The Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies (IACS) of the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) is one of the most dynamic research institutions in the humanities and social sciences in Latvia, fostering an interdisciplinary approach to the study of cultural processes, the arts and the creative sector. Its recent growth is reflected in the rapid expansion of research projects, the number of scientists involved, and the volume of competitive funding attracted. This development has been driven by targeted support for recruiting outstanding researchers and building multi-generational research teams in the institute’s priority fields. Research is carried out in close cooperation with the cultural and creative industries sector: researchers identify development barriers, highlight opportunities and challenges, and propose solutions for cultural policy-makers and related public policy sectors.
LAC has become one of the first 12 scientific institutions to become a Member of researchLatvia, or the messenger of Latvian science. This recognition by the researchLatvia platform created by the Ministry of Education and Science demonstrates the university's significant contribution to the development of Latvian science.
Between 2019 and 2024, IACS implemented more than one hundred research projects of various scales, while the institute’s external funding increased sixfold. This demonstrates strategic institutional development, purposeful planning of research directions and the capacity to deliver high-impact projects at national and global levels. The institute has generated new knowledge on contemporary cultural practices – especially in the context of social and security crises – as well as their economic and social effects; the role of culture and the arts in strengthening belonging and reducing inequality; the conditions shaping cultural heritage transmission; employment and entrepreneurship processes in the creative industries and beyond; and the transformation and development challenges in audiovisual arts, theatre and dance.
IACS researchers conduct both fundamental and applied studies in culture and the arts, making a significant contribution to cultural policy development, cultural accessibility and participation, heritage preservation practices, the work of museums and memory institutions, the growth of the creative industries, employment trends and the analysis of the digital platform economy. Research results produced at LAC are used in public administration – including by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Science – as well as by municipalities, cultural and arts institutions and international cooperation networks such as UNESCO.
The institute’s global impact continues to grow through participation in Horizon Europe and other international research consortia. In addition, membership in the ACE²-EU European University Alliance ensures the transfer of innovative, internationally validated research methods and strengthens the visibility of Latvian scholarship within the European Research Area. A key platform for research communication is the institute’s international journal “Culture Crossroads”, indexed in Scopus, which disseminates research outcomes to the global academic community.
IACS is committed to developing a citizen-science approach, making research processes more open and accessible to society. Projects such as the national research programme “Latvian Culture as a Resource for State Development”, the project “Latvia’s Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for State Resilience and Sustainability” / CERS, the international project “From Sea to Street”, and the impact assessment of Liepāja as the European Capital of Culture integrate public participation as an essential research component, facilitating co-creation of data and deeper understanding of cultural processes.
With a strong focus on researcher development and academic continuity, IACS involves students in both national and international research projects as assistants, co-authors and fieldwork researchers. The professional doctoral programme – jointly implemented by the Latvian Academy of Culture, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music and the Art Academy of Latvia – provides creative professionals with an opportunity to develop artistic and research-based practice at the doctoral level.
The Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies fosters a research environment that is inclusive, interdisciplinary and closely aligned with societal needs. Its studies offer both practical and theoretical contributions to cultural policy development, the strengthening of the cultural ecosystem’s resilience and the advancement of the creative industries, while also creating practice-based solutions and international cooperation models that enhance the competitiveness and visibility of Latvian science.
Video with this month's researchLatvia calendar scientist PhD Baiba Tjarve
