More than 200 participants in Liepāja learned restoration and sustainable management skills

A garden party in the courtyard of the Liepāja Restoration Centre on the weekend of 26 July brought to a close an ambitious series of talks and masterclasses titled “From Know-How to Do-How”, dedicated to cultural heritage preservation and sustainable living.

Over the course of July, more than 200 participants from across Latvia joined nine free events in Liepāja to roll up their sleeves and set course into the practical world of restoration, landscape gardening, composting and Liepāja community building.

Held as part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s New European Bauhaus initiative, this July-long project was implemented in Latvia by the Liepāja Restoration Centre, in collaboration with the Liepāja 2027 Foundation.
Now in its fourth year, the project “From Know-How to Do-How” continues to gain momentum in Liepāja – drawing more people with each edition, and this year it gathered more than 200 enthusiasts from all across Latvia.

“The rising number of participants each year shows just how important this topic is for people,” says Ivars Pilips, founder of the Liepāja Restoration Centre. “It’s encouraging to see that the New European Bauhaus values – sustainable, beautiful, inclusive – are no longer just words. They are becoming the new rhythm of daily life. I hope that the knowledge shared will help us create a better, more human environment for all. This cycle was a timely reminder that, even in the rush of daily life, we should never lose sight of beauty – in our surroundings, and in how we treat each other.”

The goal of the initiative reaches beyond restoring the past – it’s about shaping living spaces that reflect the needs and values of today and tomorrow. The project brought this vision to life not only through practical workshops but also through two community-building events at Anna’s Market in Jaunliepāja and at the small market spot near the Baata Centre in the residential district of Dienvidrietumi.

“At the heart of our community events stood the market – not just a place for buying and selling, but a real crossroads of daily life. It’s where people meet, share ideas, and weave plans for the future,” explains Justīne Rusakova, community engagement manager at Liepāja 2027. “Whether big or small, markets carry meaning. It was wonderful to see how these events sparked new connections – neighbours turning into collaborators, stories exchanged, and the first steps taken from watching to doing.”

In addition to community events, discussions and workshops, the project included an international residency that welcomed restoration experts from Italy and the Czech Republic, who worked alongside their local counterparts to share techniques and approaches. Also it included urgent maintenance work that took place at Liepāja St. Anna’s Church, where the roof of the historic tower was patched in collaboration with specialists from Lithuania’s “FIXUS Mobilis” heritage preservation initiative.

For more on the project and activities, please visit the social media channels of Liepāja Restoration Centre and Liepāja 2027.

About the Project:

The EIT Community New European Bauhaus (NEB) is funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology and supports citizens, grass-roots initiatives and startups that embody the core values of the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus movement (sustainability, inclusivity and beauty) through business creation & acceleration, funding, mentorship and network.

The Enhance NEB programme supports the scaling and replication of successful projects previously funded through Connect NEB or Co-create NEB. Delivered by the EIT Community New European Bauhaus and funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, the programme funds consortia of cities, regions or municipalities and local organisations to expand or adapt initiatives that transform the built environment in line with NEB values of sustainability, inclusion, and aesthetics.

Since 2023, the Liepāja Restoration Centre has served as Latvia’s official partner of the New European Bauhaus, with additional support from the State Culture Capital Foundation’s “Development Programme for Latvian Historical Lands”, as part of the Kurzeme Culture Programme 2025, implemented by the Kurzeme Planning Region.

Additional information

Ivars Pilips, Director and Founder
Liepāja Restoration Centre
Phone: +371 26 977 080
E-mail: liepajas.restauracija@gmail.com