As part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the journey of the new cultural and environmental project “Lašu dziesma” (“Salamon Songs”) will continue in Kuldīga on 3 October. Families and other interested visitors are invited to make their way from the town centre to the Sansusī riverside site at the end of Upes Street by the River Venta. The afternoon programme will feature an orienteering activity and family game, a creative workshop on aquatic life in the Venta, a conversation on sustainable architecture and an organ music concert.
“Lašu dziesma” began this spring with the public discussion “Nārsts nav bufete” (“Spawning Is Not a Buffet”), which encouraged conversations about salmon spawning, the river ecosystem and the relationship between people and nature. The programme on 3 October, running from 12.00 to 17.00 at the Sansusī riverside site at the end of Upes Street by the River Venta, will explore the river as a place where nature, culture, architecture and community meet.
From 12.00 to 13.00, participants will be able to begin the orienteering activity and family game, setting off from the Duke Jacob Fair on Liepājas Street and making their way to the Sansusī riverside site. Along the route, participants will discover Kuldīga’s environment, the River Venta and the salmon’s life cycle.
At the game’s checkpoints, participants will solve a crossword puzzle, test their agility and strength, consider the challenges faced by the river’s inhabitants and use their creativity to compose their own salmon song. They will also be able to test their knowledge of a fisher’s life and compete for a symbolic fishing licence.
At the end of the game, the workshop “The Venta’s Tiny Aquatic Inhabitants” will take place by the river, led by Dāvis Ozoliņš. Representing the LIFE GoodWater IP project, of which the University of Latvia is a partner, the workshop will invite participants to explore the aquatic world of the Venta and learn more about its smallest inhabitants.
At 14.30, a conversation on sustainable architecture will take place at the Sansusī riverside site with Marija Katrīna Dambe and Emīlija Ozoliņa from NOMAD architects. The discussion will explore how to create spaces that are environmentally responsible, suitable for long-term use and welcoming to both individuals and the wider community. The venue itself will serve as an example: the new performance space by the River Venta is envisioned as a cultural setting where nature, architecture and art can coexist.
At 16.00, the day will conclude with an organ music concert at the Sansusī riverside site. The concert will feature Aigars Reinis on organ, Ernests Mediņš on percussion, and the vocal trio Zane Zilberte, Evita Taranda and Marika Austruma. The concert will offer a peaceful conclusion to the day, allowing music to become another way of experiencing the place and its surroundings.
“One of the aims of ‘Lašu dziesma’ is not only to organise events in nature but also to consider how such a place can be created as an integral part of its surroundings. This is why the conversation on architecture will take place at the new cultural venue itself – allowing us not only to discuss the subject in theory but also to consider a specific place and its future,” say the project organisers from the Sansusī association.
“Lašu dziesma” is a long-term cultural and environmental project bringing together art, nature, community participation and the development of a new public space. The project began in 2026 and will culminate in October 2027, when three weekends in Kuldīga and by the River Venta will be dedicated to conversations, music, art and practical activities focused on understanding and protecting the river ecosystem.
Free admission.
The event is organized by Association “Sansusī” and is organized with financial support from the foundation “Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027.” The programme of “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” is implemented by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, with funding allocated by the City of Liepāja, the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities, and the Ministry of Culture. The “Liepāja 2027” programme is supported by its main partner in environmental education and sustainability, AS “CleanR Grupa”, Jsc; its main partner in air mobility and international communications, AS “airBaltic Corporation”, legal partner: Sorainen Law Office, Ltd., Jsc; and its land mobility partner, SIA “Lux Express Latvia”, Ltd. Media partners: VSIA “Latvijas Sabiedriskais medijs”, Ltd. and AS “Kurzemes Radio”, Jsc.
Ilze Tormane – Kļaviņa
Phone: +371 29 444 155
From September 28 to October 3, Liepāja will host the media art and technology festival “UPDATE: Democratic Technologies” as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme.
As part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the closing events of the creative residency “Notes on the Margins” will take place in Alsunga, Padure, Nīkrāce, Skrunda and Rudbārži from 25 to 27 September.
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.