To attain its overarching goal, the study will complete the following objectives:

• Make an inventory of local policy actions aiming to foster the development of CCIs and assess their fit with the ecosystem view of CCIs;
• Analyse the discourses and practices pertaining to aspirations to become a European Capital of Culture as used by policymakers and relevant stakeholders in the case study locations.
• Identify creative intermediaries in the four project locations, develop a typology of creative intermediaries and explicate the various roles that such intermediaries might perform on different scales;
• Explore the network composition and modes of interdependency, as well as outcomes of network activity by creative intermediaries;
• Explore instances of co-creation facilitated by the creative intermediaries (e.g. in the process of developing European Capital of Culture applications);
• Explore the gaps in the networks and the kinds of cultural intermediaries involved in such networks to mutual benefit, how to make the networks more resilient.
• Obtain data on local citizens’ practices of participation in the local participatory civic life in the case study locations;
• Synthesize the data and co-create scenarios of further development of local participatory civic  life in the case study locations;
• Disseminate the research in its various formats to relevant stakeholders, academic and non-academic, domestic, and international;
• Foster capacity-building of project participants with regard to scholarly article writing, translation of research into teaching and other relevant issues.

Ieva Zemīte (Project Leader)

Ilona Kunda (Lead project participant)

Agnese Hermane (Project participant)

Baiba Tjarve (Project participant)

Anda Laķe (Project participant)

Ilona Asare (Student project participant)

Žanete Eglīte (Student project participant)

Ance Kristāla (Student project participant)

Una Bluķe (Student project participant)

Asnāte Kalēja (Student project participant)

WP1 Identifying local Cultural and Creative Sector policies and their outcomes

WP Leader: Ilona Kunda, Dr.sc.soc.

WP methodology and implementation: desk study of cultural policies in the case study cities, exploring the background of presented rationales and underlying assumptions on the role of creative industries and civic participation, as well as practical measures promoting increased opportunities for networking and interaction. A special emphasis will be laid on examining the first stage applications for the European Capital of Culture in 2027, and the reconstruction of the level of civic involvement in its development. The desk study will be supplemented with semi-structured interviews with local authority representatives and key stakeholders.

WP outcome:  Key similarities and differences identified; possible creative intermediary candidates identified.

WP2 Developing typology of creative intermediaries

WP Leader: Ieva Zemīte, Dr.oec.

WP methodology and implementation: media monitoring and content analysis of local media outlets in the previous two years to establish key individuals and institutions involved in major local cultural and creative initiatives across industries and networks; semi-structured qualitative interviews with prospective creative intermediaries in all four case study locations to identify their motivations, networks (scope, openness, diversity), and views on civic involvement traits in the given location. Analysis and first stage of synthesis: developing a typology of creative intermediaries and their roles and practices, as well as gaps in their networks and opportunities to make these more open and resilient.

WP outcome: Theoretical understanding of the range of types and roles of creative intermediaries enhanced.

WP3 Mapping creative city-relevant practices of local population

WP Leader: Ilona Kunda, Dr.sc.soc.

WP methodology and implementation: The work package includes two interrelated strands. First, as the case study cities will be developing their second-stage applications for the European Capital of Culture, the concurrent processes will present opportunities for semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation, examining possible instances of co-creation of ideas for the applications. Second, to acquire a broader background on civic practices of participation in the life of their respective cities, an Internet-based population survey will be conducted, focussing on opinions and importance of participation, as well as perception of obstacles and enhancing factors, including the practices of key individuals (creative intermediaries). The implementation of the survey will be outsourced to a reputable company with a national network of informants. In addition, the survey data will be viewed in conjunction with the population survey data from the previous project (CRISP) asking about the attraction factors of small cities in Latvia, especially as related to cultural amenities and meeting places.

WP outcome: Enhanced understanding of the civic culture of aspiring creative cities, theoretical development of the concept.

WP4 Synthesis and co-creation of conclusions

WP Leader: Ieva Zemīte, Dr.oec.

