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
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In August 2027, as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the international “Zenta Mauriņa Summer School” will take place in Southern Kurzeme, conceived as a space for dialogue and collaborative artistic activity.
The Liepāja 2027 Foundation is inviting everyone regardless of age or place of residence to take part in the creation of “Fabrics of Reality”, a new work by the internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota (塩田千春), by writing a personal letter that will become part of the finished installation. Letters will be accepted until 30 November 2026.
