Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

poetry mappingUntraditional city mapping, capturingstreets, courtyards, places with poetryand visual image traps.Local poets, musicians, video artists andcomputer programmers will participate inthe project and with the aid of technologyand visualisation they will create a map ofRiga expressed in poetry. It is virtual migrationalong the map of Riga in which thestreets and catchment areas of Riga aremarked out with control points and poetrypath itineraries. All the information on themap is described in poetry, music and videoprojections. The map will be not only inLatvian, but also in Russian and English,thereby making it interesting material thatcould present Riga to guests from abroad.The “Poetry Mapping” aspires to portrayRiga from a different viewpoint, namely,describing in poetical form what is typicalof each street, area and location and alsohighlighting the significance of the placein the context of Riga’s history and culture.“Poetry Mapping” experiments with poetryreading and its perception. If poetry isusually perceived as vertically readabletext, then under this project, the traditionalpoetry form is unravelled and exploredhorizontally.The ‘poetry map’ of Riga will be createdboth in printed and virtual form. Its presentationwill take place as a performance– a virtual map will be projected on a videoscreen with parallel poetry readings (by theauthors of the map’s poetry) taking place.What: Performance.Where: Riga.When: September1 st -14 th , 2014.Concept authors and organisers: IngaBodnarjuka, Artūrs Punte, LatvianAssociation of Writers, text group Orbīta.my catchment area’sgrand concertIf a spectator won’t go to the music, thenthe music will go to the spectator.It is usual that popular open-air musicevents for young adults take place mostlyin the centre and that young adults fromthe catchment areas head for the centre.With the help of the project “My CatchmentArea’s Grand Concert”, it is hoped to ‘shiftthe centre’ by changing the habits of localinhabitants – taking young adults fromZolitūde to Purvciems or to show inhabitantsin the centre that Riga does not stopoutside the centre, to bring the cachmentarea’s to life, which will also be interestingto visitors to the city.“My Catchment Area’s Grand Concert” isplanned as a body of several events – theperformances of popular musicians in thecourtyards of Pļavnieki high-rise blocks,dance music night in Zolitūde, Ķengaragsreggae – anything that might be popularand appealing to young adults in 2014.12 concerts are planned in 12 cachmentarea’s:1. Zolitūde2. Ziepniekkalns3. Imanta4. Purvciems5. Pļavnieki6. Čiekurkalns7. Ilģuciems8. Ķengarags9. Bolderāja10. Mežciems11. Vecmīlgrāvis12. Sarkandaugava.What: Concerts.Where: Catchment areas of Riga.When: May-August.Concept author: “Untitled” Ltd.riga’s islandsand watersThe project presents the opportunityof learning about the more than 40 islandsof Riga that until now have beenlittle known territories, to meet with localinhabitants and hear many storiesfrom the primary source.The project offers an excursion itineraryover several days along the islands of thelower reaches of the Daugava, gettingaround on foot, by bicycle, yacht and otherfloating vessels. At the stopping pointsalong the route participants get to knowthe life of the Daugava islands:• Mangaļsala – fishermen and other watergoers, mode of life, history.• Kundziņa island – community, interpretationof creative history.• Daugavgrīva – sculptors Pauls Jaunzemsand Imants Polis in Vakarbuļļi, a picnicby the Lielupe, swimming in the seaand a look into the wealth of Daugavgrīva’snature reserve, lighthouse, Cometfort;• Daugavgrīva fortress – a look at militaryhistory and its creative interpretation;• Bolderāja – the historical woodenbuildings of Bolderāja, unknown parks,Textile Park, the former Hertvigs – Peitānsworsted production unit; Barracks – riflemen– artists – concerts and an exhibitionin the Bolderāja School of Music and Arts.Parallel to this an information centre is beingopened in the restored netting shed inBolderāja opposite Mīlestības island (Loveisland), which operates as an exhibition halland information centre, organising regulartrips to the island, creative workshops, filmscreenings and exhibitions.Regular excursion routes reveal the industrialheritage of the lower reaches of theDaugava; known and unknown fortificationsalong the Daugava - Mangaļsala,Daugavgrīva, Daugavgrīva fortress, otherfortifications and fortification remains.Military games, exhibitions and concertsare organised.What: Excursions, exhibitions,interdisciplinary events.Where: Islands of Riga.When: July–September.Concept authors and organisers: Bolderājagroup.riga’s hamletThe leading European and Latviandirectors are invited to produce performancesin untraditional playingareas, encompassing the peripheryand linking performances to specificgeographical sites of Riga and thehistorical or social aspect. All invitedartists in cooperation with local artistscarry out a timely study of the city, itsgeography, history, inhabitants andsocial environment, in order to selecta theme and focus for their performance.As a result, instead of “Hamlet”or “The Cherry Orchard”, “Small tragediesof Riga” or “Tales of Bolderāja”will be produced.For spectators, each performance will becomenot just a top-class feast of art butalso a trip around the city, offering newexperiences at different levels both for theexisting theatre audiences and for the widestcircle of inhabitants. This level of newproduction by artists will also attract theinterest of international communities.Example: Romeo Castellucci and SocietasRaffaello Sanzio (Italy) create a show – aninstallation in the water tower of Āgenskalnsor in an abandoned place of worship,Rimini Protokoll (Germany) offer their taleabout Riga’s inhabitants in the Spilve airportbuilding, French acrobats and light artistsfrom the company Trans Express takeup residence at the Daugavgrīva fortressor the forts of Mangaļsala, environmentalartist Kristo is invited to create an environmentallyfriendly installation on Mīlestībasisland (Love Island), but Alvis Hermanis andhis actors inhabit a multi-apartment block inĶengarags with their stories. Parallel to this,several smaller forms of theatre, dance andcircus projects are created.The aim of this project is to achieve maximumcooperation of artists and inhabitants,both in creating performances andproposing them to various parts of the city,cultural centres and parks, attempting toconsolidate the most varied communities,starting with the family, classroom, artistcommunities, the inhabitants of one streetand finishing with society as a whole. Inthis programme, special emphasis wouldbe placed on performing arts such as thetravelling circus, muppet and object theatre,street theatre and dance, as well asinterdisciplinary projects.What: Theatre, circus shows,performances.When: Starting in April.Where: Untraditional performancelocations.Concept authors and organisers: NewTheatre Institute of Latvia.80 81