Go back Professionals from the cultural sector are invited to a two-day workshop in Liepāja
16.02.2023.
Unweirding the experimental art // “But what does it mean?”
A two-day audience development lab on how to make contemporary art more accessible in the regions
The creative team of the Riga Circus international project “Circus for Climate” invites professionals from the cultural sector of Latvia’s regions to apply for a two-day workshop on March 7 and 8, 2023 in the Concert Hall “Great Amber” (Liepaja).
The main goal of this workshop is to find methods to make contemporary and experimental art more comprehensible and accessible to Latvian society and different age groups of cultural consumers in Latvian regions.
During the workshop, different ways of achieving this goal will be discussed together, for example:
- what actions are already being taken and what can still be done to reach new target audience groups in Latvian regions;
- how to present and what methods to use to address the chosen target audience, in order to make experimental and contemporary art more accessible and understandable among the target audience;
- what ‘sustainability’ means in the field of art and how art can serve as a powerful tool for change – both on a local and a global scale.
The leaders of the workshop will be contemporary dance and circus artists of the Norwegian circus artist company “Acting for Climate”: dancer Amund Bentsen (Denmark) and contemporary circus artists Emma Langmoen (Norway), Abigael Winsvold (Norway) and Michele De Riu (Italy). The methods developed by them will also be complemented by guest lecturers from Latvia – culture producer and chairman of the board of the INITIUM foundation Ieva Niedre, visual art and performance artist Anda Lāce, and director and dramaturg Jānis Balodis, in order to promote the richness of the exchange of experiences and update the topics directly related to Latvia in these matters.
Professionals and employees of the cultural sector – producers, project managers and coordinators, curators, representatives of cultural residences, cultural houses, centers, institutions and organizations, as well as other employees of the cultural sector, who mostly carry out their activities in the regions of Latvia on a daily basis, are invited to participate in the workshop.
The aim of the “Acting for Climate” artists is to create an open space for discussions during the workshop in order to promote the mutual exchange of experiences of industry professionals and jointly develop practical methods that the participants can apply in their activities in the future.
Practical information:
– Participation in the workshop is free.
– Participants must be available for both days of the workshop. Participation in only one of the days is not possible.
– Working languages of the workshop: English and Latvian.
– The number of places in the workshop is limited.
– Organizers will provide participants with free lunch and coffee breaks.
– Transportation reimbursement available to participants.
– At the end of the workshop, certificates will be issued, certifying the participant’s successful participation.
Application until March 2, 2023
What will Acting for Climate contribute to the workshop?
Since their start in 2014, performing arts company Acting for Climate (NO) has developed methods for co-creation and combining political themes with performing arts. They work experimentally, often site-specifically, and often in rural areas, and a key building stone in their methodology is facilitating workshops. Acting for Climate will both share some of their experience and tools of working with these topics, as well as use their workshop methodology to together find solutions and let creativity and initiatives flourish. They believe in the “work” of the word workshop, so, in addition to keynote speakers and inspirational examples – be prepared to take active part in the talks and share your experience.
Riga Circus and Acting for Climate will also share key takeaways from their collaboration in the Circus for Climate project, and their experience on working with youngsters and in rural areas in Latvia, through the project.
About Acting for Climate
The aim of performing arts company Acting for Climate (NO) is to use art to inspire people to act for a more sustainable future.
They create and tour their own performances, and are a growing international network of people, artists and activists that nurture collaboration for sustainability. Fueled by the drive to change the world, they always aim to choose the most sustainable way, and to “walk the talk”.
Acting for Climate believes that both the process and the product are political. They deal with sustainability both as a theme and the way they approach things, like touring with sail ships and bikes, and collaborating with climate scientists in their artistic processes.
Through their workshops and international collaboration projects, they aim to inspire and empower artists and people to take action, exchange knowledge, question the norms and make each other stronger.
They constantly aim to develop the art field and inspire change in society as a whole.
The project has been created with the support of the European Economic Area (EEA) Grants Financial Mechanism funding period 2014. – 2021. programme “Local Development, Poverty Reduction, and Cultural Cooperation” open call “Support for the Creation of Professional Art and Cultural Products for Children and Youth”.
The project’s total eligible costs are 231 636 euros. The project Nr.EEZ/2021/1/16 “Circus for Climate” created by SLLC “Rīgas cirks” in collaboration with “Acting for Climate” benefits from a financing of 196 890.65 euros from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway EEA Grants and 34 745.42 euros from national co-financing. The project’s realisation period is from 1 March 2022 until 31 July 2023.
More about the project HERE
More information about the EEA Grants Financial Mechanism can be found HERE
