Participation

On 20 June, the Ventspils Street Community Festival took place in Kuldīga as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme. The event brought together residents of Ventspils Street, local community members, neighbours, friends, and visitors for a day dedicated to connection, shared experiences, and community spirit.

Saturday, June 20, from 12:00 to 16:00, the “Ventspils Street Creative Courtyard” event will take place in Kuldīga, in the courtyard of the Community House, at Ventspils Street 16. The event is part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme.

On Saturday, June 13, the first Ezerkrasts Picnic was held in Liepāja as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme. The event brought local residents together to connect with their neighbours, exchange ideas, and discuss the future development of the Ezerkrasts neighbourhood.

On the summer solstice, Saturday, June 20, from 10:00 – 18:00 a community cleanup event will take place at Polīšu Ravine in Vārme Parish, Kuldīga Municipality, as a part of the public participation projects in the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme.

On Saturday, June 6, the event “Together at the Bread Table”, organized by the association “Kuršu Kopiena”, took place in Rucava as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme.

On Saturday, June 13, as part of the public engagement projects of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the first Ezerkrasts Picnic will take place – a community gathering aimed at helping neighbours get to know one another, share ideas, and jointly shape the future of the Ezerkrasts neighbourhood.

On Saturday, June 6, as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, the event “Together at the Bread Table” will take place in Rucava – a creative, hands-on, and heartfelt gathering for residents of all ages.

A further four initiatives each received 400 euros in support: the associations “Sventāja”, “Kuldīga Senior School” and “Liepāja Residency and Cultural Centre”, as well as community activist Aija Birzniece with her project “(un)rest Midsummer in OTAS”.

On 9 May, Liepāja 2027 will mark Europe Day with a programme of activities across Liepāja, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga, designed to strengthen civic awareness and foster a shared sense of belonging to the European community.

On Friday, 20 March, the final workshop of the Liepāja 2027 community programme “Neighbourliness”, titled “A Community Story for the World”, took place in Aizpute.

For the past two weeks, French director, choreographer and Artistic Director of Bourges 2028, Christophe Haleb, has been in Liepāja together with a film crew to develop a documentary film project.

On Wednesday, 17 June, the workshop “A Compass for Happy People and a Healthy Planet” took place, during which participants, guided by social innovator Paula Cukura, explored methods for setting personal goals and worked practically with their values, motivation, and other aspects of personal sustainability.

At the end of May, the first international working visit of the Erasmus+ project “ECoC Youth Clubs” took place in the Czech city of Budweis, bringing together young people and project managers from three future European Capitals of Culture – Liepāja 2027, Évora 2027, and České Budějovice 2028.

On 23 May, as part of the International Museum Night celebrations, the youth-organised adventure walk “Night Mission –Secrets of Kuldīga” took place in Kuldīga.

On Saturday, 25 April, presentations for the second season of the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 Youth Programme took place, with 24 young participants from Liepāja, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga introducing to their six creative event proposals.

On Wednesday, 1 April, a formal agreement was signed with the German Embassy in Latvia to support the project “Fact, Fiction, and Democracy”. The initiative aims to strengthen young people’s understanding of media literacy, democracy, and European values across Liepāja, South Kurzeme, Kuldīga, and Chemnitz (Germany).

From 27 February to 1 March, participants from the youth programmes of Liepāja and Tartu came together for the mid-term activity of the “Youth Connect” project, funded by the Interreg Estonia–Latvia programme, in the border towns of Valga–Valka.

On Wednesday, 18 February, the Kuldīga Youth House hosted the traditional Cultural Breakfasts organised by the foundation Liepāja 2027, bringing together representatives of the cultural sector, young people, and active members of the community from Kuldīga and the surrounding area.

In the final week of January, Justīne, public participation project manager at the Liepāja 2027 Foundation (Liepāja 2027), took part in the “Leadership for Green Transition” training in Zadar, Croatia, together with 29 other youth workers from across Europe.

On Saturday, January 24, the fifth meeting of the Liepāja 2027 youth programme took place. This time, the participants gathered at Pegaza Courtyard to learn the fundamental principles of strong team building and to strengthen their collaboration skills.

From 19 to 23 April, Izabella Džeriņa, Volunteer Coordinator at the foundation “Nodibinājums Liepāja 2027” (Liepāja 2027), took part in the international training course “Mental Health in Long-term Volunteering – Healthy Volunteers & Healthy Coordinators” in Leipzig, Germany.

The purpose of the training was to familiarise the public more broadly with volunteer work and to provide a shared understanding of Liepaja 2027 vision, values, planned events, the role of volunteers, their benefits, and the available opportunities to engage in initiatives.

The event was organised at the initiative of Timofejs Garkušs, a participant in the Liepāja 2027 volunteer programme “Mission (un)rest”, and featured young people with experience in the European Solidarity Corps and other international projects.

Currently supported by 93 volunteers, the initiative seeks to strengthen community participation in cultural life whilst fostering international cooperation and skills development through to the end of 2027.

The aim of the initiative is to revive the tradition of handwritten letters and to build friendships with volunteers, their coordinators, and communities from other European Capitals of Culture.

