Youth Civic Participation: Decorative or Authentic? Formal or Meaningful? | Culture Crossroads XIX

On November 5, 2025, the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) will host an international scientific conference “Youth Civic Participation: Decorative or Authentic? Formal or Meaningful?” at the LAC Theatre House “Zirgu pasts” (46 Dzirnavu Street, Riga) and online. The event will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and young people from seven countries to discuss the current trends in youth participation in the 21st century and share the latest research findings in the youth field. 

The conference will address a particularly topical issue in today’s society – whether youth involvement in civic processes is authentic and meaningful, or rather symbolic and formal. Contemporary political, social, and cultural challenges call for a reassessment of the forms and mechanisms of participation and how young people are given opportunities to contribute to decision-making, education, culture, and community life. 

The event will combine academic and practical perspectives, offering a platform for dialogue among researchers, policymakers, youth workers, and young people themselves. Its aim is to foster understanding of how to ensure authentic participation that engages youth not merely as symbolic representatives but as genuine agents of change. 

Conference Programme 

The conference will consist of two main parts. Opening remarks will be delivered by Dāvis Sīmanis, Rector of the Latvian Academy of Culture; Dace Melbārde, Minister of Education and Science; Inga Birzgale, President of the Latvian Youth Council; and Amanda Estere Kraģe, Chair of the LAC Student Council. 

In the morning session, Cristina Bacalso (Canada/Germany), researcher and expert in the fields of youth, policy, and human rights, will outline how the understanding of youth participation in policymaking has evolved over the past forty years and how the concept of “meaningful participation” has become an indicator of democratic quality within European and global political frameworks. Randa Ķeņģe, Head of the Youth Policy Division at the Ministry of Education and Science, will follow with an overview of the trends and challenges in strengthening youth participation within Latvia’s national youth policy. 

Subsequently, the latest LAC research on youth participation will be presented. Research assistants Sabīne Ozola and Laura Brutāne will share the results of a national youth survey conducted within the State Research Programme “Education” project “Preconditions of authentic youth participation in formal and non-formal education”. Youth policy expert and researcher Liene Valdmane will analyse participation practices in schools and communities, exploring effective ways to strengthen democratic culture in education. Senior researcher Baiba Tjarve will discuss the outcomes of the Fundamental and Applied Research Project “Towards Participatory Engagement in Museums: Exploring Museum Education Practices in Latvia”, revealing how participatory principles can transform the operational philosophy of cultural institutions. 

After the break, the conference will continue in three parallel sessions. The on-site session will feature researchers from Latvia, Germany, and the USA, focusing on civic participation in schools, examples of student activism in universities, and mechanisms of youth engagement within Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes. Presentations will also explore models of youth participation in cultural policy, youth involvement in national defence, and examples of art projects as tools for fostering authentic participation. 

The online session will bring together researchers from Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Japan, who will examine youth participation in education and societal transformation processes. Topics will include the civic engagement of Ukrainian migrant children and youth in Poland, youth political agency in Japan, cultural education and game-based formats for strengthening engagement, as well as the legal aspects of civic participation and activism. The session will be held online (Zoom link available here), and the recording will later be accessible on the LAC YouTube channel. On-site participants will have a dedicated room for attending the online presentations. The online session will be moderated by Baiba Tjarve. 

The third parallel session will feature presentations of secondary school students’ research papers analysing youth participation experiences in Latvia. This session will be held in Latvian (no live stream). The discussion with young participants will be moderated by LAC student Valts Valters Kronbergs. The session’s cooperation partner: the State Education Development Agency. 

The day will conclude with the launch of the Latvian translation of Nina Simon’s book “The Participatory Museum”, organised in cooperation with the Baltic Museology Promotion Society. This event will take place in Latvian (no live stream). 

Working language of the conference: English. 

The event will be streamed live on the LAC Facebook and YouTube channels. 

Conference moderator: Vilis Brūveris. 

Registration 

To attend the conference in person, please complete the registration form by October 31 (included): https://forms.office.com/e/yjUCu4bsiQ  

Attendance is free of charge, but seats are limited. 

The conference is organised within the framework of the State Research Programme project “Preconditions of authentic youth participation in formal and non-formal education / UNFRAMED” (No VPP-IZM-Izglītība-2023/6-0002) and the Fundamental and applied research project “Striving Towards Participatory Engagement in Museums: Inquiry into Museum Education Practice in Latvia / MEET” (No lzp-2022/1-0379). 

This event is part of the Latvian Academy of Culture’s international conference series “Cultural Crossroads”, now taking place for the 19th time. 

More information on other events is available at: https://lka.edu.lv/en/featured/news/culture-crossroads-xix-ai-youth-participation-and-cultural-priorities-in-challenging-times/   

For additional information, please contact Sabīne Ozola, Research Assistant, Institute of Culture and Arts, Latvian Academy of Culture: sabine.ozola@lka.edu.lv.