The project CERS (Cultural and Creative Ecosystem of Latvia as a Resource for Resilience and Sustainability) explores the arts and cultural values that are key for Latvia’s sustainable development and resilience and their contributions to cultural and creative ecosystem.

The project will explore the most important current and historical processes of Latvian culture, and the cultural and creative industries as agents of these processes.

Applying qualitative and quantitative research methods, horizontal studies and case studies, the project will analyse current tendencies in the cultural and creative industries (literature, music, theatre and dance, visual arts, design, architecture, audiovisual and film arts, traditional culture): cultural offer and access; employment and income generation patterns, the relevance of education supply to labour market demand and trends; the impact of digital technologies on cultural consumption patterns, on the processes of creating and distributing cultural content, and the generation of revenue from creative activities.

The project will develop a new knowledge base on the impact of historical processes, including the Soviet occupation period, on contemporary cultural, artistic and creative processes.

The social and economic impact of the cultural and creative industries will also be explored by increasing knowledge and understanding of the current and potential contribution and role of the cultural and creative industries in the sustainable development of the country. Particular emphasis is given to research methodologies, including the measuring of socio-economic impacts, artistic research, and digital methods.

The research quality, implementation and impact are based on the high capacity of the consortium of five research institutions (Latvian Academy of Culture, Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, Art Academy of Latvia, National Library of Latvia, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of University of Latvia), evidenced by their scholarly output, international reach, the synergy of research, academic and artistic activity, and close functional connections with policy-makers and arts/cultural practitioners. The research project proposes an in-depth and interdisciplinary view of the cultural and arts environment, creating extensive impacts for policy, cultural sector and education.

Rūta Muktupāvela (State research programme CERS leader)

Ieva Vītola (Project coordinator, lead project participant)

Anda Laķe (Lead project participant)

Ilona Kunda (Lead project participant)

Līga Vinogradova (Lead project participant)

Ieva Zemīte (Lead project participant)

Baiba Tjarve (Lead project participant)

Inga Pērkone-Redoviča (Lead project participant)

Agnese Hermane (Project participant)

Gints Klāsons (Project participant)

Elīna Vikmane (Project participant)

Anita Vaivade (Project participant)

Dita Rietuma ((Project participant)

Dāvis Sīmanis (Project participant)

Zane Balčus (Project participant)

Zane Kreicberga (Project participant)

Līga Ulberte (Project participant)

Ance Kristāla (Student project participant)

Sabīne Ozola (Student project participant)

Lote Katrīna Cērpa (Student project participant)

Inese Boka - Grūbe (Student project participant)

Una Bluķe (Student project participant)

Execution of the project has been divided into six work packages (WP) with particular tasks, deliverables, milestones and those responsible for implementation.

Work package 1: Current development trends in the cultural and creative industries: cultural offer and accessibility (contact persons: Anda Laķe (LAC) and Agita Gritāne (AAL))

The aim of the WP is to generate new knowledge on the creation of a diverse cultural offer, the groups of actors involved in the CCE (cultural and creative ecosystem), the linkages of these processes with the accessibility of culture and the potential for inclusive dialogue with groups at risk of exclusion from culture.

Work package 2: Current development trends in the cultural and creative industries: employment, revenue generation patterns, the correspondence of the education offer to labour market demand and trends (contact person: Ilona Kunda (LAC))

The aim of the WP is to generate new knowledge on employment patterns and forms of precarious employment in the CCSs (cultural and creative sectors) in general, in specific fields, and to compare these forms in the private and public sectors; to assess the correspondence of arts/cultural education offer to long-term labour market demand; to develop a methodology for measuring labour market demand to adapt it to the specificities of the CCSs and employment patterns.

Work package 3: The manifestations of digital technologies at different stages of the production cycle of the cultural and creative ecosystem and their impact on the patterns of consumption of culture (contact persons: Pauls Daija (NLL), Līga Vinogradova (LAC), Inese Sirica (AAL))

The objective of the WP is to generate new knowledge on the impact of digital technologies and the digital gap on people's cultural consumption habits, on the processes of creating, distributing, and preserving cultural content, and on the generation of revenue from creative work, in order to develop the digital maturity of operators in the CCE and to foster transformative resilience strategies in the sector.

