An International Learning Programme on Poetic Documentary Heritage to Take Place in Kuldīga this September

From 24 to 30 September 2025, an international learning programme (Blended Intensive Programme – BIP) “A Journey into Poetic Documentary Heritage” will be held in Kuldīga and Riga, coordinated by the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) in cooperation with partners from Spain (Universidad Francisco de Vitoria) and Portugal (Instituto Politécnico de Santarém). The programme is implemented within the framework of the ACE²-EU European University Alliance.

The programme aims to develop students’ creative, technical, and collaborative skills by exploring the principles of poetic documentary filmmaking to create contemporary perspectives on places and people – meaningfully reflecting cultural heritage, local communities, and diverse social contexts. Participants – students from several European countries – will work in international teams, engaging in multimodal storytelling (photography, poetic documentary, digital editing), while deepening their understanding of documentary film traditions. The programme combines theoretical lectures with hands-on work in creative masterclasses.

The programme will be led and mentored by LAC lecturers Andrejs Verhoustinskis, Daiga Livčāne, and Uldis Jancis, in collaboration with colleagues from Spain and Portugal. Significant cooperation will also take place with external partners: the creative company Story Hub, the Department of Culture of Kuldīga Municipality, and the association Viena diena.lv, all providing professional expertise and local context.

The programme invites students with prior knowledge in photography and audiovisual arts to gain an in-depth insight into the tradition of poetic documentary filmmaking. Within an international team and the creative environment of a plenary workshop, students will create their own contemporary “Kuldīga Frescoes” – through audiovisual storytelling, the language of poetic documentary, and today’s perspective.

The programme includes: online preparatory sessions (17 and 22 September), on-site workshops in Latvia (24–30 September), online final reflections and evaluation discussions (14 and 16 October). 
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For more information about the ACE²-EU Alliance and planned activities, visit: https://www.ace2eu.eu/

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project 101177596. The ACE²-EU project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.