Category: Talks

Presence | Krists Saržants – Jazz quintet

From melodic to frenzied and back again, Krists Saržants’ jazz quintet composition artfully combines the varied but complementary tones of piano, bass, drums, saxophone and vocals and exploration of sound is a true work of art. While the soothing melody...

Martins Daugulis

Slow down, democracy isn’t dead yet | Mārtiņš Daugulis

Despite living in arguably the best time in history, there is an increasing dissatisfaction in democracy. But why is that? If undemocratic societies become disillusioned because of the suppression of political speech, are democratic ones being worn down in the...

Aija Paegle

Stop. Take a breath. | Aija Paegle

Doesn’t that feel better? Physical therapist and former dancer Aija Paegle takes us through the physical and mental impact of the humble breath. How it can unobtrusively carry you through your day, or do the heavy lifting when going through...

Faux-Pas-performance

Cyr wheel performance | Faux Pas: Laura Gorodko & Aleksejs Smolovs

FAUX PAS is a symbiosis of contemporary dance and circus, with delicate metaphors about the private, unseen side of relations between two people. Just like the cyr wheel, which is masterfully used to excite the imagination, relationships are stories in...

Ilze Paklone Architect

The key to self-discovery — getting lost | Ilze Paklone

Have you ever stopped to think how your surroundings have made you who you are? And how by changing your environment, you can change your perspectives on life? Architect Ilze Paklone embarked on a journey of discovery, by first getting...

Kaspars Breidas

An introvert’s guide to social freedom | Kaspars Breidaks

Being social for a shy person is difficult already, let alone in a cold, Northern capital city wrought by a past of social mistrust under communist rule. With all the cards stacked against him, Kaspars Breidaks managed to break through...

Reinis Jaunais Guitar player

Musical reflections of the world | Reinis Jaunais

Travel and music are two powerful entities in our world. Guitarist Reinis Jaunais is deeply moved by both and expresses his reflections through his music. In this performance, he plays three pieces — one, inspired by the massive mountains of...

Girts Ozolins Noise explorer

Building music. Cable by cable. | Ģirts Ozoliņš

Instruments can open a world of opportunity for creative expression. And when that instrument is a synthesizer, that opportunity becomes nearly limitless. What does it take to open the floodgates of creative exploration? In the mind of Girts Ozolins, it...

Girts Rozenfelds Photographer

Professional photography — a career on track for extinction? | Gatis Rozenfelds

It seems that photographers are simply becoming glorified tripods. Or are they? As cameras become increasingly smart, it begs the question — what, then, is the use of the person standing behind it? Focus and exposure are already automated, and...

Democracy requires a space for conversation – here’s how to make one | Ieva Morica

In a conversation where the goal is to “win”, one emerges victorious, while the other – a loser. This game of right and wrong is a lose-lose situation, and has massive repercussions on the world we live in. Our ability...