WP methodology and implementation: a series of researcher seminars to work on the ideas that have been identified in the research project; a series of co-creation labs involving the creative intermediaries identified the project and local decision makers, to further develop the applications of the project’s ideas on the role of creative intermediaries, networking, diversity, participation and civic activity. As the result, new initiatives and new visions for the development of local cultural, creative and civic life may be developed.

WP outcomes: project results validated, enhanced and fed into the discourses and practices of case study location stakeholder ecosystems.

WP5 Communication, dissemination and capacity-building

WP Leader: Ieva Zemīte, Dr.oec.

WP methodology and implementation: project researcher group discussions with stakeholders; a combination of activities targeting multiple publics through existing LAC social media feeds and webpage, and special events (conference, co-creation labs) and popular articles in the case study location media outlets. Study data incorporated in the course material on creative industries (BA and MA level) of the LAC. Scientific communication to domestic and international audiences via conference papers and research articles, which will be a crucial focus towards the end of the project. Capacity-building of the researcher group through regular theory-and-methodology seminars, as well as paper writing retreats (combined with field-work trips to case study locations).

Academy students collaborate with researchers to create a lecture video series 

20.12.2024 

On December 14, 2024, a filming session took place, the videos of which will be used as a lecture by academy students. Several current topics were discussed: Una Bluķe spoke about the role of culture in promoting well-being, Ieva Zemīte addressed the challenges of identifying cultural resources, while Agnese Hermane and Ilona Kunda explained the concept of creative cities. Ilona Kunda and Ieva Zemīte analyzed the role of creative intermediaries, and Žanete Eglīte and Asnāte Kalēja explored the impact of the digital environment on cities, focusing on so-called Zoom cities.   

The filming was carried out by students of the Latvian Academy of Culture, providing them with valuable experience in audiovisual content creation. 

Ieva Zemīte and Ilona Kunda visit "Kultūras Rondo" 

19.12.2024 

On November 19, leading researchers from the LKA Institute of Culture and Arts, Ieva Zemīte and Ilona Kunda, visited the Latvian Radio 1 program Kultūras Rondo. They discussed their research project, Revisiting the Creative City Concept: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions (RePrint), exploring how the creative industries ecosystem develops and how to identify and seize opportunities in "small creative cities." They also highlighted the role of creative intermediaries in fostering a city's creative potential. 

A recording of the broadcast is available here

Presentations of Results in Rūjiena and Jūrmala 

16.10.2024. 

On October 16-17, LKA Institute of Culture and Arts researchers Ilona Asare, Ance Kristāla, and lead researcher Ilona Kunda introduced professionals and researchers from the creative sector to the findings of the FLPP project Revisiting the Creative City Concept: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint in two Latvian cities—Rūjiena and Jūrmala. 

The Valmiera Cultural Forum, hosted in Rūjiena this year, provided an opportunity for cultural sector professionals from the region to engage with contemporary perspectives on creative city development. In Jūrmala, the presentation was organized in connection with a cultural leadership program. 

Both events offered recommendations on how creativity shapes the cultural landscapes of significant cultural hubs like Jūrmala and Valmiera, emphasizing its role in improving urban life quality, fostering innovation, and driving overall cultural sector growth. 

Kurzeme Cultural Forum 

20.09.2024. 

On September 19th, the second Kurzeme Cultural Forum took place in Pāvilosta at "Wonderland," Ostmalas Street 5. The event featured the project's lead executors Ieva Zemīte and Ilona Kunda, who presented the results of the FLPP research project RePrint (Nr. lzp-2021/1-0588). The results summary provides insights into the concept of creative cities, exploring how cities can promote and develop creativity, and the role creative intermediaries play in this process. The authors of the study encourage seeing that creativity in a city is expressed not only materially, such as through cultural infrastructure like museums, art galleries, theaters, and street art, but also immaterially – through social interactions, collaboration networks, and a creative lifestyle. 

Workshop "Cultural Season Restart" 

13.09.2024. 

