Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

2. Although Riga and Umeå are separated by the expanse ofthe sea, as 2014 approaches, both cities have agreed to builda bridge uniting the cities. This bridge will create the feeling of ahandshake between the inhabitants, will invite people to visit arefined concert in the other city in their slippers or play hockey,without putting their skates on. Riga and Umeå will build a virtualbridge “Digital Mirrors” using the on-line opportunities offered bythe newest technology of ‘two screen discussions’. Thus, throughscreens somewhere in Riga and Umeå, people will be able tomake direct contact with one another. Some of the ideas for“Digital Mirrors”:• song ‘wars’ between choirs in Riga and Umeå;• broadcast from the Latvian National Opera or other Riga 2014festive events, to Umeå and vice versa;• ‘Greetings of light’ marathon by people during the Festival ofLight in both cities;• projects “Riga Sings a Lullaby To Umeå”, a game for hockeyfans “Let’s play hockey!” and others.3. There is great interest in cooperation between the “Festivalsof Light” in Riga and Umeå. These are joyous and widely attendedfestivals in both cities, taking into account the nuances of climaticzones and dark winter time. The “Festival of Light” takes place inNovember, both in Riga and Umea. During that time the followingis planned:• an exchange of lanterns made by children;• an exchange of the most striking light projects developed bystudents;• on-line exchange with multi-media projects during the festival.4. Riga’s Central Library with its 40 branches and Umeå Libraryare very popular among the inhabitants, working in a contemporarymanner and involving various social groups. Both sideshave expressed an interest about cooperation in connection with2014. Riga’s Central Library is ready to prepare a broad exhibitionabout the connections of Riga and Sweden through the centuries.Umeå Library is ready to provide its knowledge and experience inthe newest technology, providing library services to handicappedpeople. Similarly, interest has been expressed about involving thecity readers in joint discussion forums on the library internet sites,as well as about an internet video proposition from jointly organisedevents.5. Potential cooperation projects with Umeå VästerbottensMuseum:• an exhibition for children about freedom and war (in the aspectof the theme of 100 years since the 1 st World War);• an exhibition by Riga’s photographer, Inta Ruka, about thepeople of Riga.riga and lundRiga and Lund are the No.1 choir cities in their countries. Everycouple of years Riga hosts the youth and adult Song and DanceCelebrations, that unite up to 40 000 amateur participants.Prestigious Swedish national-level choir competitions take placein Lund. The fold of Lund choirs is also enlarged by the SouthernSweden Latvian choir, because most of the exiled Latvians inSweden live in this particular part of the country. Expanded cooperationof the choirs in both cities is planned within the aspectof the European dimension:This is the participation of choirs from Lund and Riga at Europeanlevel Song festivals – in the creative work forum in the area of choralmusic “Music Inspiration Landscape”. Similarly, the best choirfrom Lund will be invited to the World Choir Olympics 2014 in Riga(2012 is the year of approval for Riga’s candidacy).2. Lund’s scientific centres have good cooperation with theInstitute of Solid State Physics in Latvia. Several artists in Rigahave developed good cooperation with the physics institute, creatingoriginal art projects, for example, dust enterprises with thehelp of nanotechnology, making people look differently at the environmentaround them and to see it with its surprising structureand atmosphere.project “science & arts & fiction”• The cities have agreed to form further cooperation of scientistsand artists and to promote project exchanges. Gints Gabrāns,Voldemārs Johansons, Ēriks Božis are some of the Latvian artiststhat have already proved themselves in this area.• Cooperation of Riga and Lund science fiction film festivals inthis aspect.3. Lund has expressed its wish to cooperate with Riga in the traditionalcuisine presentation in the form of ‘high art’ within theframework of the 2014 project. The “Slow-food Latvia” associationis ready to be involved with its idea propositions in this projectwhich means:• exchange between chefs of both cities and the teams of thebest culinary students, with the idea that in 2014 and after, restaurantmenus in the other city will offer either a Latvian or Swedishtraditional dish in the sense of ‘high art’;• garden festivals organised within the framework of exchange,for those inhabitants of both cities who can be considered‘honourable’ from an age aspect, and who have probably neverdreamt that their birthdays might be celebrated by the wholecity.4. Contemporary revelations in the consciousness of societyabout historical cooperation links. Taking into account that historicalfacts are not widely known, particularly amongst youngpeople in Lund, the project with Riga “Good old Swedish times”could serve as a revelation to many representatives of society:• Riga’s mobile exhibition about Riga-Sweden connections;• cooperation of Riga and Lund school orchestras in the jointmusical project “Swedish Times”;• this project also allows for the incorporation of the commonpaths in the aspect of the Amber route: in 2014 it is planned toopen an Archaeology Museum in Lund, in which the involvementof both cities in the ancient Amber route could be on the agenda,as well as cooperation projects of Riga’s “New Amber Route”.5. In Riga and Latvia overall there are highly developed amateurart movement principles, as well as a national support systemfor the amateur movement. Riga and Lund have considered theexchange of experience in this area:• In both cities annual night-time events take place for promotingcultural activities – in Lund this is the “Night of Culture” – a24 hour marathon of amateur art events, in turn in Riga this isthe contemporary art event “White Nights”, which is included inthe Paris initiated “White Nights” festival network. Riga and Lundwill promote direct contacts with citizens through the exchangeof representatives from the amateur movement and non-governmentalorganisations.6. The so-called ‘brain drain’ is a social phenomenon, encounterednot just by the new European countries but the Europeancontinent as a whole. Riga and Lund plan to work together onthe project “Brain Drain Gain”, emphasising the need to forma city that is attractive to the inhabitant, create ways to drawthe minds of departed city dwellers to the city, both in an indirectmanner and through the manner of ‘guest shows’ and‘homecoming’:• Riga and Lund are planning joint seminars. Riga will share itsexperience about its initiative in the European project “CreativeCapital Cities”, with the aim of creating an effective long-term supportpolicy in the creative industry sector.7. In the event of their candidacies being approved, Riga andLund have agreed on joint activities in their marketing programmes.The cities have considered plans to develop a team practice andexperience exchange programme for both cities, with membersfrom each team gaining work experience in the other city. Thecities have considered the creation of a voluntary programme inassociation with EVS (European Voluntary Service).126 127