This year, the 13th International Staro Riga Light Festival will move from its usual November timeframe to early next year and will be instead included among the concluding events of Latvia’s Centenary Celebration Culture Programme. However, the organizers and five Latvian artists – Helēna Heinrihsona, Katrīna Neiburga, Kristians Brekte, Kristaps Ancāns and Miķelis Mūrnieks – invite everybody to take part in a collaboration campaign called # Staro mājās.
“The decision to move the festival was not easy, nor was the cancellation of the traditional events to celebrate the founding of the nation,” states Māris Krastiņš, Director of Riga City Council’s Education, Culture and Sports Department. “This has plainly been a difficult and complex year and residents were longing for the celebrations. Unfortunately, wide-ranging celebrations are not possible, but we have the opportunity to create a celebration for everyone in their own homes. We, therefore, invite you to be creative and to take part in this campaign. In this way we will spread the feeling of being together, but at the same time take care of our own safety and that of our fellow citizens. Historically, we have already proven that being together is really our strength, and this is a way of being together, while also distancing ourselves from each other.”
The Staro Riga Light Festival is already in the development process and we are now planning how to get the festival up and running early next year,” continues Staro Riga Festival’s Artistic Director, Diāna Čivle. “But this is a time of various challenges for us and we are currently inviting everybody to join this mutual creative challenge by getting involved in the # Staro mājās Festival Collaboration Campaign. The campaign is being launched by five of our own artists, with everybody being invited to join in by bringing their creative idea to life and developing an installation using lights in their own homes.”
Five Latvian artists of different generations – Helēna Heinrihsone, Katrīna Neiburga, Kristians Brekte, Kristaps Ancāns and Miķelis Mūrnieks – will be showing their creative solutions for works using lights via video in the coming days, and these will be available for viewing on the festival's internet communication channels. The artists will be providing various interpretations on light installations and creating performances via video. People are invited to follow these or reveal their own creative spirit, and inspired by the artists’ ideas, to create their own works using lights, becoming collaborators in the # Staro mājās Campaign in this way.
Institutions, art schools, businesses and groups of friends are also invited to participate in the campaign, creating a sense of celebration together in Riga at a time when Latvia is celebrating its birthday.
“We ask you all to be creative and make colorful light installations and decorations, while remaining safely at home and enjoying time with your family,” invites artist Miķelis Mūrnieks.
Participants are invited to record their creative ideas in photographs or video format and publish these on social media with the hashtag #staromajas during the # Staro mājās Campaign week from 16th to 22nd November.
Further information about the festival and the collaboration campaign can be found on the home page: staroriga.lv, as well as on the Staro Riga social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram.
Useful links:
Katrīna Neiburga’s campaign video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21lq1ZiGcfI
Staro Riga home page: https://staroriga.lv/lv/
Staro Riga profile on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/staroriga/
Staro Riga profile on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staroriga/
Further information:
Diāna Čivle,
Artistic Director,
Staro Riga Light Festival 2020
26496644, diana.civle@riga.lv.
Kaspars Zaviļeiskis,
Communications Director,
Staro Riga Light Festival 2020
26593669, kaspars.zavileiskis@gmail.com