On September 12, at the café of the Vienības House, a workshop "Cultural Season Restart" took place as part of the XIII Music and Arts Festival "Daugavpils ReStart 2024," gathering representatives of the cultural and creative sectors. Ieva Zemīte and Ilona Kunda presented the results of the FLPP project "Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint" (Nr. lzp-2021/1-0588). In each of the cities studied in the project (Daugavpils, Liepāja, Valmiera, Jūrmala), thorough data collection and analysis were conducted from several dozen different statistical data sources to find comparisons and identify strengths and weaknesses using the Cultural and Creative City Index (C3 Index). The C3 Index serves as a tool to compare the creative potential of cities in three dimensions – cultural vitality, creative economy, and supportive environment. It covers various indicators such as employment in creative sectors, the accessibility of cultural events and institutions, as well as infrastructure and governance quality. The index is applied to compare cities and identify areas that require improvement. 

Presentation of the paper Urban Flourishing: Unveiling the Intersection of Culture and Well-being in Creative Cities 

29.08.2024 

On August 29, at the University of Porto, as part of the European Sociological Association's 16th conference in the urban sociology section, project participants Una Bluķe and Ance Kristāla presented the paper Urban Flourishing: Unveiling the Intersection of Culture and Well-being in Creative Cities. In the paper, the authors examined the potential link between subjective well-being indicators from the Quality of Life in Cities survey in the cities covered by the study and the creative city indicators using the data from the Cultural and Creative City Index, compiled during the project. The authors highlight the coincidence that in the cities considered creative within the project, the level of subjective well-being of the residents is significantly higher, particularly in terms of life satisfaction. 

Visit to radio SWH 

05.08.2024. 

On August 4th at 12:00, in the program The Mind Will Save the World, Ieva Zemīte visited Radio SWH studio and with Ieva Siliņa discussed issues analyzed in research that encourage public attention to the cultural economy – How do creative industries promote innovation? How to capture the creative sector? How are sports and the cultural economy related? 

International Arts and Cultural Management Conference 

30.07.2024. 

From July 27 to 29, RePrint researchers Ieva Zemīte, Ilona Kunda, and Agnese Hermane participated in the International Arts and Cultural Management Conference AIMAC Lisbon 2024, presenting the findings from the FLPP project RePrint: Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Perspectives in two papers: The Unexpected Role: Creative Intermediaries in the Creative City (I. Zemīte and I. Kunda) and Leaving the White Cube? Young Artists' Interpretations of Participation in the Creative City (I. Zemīte, I. Kunda, A. Hermane). 

RePrint workshop at the Zuzeum Art Center 

23.07.2024. 

On July 22, a workshop of the RePrint research took place at the Zuzeum Art Center. The researchers discussed the findings of the study in order to prepare recommendations for four Latvian cities. In presenting the research results, great attention was paid to the role of creative intermediaries in the urban ecosystems. Creative intermediaries are individuals or organizations that connect different people and resources to promote the development of creative ideas and projects. These intermediaries play a crucial role as they foster collaboration, provide access to resources, and help establish new connections. Several types of creative intermediaries have been identified in the study – for example, bridge builders who connect different participants, silent mediators who engage on demand, and innovation facilitators who actively generate new ideas and solutions. 

RePrint researchers' participation in the summer school Exploring Identity and Resilience in the Baltic Sea Region in Tallinn 

23.07.2024. 

Žanete Eglīte participated in the summer school Exploring Identity and Resilience in the Baltic Sea Region, organized by Tallinn University from July 15-21, with a presentation on small towns and the importance of sustainability in them.   

The main goal of the summer university was to explore whether a shared regional identity, referred to as "Baltic identity", could strengthen the resilience of the Baltic Sea region. Participants examined how collective identity, rooted in a shared natural environment and cultural memory of contacts, cooperation, and conflicts, could enhance cross-border democratic institutions and cultural resilience. 

Presentation of RePrint project results at the seminar Community, Art and Placekeeping at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam 

22.04.2024.  

On April 22, project leader Ieva Zemīte presented the insights of the RePrint research project online at the seminar Community, Art and Placekeeping at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany.   