Work package 4: Representation in the contemporary culture of historical processes that are significant for the Latvian cultural and creative sector (contact persons: Edīte Tišheizere (ILFA), Kristiāna Ābele (AAL), Jānis Kudiņš (JVLAM))

The objective of the WP is to develop a new knowledge base on the historical, including political-ideological, processes of the Soviet period that have a lasting impact on contemporary culture and are relevant to the resilience of the Latvian CCS ecosystem and the sustainability of society. This will be done by focusing on the processes specific to cultural and artistic sectors, as well as by identifying common trends in the manifestations of history in the context of contemporary culture.

Work package 5: Development of approaches for the assessment of the social and economic impact of cultural and creative sectors (contact persons: Ieva Zemīte (LAC), Baiba Tjarve (LAC), Liene Jākobsone (AAL))

The aim of the WP is to generate new theoretical and empirical knowledge on the current and potential contribution of CCSs to the sustainable development of society and country; to develop approaches for the assessment of the social and economic impact of CCSs, in particular on quality of life and well-being of citizens, health, education and social inclusion, environment and climate, and innovation.

Work package 6: Project Management and Synergies Across the Consortium (contact person: Ieva Vītola (LAC))

The aims and objectives of this work package are as follows:

1) to provide integration and synergies among partner’s research and academic activities to strengthen the competitiveness of the CERS interdisciplinary team;

2) to carry out the project within a set timeframe and financial framework.

Two LKA Student Research Pilot Projects Launched   

In November 2024, students at the Latvian Academy of Culture (LKA) will begin implementing two research pilot projects. Over four months, each team, under the guidance of a mentor, will test an approach to measuring the social impact of the cultural and creative industries. Paula Cukura, a second-year master's student in Creative Industries and Growth Management, plans to develop a methodology to assess the impact of the creative community center Viskaļi – Institute of Life Quality Design. Meanwhile, a team of second-year students from the bachelor's program Cultural Sociology and Management, led by Anete Liepiņa, will focus on how graffiti reflects students' emotional state, self-confidence, life satisfaction, and sense of community. Their research will be conducted in the Valmiera region. The competition is part of the study Latvia’s Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for National Resilience and Sustainability / CERS, specifically within the work phase Developing Approaches to Assessing the Social and Economic Impact of the Cultural and Creative Industries. The goal is to create new theoretical and empirical approaches for evaluating the social and economic impact of cultural and creative industries.   

Read more: https://www.lka.edu.lv/lv/aktuali/jaunumi/uzsak-istenot-divus-latvijas-kulturas-akademijas-studentu-petniecibas-pilotprojektus/

Defense of the Theoretical Research for the Professional Doctorate in Arts at JVLMA

20.12.2024. 

On December 19, 2024, at Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA), Liene Denisjuka-Straupe defends her theoretical research Juris Ābols' Dadaist Chamber Works with Flute: The Revelation of Artistic Ideas through Composition Analysis and Interpretation Experience. This research, developed within the national research program project Latvia’s Cultural Ecosystem as a Resource for National Resilience and Sustainability / CERS, is presented in fulfillment of the requirements for the Art.D. (Artium Doctor) professional doctorate in arts. Liene Denisjuka-Straupe was a project participant during its initial 12-month phase. The scientific advisor for the theoretical research is Professor Jānis Kudiņš, the lead project participant of the CERS project at JVLMA.

https://www.jvlma.lv/aktualitates/decembri-jvlma-norisinasies-divas-profesionala-doktora-grada-aizstavesana

Several research articles developed within the VPP project CERS have been published in the journal Art History and Theory by the Institute of Art History of the Latvian Academy of Arts 

12.12.2024. 

The 28th issue of the journal Art History and Theory, published by the Institute of Art History of the Latvian Academy of Arts, has been released. This edition includes three research articles developed within the project CERS, all of which are available for open access online. 

