Valmiera Municipality, in collaboration with the project partner from Latvia – “Story Hub”, Ltd. and with the Donorstate project partner from Norway – NGO “Culture Break Borders”(„Kultur Bryter Grenser”), implemented the project “Valmiera Multimedia Festival Art and Education Program for Youth” from November 1, 2022, to March 30, 2024. Project story:
“The project brought together ten professional artists of various disciplines from Latvia (Arta Jēkabsone, Roberts Rubīns, Toms Burāns, Rihards Vītols, and Līga Spunde) and Norway (Frode Barth, Veronica Lund, Kristian Dahl, Leif Johansen, and Elisabeth Nesheim), as well as 14 young people from both Latvia and Norway who collaborated as co-creators with the professional artists.
Photo: Anna Endija Ansone
The project resulted in creation of five new multimedia works across various genres, including sound and light installations for both indoor and outdoor spaces, interactive installations, and multimedia collages. Additionally, a digital platform was developed, offering an interactive way to explore the newly created works and learn more about their creation process through video interviews. The platform also includes methodological materials with discussion topics and tasks for students to explore creativity, the role of technology in art, and other relevant issues.
Some of created multimedia works (photo: Anna Endija Ansone)
One of the primary goals of the project was to create multimedia works that not only fostered collaboration among artists and developed their professional skills but also resonated with the target audience – youth aged 15 to 18. This age group is often underserved by contemporary culture, particularly in regional areas.
Workshop with target audience (photo: Marta Kontiņa)
In the initial phase of the project, workshops were organized with members of the target audience to identify topics of interest for multimedia content. The workshops revealed several key themes, including environmental protection and mental health. The participants also expressed a desire to learn more about technology and develop their creativity through multimedia experiences. This feedback served as a valuable starting point for the project, as the resulting multimedia works largely addressed these topics.
A significant milestone in the development of the multimedia works was a workshop – laboratory organized in August 2023 in Valmiera, where all participating artists and young people gathered. Over the course of a week, teams worked on selecting locations, developing prototypes, and testing their works.
Workshop – laboratory (photo: Anna Endija Ansone)
This was a valuable experience for all participants, as many had their first opportunity to collaborate with artists from another country. While initial challenges arose due to cultural differences, participants ultimately recognized the value of this collaboration, gaining new skills and expanding their perspectives on the possibilities of art.
Video from the laboratory, interviews with participants (with subtitles in Latvian and English)
The project culminated from February 26 to March 3, 2024, with the Valmiera International Multimedia Festival, which featured the Art and Education Program for Youth. Guided by student mentors, classes from schools across the region and Riga attended the festival, and young people explored the multimedia works with their friends and families. The program reached an audience of 2367, demonstrating the need for contemporary cultural experiences in regional areas.
Photos showcasing the artworks and videos during the festival (photo: Anna Endija Ansone)
Video from the opening of Art and Education Program for Youth in the Valmiera International Multimedia Festival 2024 and works created
Shortly after the festival, an educational digital platform (https://www.vsmf.lv/edu/) was launched, providing interactive access to all the multimedia works in a 3D environment. The platform was designed to offer a unique digital experience beyond the festival, showcasing the works in a new light. In addition to the multimedia works, the platform features video interviews with artists and educational materials, including discussion topics and tasks to facilitate integration into the curriculum. To promote the platform, an online workshop for teachers was organized in March 2024, introducing them to the platform’s features and content.
Screenshots from the platform
An audience aged 15-18 requires a specific approach – the methods of addressing and engaging this audience must be very carefully considered. It is important to address them as equal partners, avoiding teacher-student or professional-beginner roles.
In the context of this particular project, the interdisciplinary experience was a great benefit for both professionals and young people. Different art genres are usually studied separately in school, and seeing the interaction between technology and art, as well as the convergence of different genres in practice, was something new for the audience. It is gratifying that the professional artists involved in the project have found common artistic interests outside of the project and are currently working on the realization of future plans.”
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