenbeek 2030 team creativity, courage and the best of luck in their final presentation this September!
On 11 April, Liepāja 2027 will take to the stage at Tallinn Music Week 2026’s City Stage to present the concept of Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027: (un)rest.
With this open call for artists to participate in the exhibition and symposium, the association “ASTE. Art, Science, Technology, Education” launches the project “ElektrON – The Future of Amber”, interpreting the heritage of amber—along with the future potential of other fossil materials—through a symbiosis of art and science, within the programme “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027”. Applications to participate in the project can be submitted by 23:59 on 19 April.
On July2, experimental music festival Skaņu Mežs will hold an exclusive mini-edition in the city of Liepāja, featuring musical acts and sound artists from Latvia, Japan, Norway, United Kingdom, Sweden and Germany.