The Art Academy of Latvia announces the application for Latvian State Scholarships for international participants in the International Summer School of Ephemeral Architecture and Spatial Design “FestivaL'and 5.0”. The Summer School will take place in 2024 from 22 July to 3 August in Valmiera, Latvia.

“FestivaL'and” is a summer school format developed in collaboration with the Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival (VVTF) and held for the first time in 2018. At the Summer School, experimental temporary architectural and design interventions become catalysts for significant processes of change in the urban environment. The Summer School is dedicated to the creative synergy of art, design, architecture, and develops as an urban laboratory, temporarily transforming certain places for the duration of the theatre festival, bringing them to life, offering unexpected experiences, changing perception and revealing the potential for new uses.

12-day Summer School “FestivaL'and 5.0”, planned for 2024, will take place for the fifth time and is organised as a cooperation project between the Art Academy of Latvia, Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture and Architecture and Design faculty of the RISEBA University of Applied Sciences. In the context of climate change, circular economy principles and the quest for a humane, socially inclusive and natural environment, the summer school will highlight the theme LIFE, inviting students to experiment with the possibilities of using wood, other raw and natural materials and by-products of industry. During the summer school, participants will gain knowledge, skills and experience in the process of design creation, from research, ideation, tectonic experimentation to 1:1 scale construction in urban environments, becoming part of the theatre festival's annual event in Valmiera.

The Summer School's teaching staff consists of lecturers, professionals in the fields of architecture, design and art with experience in both practice and pedagogy – lecturer, architectural construction technology and materials expert Krista Zvirgzda, architect and lecturer Edward Crump (Kingston University), architect Niklāvs Paegle (ĒTER), architect Rūdolfs Dainis Šmits (RISEBA), artist Madara Kvēpa (LMA), architect and researcher Dina Suhanova (LMA, LMDA) and others.
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10 scholarships are available for international participants to take part in the 2024 Summer School. Students and academic staff from the following 43 countries are eligible to apply: USA, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium (Walloon-Brussels Federation), Bulgaria, Czech Republic, South Korea, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Croatia, Estonia, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, People's Republic of China, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Fiji, Germany, Namibia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, and Vietnam.

The scholarship covers accommodation in a student hostel, two meals a day, activities included in the summer school programme, workshops, lectures, study tours, cultural activities, and the necessary materials and equipment for the duration of the school. 
The scholarship does not cover travel, VISA and insurance costs. Participants are obliged to cover their own travel expenses from their country of origin to Riga, Latvia. The organisers of the Summer School will provide transportation from Riga to the Summer School venue in Valmiera as far as possible.

The deadline for applications for the scholarships for foreign participants is 1 April 2024. Candidates will be selected on the basis of a competitive application form, motivation and creativity. The awarding of scholarships to candidates is subject to the approval of the Evaluation Committee of the State Education Development Agency. 

Applications are open to both Bachelor and Master level students in the humanities and engineering from fields of study such as architecture and urbanism, spatial development planning, construction, art and design, audiovisual arts and similar. If motivated, the participation of students from other specialisations in the summer school will also be supported.

To apply, candidates should fill in the application, submit a CV, a motivation letter and a photograph or digital image of their most recent creative work or project. Foreign participants applying for Latvian state scholarships additionally must submit a copy of their passport or ID, proof of student status and (if available) proof of English language skills.

The Summer School organisers will inform all applicants of the results of the scholarship competition by e-mail after 18 April.

Applications for participants from Latvia and those not applying for scholarships will be announced in April. Stay tuned!

At the end of the summer school, participants will receive a certificate as proof of participation and the award of 6 ECTS credits.

Co-organisers: Art Academy of Latvia Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture (LMDA), RISEBA University of Applied Sciences Faculty of Architecture and Design in cooperation with Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival

Financial support: State Education Development Agency Republic of Latvia. Municipality of Valmiera Region

Contact:
Dina Suhanova, dina.suhanova(abols)lma.lv