The award was presented in recognition of the development of a high-quality volunteer programme in preparation for Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027, supporting cultural events in Liepāja and across the South Kurzeme and Kuldīga municipalities.

On Friday, 5 December, participants of the Liepāja 2027 volunteer programme “Mission (un)rest” were invited to the International Volunteer Day celebration “Light Within You” at the “Great Amber” concert hall.

On Saturday, November 15, accessibility training took place at the Liepāja 2027 office for participants of the Liepāja 2027 volunteer programme “Mission (un)rest”. It was led by representatives from SUSTENTO, Latvia’s umbrella organisation for people with special needs.

To support the personal growth and skill development of Liepāja 2027 volunteers, a training session for volunteer team leaders was held on October 18, focusing on information-gathering techniques and team-building methods. The training was led by non-formal education trainer Staņislavs Babins.

Officially launching the Volunteer Programme, more than 40 participants of Liepāja 2027’s “Mission (un)rest” gathered on 14 June at the Liepāja Latvian Society House to learn about the significance of the European Capital of Culture title, its vision, and the upcoming journey ahead.

The 2026 European Capital of Culture Trenčín (Slovakia), in cooperation with the regional tourism organisation “OOCR Považie”, is announcing an open call for artists and artist collectives from around the world. Application deadline: 30 June 2026 at 15:00 (CET).

Liepāja 2027 is inviting two visual artists for a summer residency taking place from July 22 to August 19, 2026. The works created during the residency will become part of the programme of the project “Lāčplēša Garden Festival,” a partner of Liepāja 2027. Applications accepted until: June 14, 2026

The contemporary art foundation Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa invites young artists to apply for an open call for a five-week residency in Venice, Italy. Application deadline: 30 June 2026.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation has concluded its co-financing competition for the organisation of cultural events as part of the Liepāja 2027 opening celebration programme. A total of 30,000 euros has been allocated to eleven selected events, all of which will take place on 23 January 2027, beginning at 20:00.

The second open project competition “Rock the Rock”, organised by the Liepāja 2027 Foundation, has concluded, with seven interdisciplinary music and art projects receiving a total of €50,000 in funding.

During the session, participants will receive guidance on application eligibility and evaluation criteria. The process of preparing project documentation will be explained in full, and practical advice will be shared on how to carry out projects successfully and prepare the required post-project reports.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation is announcing an open co-financing call for the implementation of events within the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme. The call is designed to inspirit the (un)rest programme with contemporary, high-quality cultural events created in partnership with independent organisations from across Latvia. Please submit your applications no later than by 16 June 2026 at 23:59.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation invites professionals who shape the culture horizon in Liepāja, South Kurzeme and Kuldīga to submit their cultural and artistic initiatives to the Liepāja 2027 side programme, offering the opportunity to integrate existing events into the Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027 programme.

The foundation “Liepāja 2027” has announced an open, co-financed artistic competition, “Creation of Environmental Art Installations in Kuldīga and Aizpute”, welcoming artists and creative teams to join the creation of contemporary, sustainable environmental artworks in Kurzeme. Applications must be submitted by 1 June 2026 at 23:59.

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 23:59 on 19 April.

The Center of Excellence in Arts Education (MIKC) Liepāja Music, Art and Design Secondary School (LMMDV), as part of the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme, continues to implement the “Craft + Design” project and invites interested participants to attend two public guest lectures.

During this workshop, participants learned how to prepare a traditional bonfire, make festive decorations, create flower crowns, and prepare traditional Midsummer dishes.

Launching the “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027” programme initiative “Salmon Song”, a public discussion titled “Spawning is not a buffet” took place on Saturday, 25 April, in Kuldīga. The event brought together members of the public and industry representatives to draw attention to the critical state of salmon populations and related environmental issues.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation (Liepāja 2027), in collaboration with RTU Liepāja Academy, has launched a new lifelong learning course titled “5 Steps to a Good Event”.

The workshops will take place at the Liepāja Folk Applied Arts Studios “Zītars” and “Liepava” (Dārza iela 4/8, Liepāja) and will be led by experienced master craftsmen.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation has launched an open invitation for farms and households within the Liepāja, South Kurzeme, and Kuldīga municipalities to participate in a specialised masterclass cycle titled “Midsummer on the Farm”.

The Liepāja 2027 Foundation (Liepāja 2027), in collaboration with RTU Liepāja Academy, has launched a new lifelong learning course titled “5 Steps to a Good Event”.

From December 3 to 12, the CreArt Contemporary Art in Schools project continued at Liepāja Piemares Primary School. During the workshops led by artist Maija Demitere, students gained hands-on experience in photography, digital image editing, and printing techniques.

To help applicants prepare their project proposals for the cultural tourism competition “Land of (Un)rest, Tell Us Stories!”, the Liepāja 2027 Foundation (Liepāja 2027) invites interested parties to an informative seminar on Monday, 10 November, at 16:00 in the Great Hall of the South Kurzeme Regional Council (Lielā iela 54, Grobiņa).

On 9 September 2025 at 14:00, the Liepāja 2027 Foundation opens its doors at Dārza Street 4/8 and welcomes all to the masterclass “Eco-design in Events” led by researcher Kitija Balcare, Ph.D. (c.), who will guide us through the art of designing with responsibility.