Research conference of the Latvian Academy of Culture "Culture Crossroads XII" taking place from November 1 till November 4, 2018
For 3 days in the autumn of 2018 the Latvian Academy of Culture is organising the 12th research conference in the field of culture and arts „Culture Crossroads XII”, which will incorporate several unique events. In the focus of the conference „Culture Crossroads XII” is the celebration of Latvia’s centenary, which is why the subheading of the conference this year is “Birth, celebration and feasting in culture” or BEST WISHES! Visitors of the conference will have the opportunity to hear more than 80 presentations by researchers and practitioners both from Latvia and other countries, such as, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia and Poland, which once again affirms the thematic scope and international dimension of the conference “Culture Crossroads”.
The first event in the framework of the research conference "Culture Crossroads XII" will take place already on October 29 at the National Library of Latvia with the opening event for the collective monograph "The Song and Dance Festival. The Anatomy of Tradition" (research editors Rūta Muktupāvela and Anda Laķe). This monograph is the result of the four-year long national research project HABITUS. It comprises research articles on various aspects of tradition such as the social impact, the legal framework, the symbolic significance, the role of artistic directors, education, economic impact, everyday daily practices, etc.
Thursday, November 1, from 9:00 till 15:00 at the main hall of the Latvian Academy of Culture (24 Ludzas Street) – The Plenary Session of the conference “Culture Crossroads XII”
The Plenary Session this year will feature reflections, research data and experience stories by researchers and practitioners from different areas of culture and arts. Collectively these presentations will reveal the various symbolic, ceremonial and emotional manifestations of anniversaries and other celebrations in Latvian culture. The session will be launched by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia Dace Melbārde. After the opening speech visitors will have the opportunity to hear professor of the Erasmus University Rotterdam in the field of cultural economics Arjo Klamer. The first part of the plenary session will also feature speeches by the head of the National Film Centre of Latvia Dita Rietuma (How Latvian cinema celebrates the centenary?), top manager of international culture projects Diāna Čivle (How we celebrate and why do we do it? From Riga-800 to Latvia-100), the author behind the idea of the play „The Birthday of Tanya” Deniss Hanovs (To taste the prohibited: memories of another kind and the play „The Birthday of Tanya”), members of the theatre troupe KVADRIFONS Reinis Boters, Klāvs Mellis and Evarts Melnalksnis (the creation and functioning of KVADRIFONS) and the literary scholar and professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture Raimonds Briedis. Part two of the plenary session will include speeches by Astra Spalvēna on the evolution of potato salad or rasol in the period of one hundred years, the head of the Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia Edgars Vērpe, who will also solemnly unveil the [money] pots, Rita Treija on the theme of festivities in the archives of Latvian folklore, Harijs Tumans on wine, joy and feasts in Ancient Greece, as well as Rūdolfs Kugrēns with his stand-up „Joy”. The second part of the plenary session will conclude with audience members visiting the different departments of the Latvian Academy of Culture with their professors and alumni illustrating the theme of the plenary session in a form of self-ironical performances. The plenary session will be streamed live on the web page of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
The third part of the plenary session will be organized by the Student Council of the Latvian Academy of Culture, who are inviting everyone to take part in the Autumn Festival. The event will start at 15:00 with a crafts market in the inner courtyard and will continue in the garden at 16:00 with various activities and tasks. All students of the Latvian Academy of Culture are invited to apply for participation in the festival by creating teams of four people and filling out the application form: https://ej.uz/rudenssvetki.
Friday, November 2, from 9:30 till 17:50 at the Theatre House of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Zirgu Pasts” (46 Dzirnavu Street) – The Break-out Sessions of the conference “Culture Crossroads XII”
The day of the break-out sessions will be divided into eight thematic sections: 1) Cultural Heritage and Memory Institutions; 2) Creative Industries and Culture Management; 3) Sociology of Arts and Culture, Cultural Policy, Communication of Culture in Media; 4) Cultural and Intercultural Communication and the Significance of Language in Culture; 5) Visual Art; 6) Audiovisual and Performing Arts; 7) Folkloristic, Ethnology, Archaeology and Cultural Anthropology; 8) Literature and Translation
Saturday, November 3, from 9:30 till 17:00 at the Theatre House of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Zirgu Pasts” (46 Dzirnavu Street) – The academically-creative Symposium “The whole world’s a bottle… the phenomenon of intoxication in Latvian culture”.
The concluding event of the conference promises to be a captivating academically-creative event that will include presentations and artistic performances, as well as discussions on the theme of intoxication, which seems such a trivial topic that its sheer research and analytical potential has so far gone unnoticed. Latvians intoxicate themselves a lot - in folklore, in history, in literature, in visual arts, in theatre, politics and even in the church. And they do it with pride, as the whole world’s a bottle for them. Ten well-known experts, researchers and creative personalities in the field of arts and culture will look upon this phenomenon from different points of view. Among the presenters will be Juris Urtāns, Ineta Lipša, Raimonds Briedis, Ilze Jansone, Aivars Eipurs, Šelda Puķīte, Vents Sīlis, Jānis Joņevs and others.
The programme of the conference:
The conference "Culture Crossroads XII" is organized by the Research Centre of the Latvian Academy of Culture. These three days of conference promises to include heated debates and intensive communication among researchers and practitioners, as well as professors and students of different higher education institutions in Latvia with each of them presenting their own view and ideas on the topical creative processes in the field of arts and culture. With its 12th edition the conference „Culture Crossroads” has gained a special status among presenters and participants with its interdisciplinary programme, which is attractive as much to students and professors of the Latvian Academy of Culture, as to experienced researchers and practitioners in the field of arts and culture. Each year the programme also enables the Research Centre of the Latvian Academy of Culture to reach the goal of conference, which is to develop a communicative platform for the approbation of the latest research achievements in the field of culture and arts, to expand theoretical and methodological approaches with emphasis on the potential of a variety of disciplines and interdisciplinarity, to encourage academic discussion and to share innovative ideas.
Live streaming of the Plenary Session of conference “Culture Crossroads XII” on November 1 and the academically-creative symposium “The whole world’s a bottle… the phenomenon of intoxication in Latvian culture” on November 3 are both financially supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF).
Entrance to all events is free of charge.