The international intensive study program organized by Latvian Academy of Culture, “In Contact In / Interactive Body” has been completed
From September 14 to 21, the third stage of the international BIP (Blended Intensive Program) program "Interactive Body" took place in Stāmeriena and Riga under the title "In Contact In" was held in Stāmeriena and Riga, with the participation of master's program students and lecturers from the Latvian Academy of Culture's Audiovisual and Performing Arts Program, Contemporary Dance Specialization, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, Tallinn University's Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (Estonia), and four Italian universities — Saint Louis College of Music, Accademia Nazionale di Danza, ISIA Roma Design, and Rome University of Fine Arts.
The first two stages of this two-year program were implemented in Tallinn and Vilnius, while the final, fourth session is planned for February 2026 in Rome.
The aim of the Latvian stage of "In Contact In / Interactive Body" was to develop and expand the artistic practice of master's students, as well as to learn, experiment and promote international cooperation in the future together with partners from other countries.
The content of the intensive program's Latvian stage was designed with the aim of developing and expanding the creative practice of both dance students and students from other fields. Special attention was paid to the kinesthetic awareness of the body and mutual cooperation in contact with a partner, group, and the surrounding environment and cultural heritage, emphasizing the artist's responsibility and the power of art as a form of activism in issues of social well-being, ecology, and sustainability.
Through practical work, under the guidance of Latvian Academy of Culture teaching staff and experts, students in an intensive seven-day program learned about, mastered, and researched various forms of artistic practice, where contact improvisation and improvisation, somatic practices, voice and human interaction with nature were the guiding themes of the masterclasses, artistic creativity experiments and self-development.
The masterclasses and creative practice sessions were led by Ramona Galkina, Ilze Zīriņa and Olga Žitluhina, contemporary dance professors at the Latvian Academy of Culture, as well as Latvian performing arts professionals Krista Burāne, Lilija, Edgars and Dzintars Lipors, with the participation of professors Marco Vallarino and Vinicio Colella from Italy and Oksana Tralla-Anger from Estonia.
The special venue for "In Contact In / Interactive Body" - Stāmeriena Palace and its surrounding nature and landscape, as well as the mutual trust and friendly and supportive atmosphere among the participants, allowed them to gain new knowledge, skills and valuable professional experience, as well as friends and creative like-minded people.
BIP "In Contact In / Interactive Body" is organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture. The program is funded by Erasmus+ and supported by Stāmeriena Palace.
