Liepāja 2027 Capacity Building for Cultural Professionals Project Competition Concludes

The project competition initiated by the “Liepāja 2027 Foundation” (Liepāja2027) to support masterclasses aimed at boosting the capacity of cultural and creative professionals has successfully concluded. As a result, 11 masterclasses will be held across Liepāja, South Kurzeme, and Kuldīga between 1 November and 30 April 2025.

Launched in September, the open call encouraged cultural and creative organisations to submit projects that would foster skill-building among creative professionals. The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen the Liepāja 2027 European Capital of Culture programme and the creative industries in the region.

Eva Ciekurze, Board Member of Liepāja 2027, highlighted the competition's importance: “We believe these educational workshops will significantly enhance the quality and variety of cultural processes in the region. Not only will they strengthen organisational capacities, but they will also create new opportunities for international collaboration and interdisciplinary projects. It's particularly rewarding to see the impact extending beyond Liepāja, reaching South Kurzeme and Kuldīga, as well as residential neighbourhoods of Liepāja, geographically placed not in the immediate centre part proximity, areas like Karosta and the Northern Suburbs. These workshops will reach a diverse range of participants—from schoolchildren and amateur theatre groups to professional musicians and artists, ensuring that creative growth and skill-building touch every level of the cultural community. This wide-ranging involvement will help foster a more vibrant and connected cultural landscape across our region.”

A total of 16 applications were received, of which 11 projects were selected for funding. They include:

NGO “Baringtons K2” with their two events in Karosta: Spanish conductor Alicia Garrudo Alamo will provide lessons for the Karosta Music School's brass band, and the NGO team will receive training in event production. Liepāja Dzintars Secondary School theatre “Impulss,” led by Irina Šengelija, will collaborate with France's “Fool's Cap Theatre Company” to conduct workshops on "Movement as a Starting Point; Dance as a Lingua Franca," nurturing young talent. The Municipality of South Kurzeme will organise practical classes in theatre dramaturgy and directing for amateur theatres and artists, employing community and documentary dance methods among amateur theatres and individual regional artists in Aizpute, South Kurzeme region and Kuldīga region. Association “Jaunā mākslas lade” will partner with Estonian artist Tulvi Turo to offer bookbinding workshops under the theme “Book Volume as a Work of Art.” NGO “Sansusi” will focus on enhancing collective cooperation competences. NGO “Austras biedrība” will conduct vocal and guitar masterclasses for songwriters, and NGO “Tālu Skan” will host an immersive (spatial) music residency for producers and composers, in collaboration with international partners. The Kurzeme Creative Industry Development Centre will organise two projects: brass orchestra masterclasses led by renowned conductor Bert Langeler, and a Sustainable Creativity Workshop exploring eco-friendly materials for design students and teachers at the Liepāja Music, Art and Design High School. “Lielais Dzintars” Ltd. will work with Icelandic expert Vigdis Jakobsdottir to train employees of the Concert Hall as well as of Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and Theatre in Cultural Sustainability and Community Engagement.

In total, €16,050 was awarded to the 11 selected projects, with funding allocated for workshop leader remuneration, travel, and accommodation costs as defined in the terms and regulations of the project competition. The awarded projects are intended to build internal capacity for organisations and are not open to the public. Each project was eligible to receive between €500 and €2,000 in funding.

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