In discussions with students and Dr. phil. Kerstin Nieman, the perspectives of regional residents on the role of creativity in shaping urban environments were explored. A creative urban environment and a diverse cultural and creative industries offering—including the development of modern industries (design, IT), ambitious cultural and leisure events, and investments in contemporary and visually prominent urban infrastructure solutions (well-maintained public spaces, renovated buildings, creative quarters)—are not yet widely available in residential areas in either Latvia or Germany. However, it has been proven that local residents play a crucial role in shaping the cultural landscape. 

Students engage in initiating creative solutions in the manors of Valmiera Municipality 

30.01.2024. 

In October 2023, students from the master's programs Cultural Heritage Governance and Communication at the Latvian Academy of Culture and Creative Industries and Growth Management, a joint program with Riga Technical University, embarked on a challenging project—collaborating with the emerging Valmiera Manor Network initiative. Since the manor network was still in its development phase, students were invited to form interdisciplinary teams to contribute ideas and proposals for enhancing the initiative and advancing the manors of Valmiera Municipality. On October 21, a full day was dedicated to exploring three Valmiera Municipality manors—Valmiermuiža, Oleri Manor, and Budenbroki Manor. Each manor stood out with its unique story and challenges, opening up opportunities for future projects. The study course concluded on January 18–20, 2024, with students presenting their proposed solutions to manor representatives, including Sabīne Vandāne from the Valmiermuiža Cultural Society, Ieva Zemīte from Oleri Manor, and Toms Treimanis from Budenbroki Manor. 

Student proposals included slow living service concepts, reviving historical recipes, curated surprise boxes, community-building festivals, mobile applications for adventure trails, and luxurious glamping solutions to address accommodation shortages. The manor representatives acknowledged that the students' fresh perspectives provided valuable insights into the diverse possibilities for future manor development.   

Research participant Una Bluķe tests the creative intermediaries' self-identification tool 

12.02.2024. 

On February 8, Una Bluķe met online with the staff of Ludza Art School to provide a theoretical overview of the role and function of creative intermediaries in the creative industries sector. She also tested the creative intermediaries' self-identification tool and facilitated discussions on each type, examining how the identification results aligned with employees' roles and activities within the organization. 

During the final phase of the research, the refined and validated version of the tool was tested with nine Ludza Art School employees. Initially, they were given a theoretical introduction to creative intermediaries and their role in the creative industries. This was followed by the self-identification process using the tool, and then a discussion on each intermediary type and how the results matched their roles and activities within the organization. This phase confirmed that one person can assume more than one role as a creative intermediary, with most individuals identifying with one to a maximum of three roles. 

RePrint at the Latgale Tourism Conference 2023 

1.12.2023. 

On November 30, 2023, the Latgale Tourism Conference took place in Balvi, where project researcher Ieva Zemīte presented Creative Industries in Small Towns: The Potential and Opportunities of a Creative City, sharing insights gained during the research on small-town creativity. 

The prerequisites for creativity are diversity, contrasts, and connections. These connections are purposefully formed by individuals known as creative intermediaries. Creative industries play a significant role in shaping these connections. The development of small towns can be viewed as a "fourth place", facilitating an intensified flow of knowledge, collaboration, and resources, leading to new initiatives and connections. Although creative businesses often operate on an individual or family scale (so-called lifestyle entrepreneurship), their impact on strengthening community ties is significant. In this sense, creative entrepreneurs have a greater influence than their direct economic contribution suggests. Research indicates that in small towns, these collaborations are closer and more resilient, as they are rooted in an interest in the quality of community life. Thus, cultural and creative industries in small towns ensure that the entire community is engaged in a collaborative network, where added value is provided by accessible public spaces, interactions between the community and entrepreneurs stimulate business development, a sense of family strengthens social ties among residents, and the cultural and creative sector plays an integral role. 

RePrint project presentation at an international webinar 

5.12.2023. 