Una Valtere – Embroidered Men’s Belts (Beaded Belts) in Latvia and Their Social Context.
Read the article here

Sniedze Kāle – Issues in Gustavs Klucis’ Agitational Stand Research.
Read the article here

Eduards Kļaviņš – Art and Society: Reception of Visual Art during the Soviet Years in Latvia.
Read the article here

VPP CERS project researcher and representative of the Institute of Literature, Folklore, and Art of the University of Latvia, Kitija Balcare, is the guest editor of the latest issue of the journal Theatre Herald (Teātra Vēstnesis) on the theme Ecotheatre 

12.12.2024. 

The journal's website states that the guest editor, Kitija Balcare, introduces the concept of ecotheatre, highlighting the question of how the climate crisis affects theatre. In a roundtable discussion on the role of scenographers in the life cycle of performances and ecoscenography, she brings together Pamela Butāne, Aigars Ozoliņš, Monika Pormale, Reinis Suhanovs, and Maija Pavlova, the producer of Ģertrūdes Street Theatre. Kitija Balcare also interviews ecoscenography theorist and practitioner Tanja Beer and shares diary notes from the European Theatre and Performance Research Association conference in Spain. Tijana Mičanović provides insights into ecotheatre in Serbia. Krista Burāne speaks with Barbara Lehtna, as both of their productions focus on the interaction between humans and nature, as well as climate and ecological issues. Kristīne Brīniņa and Jānis Balodis write essays on human impact on nature and non-human beings. 

The latest issue of Theatre Herald (Teātra Vēstnesis) on the theme Ecotheatre is available here

Researchers from the Art Academy of Latvia participate in an international academic conference in the USA 

25.11.2024 

From November 21 to 24, 2024, lecturers from the Art Academy of Latvia, Dr. Jānis Ozoliņš and Dr. Kārlis Vērdiņš, took part in the annual ASEEES (Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies) conference in Boston, USA. They presented a paper titled Performing Working-Class Masculinity in Soviet Western Borderlands: The Case of Latvian "Severe Style" Paintings, focusing on the figurative works of painter Edgars Iltners. In addition to presenting their research at the largest conference dedicated to regional studies, which this year gathered a record number of scholars—nearly 3,000 participants from around the world—both AAL lecturers also engaged in working groups and affiliated researcher associations. As a jury representative for The Heldt Prize, named after Barbara Heldt, Jānis Ozoliņš presented the award for the best academic article published in 2023. It was also officially announced that the 2026 conference of The Association for Women in Slavic Studies will take place in Riga at the Art Academy of Latvia, bringing together members from the United States and Europe. The full conference program is available here: https://aseees.org/convention/2024-convention/program/ 

In the photo, from the left: Jānis Ozoliņš and Kārlis Vērdiņš with Latvian-American art historian Mark Allen Švēde, a professor at Ohio State University, who also participated in the panel organized by the AAL lecturers. 

A collection of academic articles on the assessment of social and economic impact in the creative and cultural industries to be published within the VPP project CERS

25.11.2024 

Researchers are invited to submit publications for the thematic issue of the journal Culture Crossroads, focusing on the challenges of assessing the social and economic impact of culture. This issue will continue the discussion on impact assessment and methodological applications in the cultural and creative industries (CCI), which was initiated during the thematic session Assessing Social and Economic Impact in the Creative and Cultural Industries as part of the Culture Crossroads XVIII conference series at the Latvian Academy of Culture this autumn. 

The deadline for article submissions is February 10, 2025. More information: https://culturecrossroads.lv/index.php/cc/call-for-papers 

The publication will be prepared within the VPP project CERS.

The thematic session of the VPP project CERS took place at the Culture Crossroads XVIII conference

13.11.2024 

As part of the Culture Crossroads XVIII conference series at the Latvian Academy of Culture, the thematic session Assessing Social and Economic Impact in the Creative and Cultural Industries was held on November 8. 

Researchers from Latvia, the Netherlands, Belgium, and North Macedonia participated in the session, focusing on the evaluation of social and economic impact in the creative and cultural industries. This session was organized within the framework of the VPP project CERS.

