The 2nd International Professional Doctoral Summer School in Stāmeriena Has Successfully Concluded
From August 18 to 22, the 2nd International Professional Doctoral Summer School took place in Stāmeriena (Gulbene Municipality), focusing on artistic research in music, film, performing arts, and interdisciplinary studies. The summer school was organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC), the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LAMT), and the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EAMT), in collaboration with Stāmeriena Palace. Nineteen doctoral students from the participating universities took part: 11 from LAMT, 6 from the joint professional doctoral study program Arts (run by the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, the Latvian Academy of Culture and the Art Academy of Latvia), and 2 from EAMT.
The aim of the summer school was to support the professional growth of Baltic doctoral students: strengthen methodological and theoretical foundations of artistic research, promote international and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and practices, encourage networking and future collaboration among Baltic doctoral students and create space for public engagement and dialogue around artistic research. Another key goal was to unite doctoral students from all three Baltic arts academies in a joint project for the first time, thereby strengthening also inter-institutional collaboration – a goal that was successfully achieved and is expected to continue in future projects.
The program featured lectures, workshops, individual and group mentoring sessions, and evening cultural program at Stāmeriena Palace (including research presentations, a film program curated by the lecturers, and a joint evening of free musical improvisation by both lecturers and students).
The lecturers and mentors were experienced representatives of various artistic fields, all engaged in or closely connected to artistic research and pedagogy. The program was curated byProf. Dr. Dāvis Sīmanis (LAC) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramunė Balevičiūtė (LAMT), who also served as mentors.
The academic program unfolded as follows:
- On the first day, Dr. Rachel Garfield (United Kingdom) delivered an introductory lecture on challenges of developing a doctoral thesis through artistic research approaches.
- The second day, led by Dr. Ondřej Vavrečka (Czech Republic), focused on montage techniques and the symbiosis between artistic disciplines.
- On the third day, Dr. Theodore Lee Parker (Estonia/USA) explored improvisation techniques in artistic research.
- The fourth day featured Dr. Annette Arlander (Finland), who introduced her interdisciplinary research practices and methods.
- On the final day, Dr. Kersti Grunditz Brennan (Sweden/Belgium) presented collaborative practices and co-authorship in artistic creation.
Participants noted that, although not all lectures were directly aligned with every discipline, the content was carefully designed to be applicable across fields. One challenge lay in the varying stages of research among the students – some were close to completing their dissertations, while others were just beginning their doctoral studies. Nevertheless, all participants gained valuable insights and inspiration for their research.
An important component of the program was the mentoring sessions. Doctoral students could book individual or group meetings with the lecturers to discuss their research, receive feedback, and get recommendations for further development. Many participants highlighted this as the most significant benefit of the summer school.
Informal discussions and networking were also highly valued. Building on lessons learned from the previous year, the organizers included time for research presentations, creative collaboration, and informal exchanges. This fostered idea-sharing and connections among participants with similar research directions. Ultimately, the summer school succeeded in creating a strong sense of community and mutual support, which is expected to lead to ongoing communication, collaboration, and new projects.
As participants wrote in their evaluations:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone working towards a PhD in the arts!”
“The five day stay at Stāmeriena Palace was a great journey with lecturers who share a great passion of expanding the symbiosis of science and art. The time together with other doctoral students was a great source of inspiration and encouragement – not only to share and believe in your work, but also to expand our minds mind into not being afraid to create something together.”
The International Doctoral Summer School was organized as an Erasmus+ BIP (Blended Intensive Program) project and was co-financed by the Latvian Academy of Culture, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, the Estonian Doctoral School, the European Union ERASMUS+ and the EU Social Fund programmes, the State Culture Capital Foundation, and Stāmeriena Palace.
Information prepared by:
Kristīne Freiberga
Head of the Production and Marketing Department
Latvian Academy of Culture
kristine.freiberga@lka.edu.lv
+371 29939915