In the IN SITU project seminar series, several topics related to the activities of the cultural and creative ecosystem in rural areas of Europe were discussed, combining new knowledge from various EU research projects and the cultural and creative industries (CCI) with long-term experience. 

Webinar N#3 | How do the cultural and creative sectors promote place-based sustainability and resilience? (December 5, 2023) researcher Ieva Zemīte had the opportunity to present the RePrint project to a wide international audience. 

Recording available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHgAUDE9_cg

Participation in the Interreg Europe project working meeting 

28.11.2023. 

Ieva Zemīte, in her capacity as an expert, participated on November 28, 2023, in the working group meeting of the project #CHERRY, implemented by the Zemgale Planning Region, to discuss the issues related to the definition of cultural and creative industries (CCI) and potential solutions. The researcher shared the approach developed during the RePrint project, pointing out the variability of the concept and its current expansion. 

In the study conducted by the #CHERRY project, representatives of CCI from the project partners were surveyed, evaluating the situation in 3 dimensions: 

• Transformation of cultural and creative industries and urban environment; 
• Cultural and creative industries and local development; 
• Valorization of cultural and natural values (enhancement of values). 

Participation in the international scientific conference Cultural Crossroads XVII 

10.11.2023. 

Project researchers participated with several presentations in the international scientific conference Cultural Crossroads organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture. Žanete Eglīte explained the concepts of Zoom cities, lifestyle migration, and remote work, examining them in the context of cultural and creative industries both theoretically and by sharing insights from interviews with cultural and creative industry professionals who have moved from the capital city to other regions. The presentation revealed professionals' opinions and analyzed their experiences, evaluating both the benefits and losses associated with the choice to relocate to other cities or rural areas. Ieva Zemīte introduced conference participants to the issues of identifying creative industries, comparing data on creative entrepreneurship in two cities in Latvia – Valmiera and Liepāja, and explaining the specifics of local resources and opportunities for their use in creating a creative city. In the joint presentation on the role of art and artists in creative cities, Ilona Kunda, Ieva Zemīte, and Agnese Hermane shared their insights, analyzing the direct views of young artists about participation opportunities and seeking answers to questions such as whether young artists are ready to step outside the 'white cube' of art galleries and how they see their work’s impact on urban residents and the urban environment. 

RePrint project presentation at the International Cultural Economics Conference ACEI 2023, USA 

3.09.2023. 

Ieva Zemīte participated in the International Cultural Economics Conference ACEI 2023 at Indiana University, USA, from June 28 to 30, in the thematic session Creative Cities and Places, presenting the paper Place-based Sustainability - Act or Wait-and-See?. In the presentation, international researchers were introduced to two different approaches and five decision-making options identified in small towns as significant, emphasizing local resources, traditions, and the vitality of cultural life. The researcher's presentation was highly appreciated by colleagues from the Netherlands, Portugal, and the USA, who focus on the role of culture in place development in their own research (Prof. Arjo Klamer, Prof. Pedro Costa). 

The paper was prepared based on a joint article co-authored with colleague Ilona Kunda, which was published on July 4 in Frontiers in Political Science in the special issue The Politics of Sustainable Development in Cultural Policies. The article was invited by the journal’s editor, Anita Kangas from Jyvaskyla University, Finland. 

Article available here

RePrint researchers participate in the conference The Nordic Conference on Cultural Policy Research in Copenhagen 

23.-25.08.2023. 

Ilona Kunda and Agnese Hermane participated in the Nordic Cultural Policy Conference The Nordic Conference on Cultural Policy Research from August 23-25, 2023, organized by the University of Copenhagen. On the second day of the conference, the researchers presented their paper The Conditional Gift: Participation and Change in Developing the European Capital of Culture Application to their Nordic colleagues. 

Several conference working sessions focused on the future challenges of cultural policy, mainly related to political changes in many European countries, digitalization and artificial intelligence, the impact of the global climate crisis, and post-pandemic changes in cultural participation. The conference plenary sessions featured several prominent field researchers – Lluís Bonet, Birgit Erikson and Trine Bille, Louise Ejgod Hansen, and Njörður Sigurjónsson. 

