Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate
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2. Although <strong>Riga</strong> and Umeå are separated by the expanse <strong>of</strong>the sea, as <strong>2014</strong> approaches, both cities have agreed to builda bridge uniting the cities. This bridge will create the feeling <strong>of</strong> 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. <strong>Riga</strong> and Umeå will build a virtualbridge “Digital Mirrors” using the on-line opportunities <strong>of</strong>fered bythe newest technology <strong>of</strong> ‘two screen discussions’. Thus, throughscreens somewhere in <strong>Riga</strong> and Umeå, people will be able tomake direct contact with one another. Some <strong>of</strong> the ideas for“Digital Mirrors”:• song ‘wars’ between choirs in <strong>Riga</strong> and Umeå;• broadcast from the Latvian National Opera or other <strong>Riga</strong> <strong>2014</strong>festive events, to Umeå and vice versa;• ‘Greetings <strong>of</strong> light’ marathon by people during the Festival <strong>of</strong>Light in both cities;• projects “<strong>Riga</strong> Sings a Lullaby To Umeå”, a game for hockeyfans “Let’s play hockey!” and others.3. There is great interest in cooperation between the “Festivals<strong>of</strong> Light” in <strong>Riga</strong> and Umeå. These are joyous and widely attendedfestivals in both cities, taking into account the nuances <strong>of</strong> climaticzones and dark winter time. The “Festival <strong>of</strong> Light” takes place inNovember, both in <strong>Riga</strong> and Umea. During that time the followingis planned:• an exchange <strong>of</strong> lanterns made by children;• an exchange <strong>of</strong> the most striking light projects developed bystudents;• on-line exchange with multi-media projects during the festival.4. <strong>Riga</strong>’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 with<strong>2014</strong>. <strong>Riga</strong>’s Central Library is ready to prepare a broad exhibitionabout the connections <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong> 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 aspect<strong>of</strong> the theme <strong>of</strong> 100 years since the 1 st World War);• an exhibition by <strong>Riga</strong>’s photographer, Inta Ruka, about thepeople <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>.riga and lund<strong>Riga</strong> and Lund are the No.1 choir cities in their countries. Everycouple <strong>of</strong> years <strong>Riga</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> Lund choirs is also enlarged by the SouthernSweden Latvian choir, because most <strong>of</strong> the exiled Latvians inSweden live in this particular part <strong>of</strong> the country. Expanded cooperation<strong>of</strong> the choirs in both cities is planned within the aspect<strong>of</strong> the <strong>European</strong> dimension:This is the participation <strong>of</strong> choirs from Lund and <strong>Riga</strong> at <strong>European</strong>level Song festivals – in the creative work forum in the area <strong>of</strong> choralmusic “Music Inspiration Landscape”. Similarly, the best choirfrom Lund will be invited to the World Choir Olympics <strong>2014</strong> in <strong>Riga</strong>(2012 is the year <strong>of</strong> approval for <strong>Riga</strong>’s candidacy).2. Lund’s scientific centres have good cooperation with theInstitute <strong>of</strong> Solid State Physics in Latvia. Several artists in <strong>Riga</strong>have developed good cooperation with the physics institute, creatingoriginal art projects, for example, dust enterprises with thehelp <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> scientistsand artists and to promote project exchanges. Gints Gabrāns,Voldemārs Johansons, Ēriks Božis are some <strong>of</strong> the Latvian artiststhat have already proved themselves in this area.• Cooperation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong> and Lund science fiction film festivals inthis aspect.3. Lund has expressed its wish to cooperate with <strong>Riga</strong> in the traditionalcuisine presentation in the form <strong>of</strong> ‘high art’ within theframework <strong>of</strong> the <strong>2014</strong> project. The “Slow-food Latvia” associationis ready to be involved with its idea propositions in this projectwhich means:• exchange between chefs <strong>of</strong> both cities and the teams <strong>of</strong> thebest culinary students, with the idea that in <strong>2014</strong> and after, restaurantmenus in the other city will <strong>of</strong>fer either a Latvian or Swedishtraditional dish in the sense <strong>of</strong> ‘high art’;• garden festivals organised within the framework <strong>of</strong> exchange,for those inhabitants <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> societyabout historical cooperation links. Taking into account that historicalfacts are not widely known, particularly amongst youngpeople in Lund, the project with <strong>Riga</strong> “Good old Swedish times”could serve as a revelation to many representatives <strong>of</strong> society:• <strong>Riga</strong>’s mobile exhibition about <strong>Riga</strong>-Sweden connections;• cooperation <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong> and Lund school orchestras in the jointmusical project “Swedish Times”;• this project also allows for the incorporation <strong>of</strong> the commonpaths in the aspect <strong>of</strong> the Amber route: in <strong>2014</strong> it is planned toopen an Archaeology Museum in Lund, in which the involvement<strong>of</strong> both cities in the ancient Amber route could be on the agenda,as well as cooperation projects <strong>of</strong> <strong>Riga</strong>’s “New Amber Route”.5. In <strong>Riga</strong> and Latvia overall there are highly developed amateurart movement principles, as well as a national support systemfor the amateur movement. <strong>Riga</strong> and Lund have considered theexchange <strong>of</strong> experience in this area:• In both cities annual night-time events take place for promotingcultural activities – in Lund this is the “Night <strong>of</strong> <strong>Culture</strong>” – a24 hour marathon <strong>of</strong> amateur art events, in turn in <strong>Riga</strong> this isthe contemporary art event “White Nights”, which is included inthe Paris initiated “White Nights” festival network. <strong>Riga</strong> and Lundwill promote direct contacts with citizens through the exchange<strong>of</strong> representatives from the amateur movement and non-governmentalorganisations.6. The so-called ‘brain drain’ is a social phenomenon, encounterednot just by the new <strong>European</strong> countries but the <strong>European</strong>continent as a whole. <strong>Riga</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> departed city dwellers to the city, both in an indirectmanner and through the manner <strong>of</strong> ‘guest shows’ and‘homecoming’:• <strong>Riga</strong> and Lund are planning joint seminars. <strong>Riga</strong> will share itsexperience about its initiative in the <strong>European</strong> project “Creative<strong>Capital</strong> Cities”, with the aim <strong>of</strong> creating an effective long-term supportpolicy in the creative industry sector.7. In the event <strong>of</strong> their candidacies being approved, <strong>Riga</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> a voluntary programme inassociation with EVS (<strong>European</strong> Voluntary Service).126 127