Since 2015 the Latvian Academy of Culture is the member organisation of PLETA – Platform of European Theatre Academies. Gathering 8 Theatre Academies from 8 different countries, PLETA forms a strong “community of practice” that is aware of the latest evolutions in the sector and of the fact that theatre education is aiming at the existing national practice. Via co-productions, the members of PLETA want to explore new ways to give young professionals a broader European orientation.

For the period from June 2016 until August 2018, the platform is supported by the European Commission's framework programme Creative Europe. In 2018, the members of the platform plan to submit a new application for the future activities of PLETA for the period 2018-2022. The activities of the Latvian Academy of Culture in the period 2016-2017 are supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia in the framework of the State Budget for 2016 sub-programme 67.06.00 "The Implementation of the European Community Initiative Projects and Measures".

PLETA aims to develop professional opportunities and artistic co-productions exploring ways how different theatre traditions can effectively converse and contribute to the high quality artistic diversity and creativity of theatre art in Europe. Therefore, PLETA also wants to create a new artistic value out of the interaction between various theatre traditions and specialties. Additionally this will tackle the issue of internationalisation and contribute in a very practical way (“learning by doing” approach) to the capacity building in the CCS for professionals who want to work at the “European level”.

As a member of the PLETA community, the Latvian Academy of Culture can provide professional training and international internship opportunities to the students of theatre art that would not be possible otherwise. The platform also gives an opportunity to evaluate the achievements of the Latvian Academy of Culture in a wider, European context and compare them to other theatre institutions in higher education.

PLETA coordinator at the Latvian Academy of Culture, the Head of the Performing Arts Department -Zane Kreicberga, zane.kreicberga@lka.edu.lv

For more information about PLETA: http://pleta.eu/

PLETA member institutions:

• Maastricht Academy of Performing Arts, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences - coordinating organisation;
• Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts in Helsinki (TeaK);
• The Aleksander Zelwerowicz National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw;
• The Academy of Theatre - Oslo National Academy of the Arts;
• Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding im Prinzregententhe;
• Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema and Sound (RITCS) - School of Arts of the Erasmus University College Brussels;
• Mozarteum University Salzburg, Drama/Direction - Thomas Bernhard Institute;
• The Latvian Academy of Culture

The project is supported by the European Commission's framework programme Creative Europe and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.