Who provides diverse and high-quality cultural content in Latvia, how is it provided, and for whom? How is the cultural offer aligned with what Latvia’s residents expect? How can the value of culture and its contribution to the national economy be measured? What will the future of creative professions look like? Researchers will discuss these questions with industry professionals on 9 September at the National Library of Latvia during the closing conference “Cultural Research for Our Future Choices” of the Ministry of Culture’s State Research Programme project “Latvian Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for National Resilience and Sustainability” / CERS. The conference will be streamed live on the LSM.lv portal.
Are there ways to involve in cultural life those who say they are “not interested in culture”? Should this be done, and why? Does culture merely “consume” public funding, or does it also increase the revenues of businesses and the state? How can talent and outstanding professionals capable of creating high-quality cultural content be “retained” in the sector? Part of the results of the Ministry of Culture’s State Research Programme project CERS consists of 11 policy reports. The conference discussions will continue exploring several of the research topics addressed by CERS, assess the possibilities for implementing conclusions and recommendations based on the collected data, test the potential for transferring new knowledge, and highlight new unknowns. At the conference, some of the researchers’ conclusions and recommendations will be discussed with managers of cultural organisations, national and municipal cultural policy makers, artists, creative industries professionals, and entrepreneurs.
The discussion “Cultural Offer for Everyone – Mission Impossible?” (14:00–15:00) will focus on recommendations for ensuring that residents of different regions of Latvia have access to a comparable range of cultural services that is at the same time diverse, high-quality, and responsive to the cultural needs of different and mutually distinct population groups. The discussion will explore various solutions for how responsibility for access to culture should be shared between the state, municipalities, creative industry entrepreneurs, cultural NGOs, and local communities. The discussion will feature Jolanta Borīte, Director of the Turaida Museum Reserve; Ansis Bērziņš, Chairman of the Talsi Municipality Council; Ilona Rupaine, Board Member of the Embassy of Latgale GORS and Head of the Artistic and Events Department; and entrepreneur Marģers Zeitmanis, founder of the “Zeit” creative quarter. The discussion will be moderated by Anda Laķe, Vice-Rector for Research at the Latvian Academy of Culture and Head of the Institute of Culture and Arts.
The discussion “How Much Is Culture Worth? From Myths to Numbers” (15:30–16:30) will focus on a question that has been debated in the cultural sector for years – how to assess the economic significance of culture and its contribution to Latvia’s economy. The value of culture cannot be expressed solely in economic indicators, yet data make it possible to see much more precisely the place of culture in the economy, the added value it creates, and its links with other sectors of the economy. The data obtained by researchers will serve as the basis for a discussion on what we currently know about the economic impact of culture and how this knowledge can be used in decision-making in cultural policy and other policy areas. The discussion will feature director and producer Arta Ģiga; Sandis Voldiņš, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet; Kristaps Freimanis, Associate Professor at Riga Technical University and Head of the Financial Planning and Analysis Department at JSC “Latvijas valsts meži”; as well as Lienīte Skaraine, Vice-President and Board Member of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chair of the Council of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. The discussion will be moderated by Ieva Zemīte, Associate Professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture and Leading Researcher at the LAC Institute of Culture and Arts.
The third discussion, “The Future of Creative Professions: Freedom to Create, Difficulty Surviving?” (16:30–17:30), will address the employment situation of artists and other creative professionals. What does it mean today to work professionally in a creative field, how can creative freedom be combined with economic stability, and what solutions are needed to ensure that creative work is not only a professional calling but also a sustainable form of employment? The discussion will bring together researchers’ conclusions and industry experience, with contributions from poet and performance artist Agnese Krivade; Guna Zučika, Head of the music company “Every Little Thing” and curator of the “Riga Music Week” conference programme; Anna Sīle, Head of “Dirty Deal Teatro” and Chair of the Board of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations for Contemporary Culture; and Normunds Ozols, Head of the Analytics Service at the Ministry of Economics. The discussion will be moderated by actor Jānis Kronis.
The three discussions will form part of the first day of the CERS closing conference “Cultural Research for Our Future Choices” on 9 September at the National Library of Latvia, Mūkusalas iela 3. During the day, CERS researchers will present the most important data obtained during the project and practical recommendations, and a travelling exhibition will also be opened, presenting in a concise form the most significant research results of the scientific institutions involved in the programme.
The second day of the conference, on 10 September, will take place at the pavilion of the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture (Miera iela 58a), focusing on the project’s academic results and their sustainable impact on the development of science. The programme will include presentations of collective and individual monographs produced within the project, discussions on research into art, music, cultural heritage, archives, and library collections, presentations by doctoral students, as well as conversations with students who became involved in research during the project.
More information about the conference: https://lka.edu.lv/lv/aktuali/jaunumi/kulturas-ministrijas-valsts-petijumu-programmas-projektu-cers-noslegs-konference-kulturas-petnieciba-musu-nakotnes-izvelem/?edit_off
The conference is organised by the Latvian Academy of Culture – the project’s lead partner – in cooperation with the National Library of Latvia, the Art Academy of Latvia, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, and the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. The project “Latvian Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for National Resilience and Sustainability” / CERS (No. VPP-MM-LKRVA-2023/1-0001) is funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia within the State Research Programme “Latvian Culture – a Resource for National Development” (2023–2026). The State Research Programme is administered by the Latvian Council of Science.