On November 7 and 8, researchers from the VPP project CERS participated in the thematic sessions of the international scientific conference Culture Crossroads XVIII, organized by the Latvian Academy of Culture 

13.11.2024 

At the conference, researchers from the VPP project CERS shared insights from their studies, presenting the following papers: 

Inga Pērkone presented The Films of Director Ivars Seleckis: The Perceived and Unperceived Cultural Heritage. 

Daina Lāce and Anda Beitāne presented The Contemporary Representation of the Nīca Cultural Space: Latest Discoveries and Insights. 

Una Valtere presented Embroidered Men’s Belts (Beaded Belts) in the Historical-Ethnographic Atlas of the Baltic Peoples: A Case Study of Traditional Clothing Accessories in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. 

Kristiāna Ābele presented On the Road with Purvītis: The Period of Tatjana Kačalova. 

Ilona Kunda and Agnese Karlsone presented Employment and Social Protection of Contemporary Dance Professionals in Latvia. 

Liene Jākobsone presented The Impact of User Experience Design and its Evaluation. 

Ieva Kalniņa presented The Secret Source: “Samizdat” Publications in the Collections of Artists Zenta Logina and Elīze Atāre. 

More information and photos are available here

VPP project CERS researcher Līga Vinogradova participates in an international scientific conference in Croatia, presenting the results of a cinema audience study 

08.11.2024 

From November 5 to 7, Līga Vinogradova, a researcher at the LCA Institute of Culture and Arts, participated in the 15th Annual International Small Cinemas Conference: Changing Policies, Transforming Audiences and Work Practices In-flux, held in Zagreb, Croatia. The conference, now in its 15th edition, brought together film researchers from various fields, offering diverse perspectives on film studies. This year’s focus was on discussing current issues in film production, distribution, and consumption in small countries. The event was organized by the Institute for Development and International Relations, Department for Culture and Communication, in collaboration with the Zagreb Film Festival and the Academy of Dramatic Art. 

Līga presented Cinema Audience Research in Latvia: More Netflix, Less Cinema?, introducing international researchers and industry professionals to the findings of a study on Latvian cinema audiences. At the end of the panel, foreign researchers raised many interesting questions and ideas on how to interpret the data. 

The cinema audience study was conducted as part of the VPP project CERS. More information is available here.

On October 31, Līga Vinogradova, a researcher at the LCA Institute of Culture and Arts, participated in the international cinema training Baltic Cinema Data Training Boot Camp, held at Kino Bize

31.10.2024 

The training aimed to provide cinemas with practical tools for data analysis and audience research to support their daily operations and audience engagement strategies. Līga presented a study on Latvian cinema audiences conducted earlier this year and took part in a discussion on the specifics of planning and conducting audience research in cinemas. 

On October 30, Anda Laķe, head of the LCA Institute of Culture and Arts, participated in a seminar for methodological centers organized by the Latvian National Centre for Culture (LNKC) 

30.10.2024.  

She delivered a presentation titled Latvian Cultural Centers as Gatekeepers of Cultural Offerings, developed within the framework of the VPP project CERS. The seminar aimed to support the establishment and evaluation process of methodological centers in the context of implementing the Cultural Centers Law.

The LCA Institute of Culture and Arts has launched a study on cultural consumption habits in Latvia and is looking for participants to keep cultural consumption diaries!

28.10.2024.  

The aim of the study is to explore the practices of in-person and digital cultural consumption among Latvian residents and their interaction. To achieve this, researchers will conduct an in-depth analysis of individual cultural consumption habits and strategies using cultural activity diaries. The study is part of the VPP project CERS. 

At the end of October, participant recruitment began for writing cultural activity diaries. Participants will be asked to record their daily in-person and digital cultural consumption for one month in a diary format prepared by the researchers. The study seeks participants from diverse sociodemographic groups in Latvia—of any age (18+), gender, and place of residence—who are not directly involved in the cultural sector (i.e., not studying or working in related fields). 

More information is available here.