The Latvian Academy of Culture organizes the international summer school Cultural Entrepreneurship and Leadership: Change, Development, and Reflection 

24.08.2023. 

In the International Summer School program organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture and Erasmus Rotterdam University, from August 17-24, 2023, several presentations will be held testing the first results of the RePrint project. The presentations were prepared by Ieva Zemīte, Una Arbidāne, and Žanete Eglīte. The summer school participants tested the creative intermediaries' self-assessment tool and gained knowledge about place-based sustainability and cultural and creative industries as development resources. The summer school was attended by young leaders in the cultural sector from Germany, Moldova, Georgia, Poland, Greece, Kazakhstan, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Uzbekistan, Finland, Hungary, South Africa, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, and Germany. 

Presentation of the Typology of Creative Intermediaries at the Summer School Inclusive and Creative Cultural Governance in Ogre 

18.08.2023. 

Since one of the project's tasks is to identify creative intermediaries and develop a typology of creative intermediaries, explaining their various roles at different scales, the RePrint team conducted this analysis by examining the applications of European Capital of Culture candidate cities and conducting research interviews. The provisional typology was first presented at the summer school Inclusive and Creative Cultural Governance in Ogre, organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture’s Continuing Education Centre, on August 18, 2022, to the directors of Latvian cultural centers. The active and engaging seminar The Conscious and Unconscious Roles of Creative Leaders in the Local Cultural Ecosystem was led by Ilona Kunda and Ieva Zemīte. 

The MAKEathon in Creative Industries takes place in Jurmala 

13.05.2023. 

From May 11 to 13, 2023, the MAKEathon in Creative Industries took place in Jurmala, where first-year master's students from the Latvian Academy of Culture's master's program in Creative Industries and Growth Management collaborated with master's students from the Economics and Culture University’s Brand Design program to develop new solutions in creative entrepreneurship. LKA researchers, analyzing the potential of Jurmala as a creative city, identified creative intermediaries important for the development of creative industries in the research project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint (No. lzp-2021/1-0588). To integrate the acquired knowledge into the study process and provide value to Jurmala’s creative entrepreneurs, student teams traveled across Jurmala’s railway stations for three days, developing their vision and refining ideas. 

The event took place at several locations: Raiņa Sēta (in Jaundubulti), Art Station Dubulti, Vaivari Station Pizzeria, Ķemeri Station, Majori Beach, the guesthouse Schneider Hause, and the Jurmala City Museum, which hosted the final presentations. Participants experienced creative workshops (Storytelling in Comic Format with artist and illustrator Rebeka Lukošus) and discussions (Funding Development, with Zane Matesoviča from the British Council). 

The employment of creative individuals, co-creation as a solution for building meaningful work environments, and a platform that connects digital nomads, artists, and local communities outside large city centers will be initiatives that extend beyond the study course results and will be further developed both in research projects and the study process, as well as in the vision of Jurmala as a creative city. 

The research project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint (No. lzp-2021/1-0588) is being implemented under the Fundamental and Applied Research (FLPP) program. 

Participation in the international scientific conference Cultural Crossroads 

4.11.2022. 

The project working group participates in the Latvian Academy of Culture's international scientific conference Cultural Crossroads with four presentations. Ilona Asare shares insights into the challenges of building participatory cultural policies in Latvian cities, with a detailed analysis of the candidate cities for the European Capital of Culture 2027 title. Agnese Hermane and Ilona Kunda also discuss the challenges of ensuring citizen participation in the candidate cities, seeking an answer to whether the coveted European Capital of Culture status comes with any side effects. The paper examines citizen participation practices during the application phase, identifying problem areas in the interaction between local authorities and the public, and analyzes the factors influencing participation. In her paper, Žanete Eglīte analyzes the concepts of collaboration and synergy in creative industries, revealing the importance of mutual cooperation. The conference presented a theoretical insight into cooperation models, which can manifest in various forms, such as networks or activities of creative intermediaries. For the first time, the author also presented a collaboration matrix she developed, which can be used in future research on creative industry collaboration. Una Arbidāne continues the theme of creative intermediaries by comparing the concepts of cultural and creative intermediaries. In her presentation, she clarifies the development of these concepts and introduces a potential typology of creative intermediaries, reflecting the various roles and significance of creative intermediaries in the creative industries sector. 

Participation in the International Entrepreneurship Research Conference (IECER 2022) 

28.10.2022. 

Ieva Zemīte and Žanete Eglīte participated in the International Entrepreneurship Research Conference (IECER 2022) in Maastricht, Netherlands, from October 26 to 28, 2022, where they presented the paper Creative Intermediaries as Future Makers: Creative Entrepreneurship and Urban Regeneration in Small Cities in the Cultural and Creative Entrepreneurship track. The article and presentation were developed in collaboration with researcher Tiago Castro, a PhD candidate at the Centre for Social Studies – University of Coimbra, Portugal. After the presentation, they received valuable feedback and suggestions for improving the article. 

The Power of Small Cities radi! Academy 

5.09.2022. 

According to the basic dimensions defined in the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitoring, three directions for the potential development of cultural and creative industries can be identified in small cities. For detailed information on the study's data, watch the video lecture: 

https://youtu.be/qQGfOAxc_NI 

Data obtained within the framework of two studies:  

Project Creative Industries in Small Cities: Potential and Contributions to Sustainability / CRISP (No. lzp-2020/2-0375), 

Project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint (No. lzp-2021/1-0588). 

Participation in the International Cultural Management Conference AIMAC 2022 

2.06.2022. 

Assoc. Prof. Agnese Hermane and Assoc. Prof. Ieva Zemīte participated in the International Cultural Management Conference AIMAC 2022 in Mexico City, Mexico, from June 25 to July 1, 2022, where they presented the first results of the FLPP project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions. The conference was attended by 113 researchers in the field of culture from more than 30 countries, providing an opportunity to explore current research directions and issues, as well as share initial conclusions from the ongoing research. Particularly valuable contacts were made with researchers in creative industries and cultural management from the US (Constance DeVereaux from the University of Connecticut) and the UK (Rita Kottasz from Kingston University London) to strengthen the international dimension of the FLPP project development. 

The fourth REPRINT project workshop is taking place 

06.05.2022. 

The project working group meets regularly in workshops to discuss the progress of the project, present interim results, and plan the next steps. In the workshop held on May 6, 2022, at the co-working space Double9, the researchers discussed the latest scientific articles and research findings, and visualized the conceptual framework of the study. Each project workshop has a specific task, and they are an essential part of the project team's work, as it is through collegial discussions that new research ideas are developed, critical questions are raised, possible solutions are discussed, and answers are sought for the project's research questions. 

On the platform On the Way a conversation about the role of culture and art in promoting citizen participation in small towns in Latvia 

13.04.2022. 

On April 14, 2022, at 13:00, the Latvian Academy of Culture (LKA) will host the next conversation on the On the Way platform, focusing on the research project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions / RePrint. The conversation will feature LKA Research Center researchers Ieva Zemīte, Ilona Kunda, and Žanete Eglīte. 

https://youtu.be/9DZDb9G3VVs

Cultural and Artistic Resources for the Development of Latvian Cities: The project has initiated a review of the creative city concept 

30.01.2022. 

Researchers from the Latvian Academy of Culture (LKA) have started work on the project Revisiting the Concept of Creative Cities: Networks, Intermediaries, and Development Directions/RePrint, which will analyze how cities in Latvia use cultural and artistic resources to promote urban development, what forms of citizen participation are used for the engagement of creative resources and talents, and how local policy measures can support citizen initiatives in the city. 

https://lka.edu.lv/lv/aktuali/jaunumi/kulturas-un-makslas-resursi-latvijas-pilsetu-attistibai-projekta-uzsakta-radoso-pilsetu-koncepta-parskatisana/