The international project DESIG*ness represents a significant initiative in the field of inclusive design, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration through a structured sequence of academic and artistic events, including a summer school, an innovative study process, and a theatre performance.

Within the framework of the project DESIG*ness. Design and Diversity in Higher Education, the Art Academy of Latvia (LMA) has implemented a series of interrelated creative engagements aimed at advancing inclusivity in design education. A notable outcome of this project was the recent realization of the performance "Light, I Hear You" at the Latvian Puppet Theater, which exemplifies the application of inclusive design principles in performative arts.

The DESIG*ness project activities, implemented by the Art Academy of Latvia (LMA), the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan (NABA), and the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA), focus on inclusive design processes, fostering co-creation and innovation among students, educators, and people with disabilities. During the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year, three consecutive events took place, developing methods and practices of inclusive design.

Summer School – Inclusive Design and Co-Creation

In September 2024, three different summer schools or creative workshops took place at the partner universities involved in the project. The primary objective of these workshops was to promote the participation of people with disabilities (including hearing, visual, and mobility impairments) in cultural activities and to enhance the accessibility of higher education in design and the arts.

The workshops in Riga, held from September 16 to 20, brought together students and lecturers from LMA's Interior Design, Graphic Design, and Textile Art programs, as well as individuals with visual impairments, and young students and their teachers from Riga Strazdumuiža Secondary School – Development Center.

An associate partner of the project, the organization Apeirons—an association for people with disabilities and their friends—provided participants with valuable information and expertise on various aspects of visual impairment. One of the key contributors was lecturer Līga Ķikute, who shared insights on the challenges and experiences of people with visual disabilities.

The summer school organized by LMA consisted of three workshops with distinct thematic focuses:

"Movement and Space", led by director Elīna Cērpa and architect/designer Ieva Lāce-Lukševica, explored how movement and the human body can serve as tools for self-discovery and spatial awareness. Movement was examined as a method for developing inclusive scenography for a performance at the Latvian Puppet Theater, with initial concepts emerging that would be equally perceptible to both sighted individuals and those with visual impairments.

Participants experimented with various forms of movement, touch, and sound to uncover the significance of the whole body in interacting with the surrounding environment and in conveying messages.

Meanwhile, the workshop "Materiality", led by artists Ūna Laukmane and Ieva Krūmiņa, provided participants with a five-day opportunity to experiment with various materials, exploring how they create their own visual and tactile narratives. The interaction between materials, environment, and light was analyzed, as well as the relationship between humans and materials, which generates different modes of engagement and emotional dimensions.

The third workshop, "Accessibility and Availability of Visual Arts for People with Functional Visual Impairments", focused on the accessibility of art within cultural institutions. Led by designer Rihards Funts and art curator Adele Bērziņa, it took place at the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMM). The workshop highlighted the significance of senses essential for blind individuals—touch and smell—and their potential application in perceiving and experiencing visual information.

The DESIGN*ness project lead at LMA is Vineta Kreigere, while the summer school program in Riga was developed by LMA Professor Barbara Ābele in collaboration with curator Adele Bērziņa and designer Rihards Funts.

Autumn Study Semester – Development of Scenographic Details and Prototypes for the Theater Performance

The ideas generated during the summer school workshops were further developed in the autumn semester as part of the first-year Master's studies in the Textile Art and Design program. The students explored tactile storytelling through various textile materials, creating unique and personalized scenographic elements.

The results were presented at the semester-end exhibition titled "Touch Allowed", where visitors were invited to experience art through touch, revealing a new dimension in the perception of visual arts. Some of the exhibited works were later incorporated into the tactile scenography of the theater performance “Light, I Hear You”. The exhibition was further enriched by the presence of nearly all summer school participants and workshop leaders.

Authors – First-Year Master’s Students in the Textile Art and Design Program at LMA: Signe Birkova, Ilze Rukšāne, Aija Cimiņa, Maija Mackus, Anita Krastiņa, Grace Nitoumbi.

The Performance "Light, I Hear You" – An Emotional Culmination

One of the most emotional moments of the DESIGNness project unfolded on February 7, when the performance "Light, I Hear You" reached its audience. Directed by Elīna Cērpa in collaboration with an international creative team, the production brought together a unique ensemble—three blind girls and a professional actress—who shared the stage with scenographic elements crafted by scenographer Pamela Butāne. These scenographic details, which found their way into the hands of the audience, were originally developed as prototypes within the LMA study process and the DESIGNness project.

The performance presents a documentary narrative, where three visually impaired girls tell stories, dance, joke, and sing about their experiences of being blind. The audience is invited to listen and feel—to engage with the world not through sight but through touch and sound, as these are the performers' primary means of connecting with their surroundings.

One of the key scenographic elements—a large book filled with pages made of various textile materials—is placed in the laps of the spectators. This tactile book allows the audience to immerse themselves in the personal narratives of each girl through the sense of touch.

The performance challenges perceptions, dictating its own rhythm and encouraging viewers to step outside their habitual ways of experiencing the world, breaking free from conventional frames and stereotypes.

LMA is grateful  to have the opportunity to participate in this unique project, which has given students and lecturers the chance to learn from the experience of interaction and discovery together with people with visual impairments, as well as to witness the miracle of theater creation and artistic experience without the presence of sight.

Creators of the Performance:

Director: Elīna Cērpa
Poet and Translator: Matias Knolls
Choreographer: Noa Simons
Scenographer: Pamela Butāne
Composer and Sound Artist: Staņislavs Kuļikovs
Actresses: Agnese Puisāne, Elīza Kupruka, Sindija Šteinberga, Dace Vītola

Watch the rehearsal process here.

For more information about the Latvian Puppet Theater and the accessibility of the performance, please visit: www.lelluteatris.lv

Creative Synergy and the Importance of Inclusive Art

The DESIG*ness project demonstrates that design and art can serve as a bridge between different societal groups, creating an environment in which everyone can find their form of expression and be heard or seen. The series of events within the project highlights the power of inclusive thinking and its transformative impact on society.

The Art Academy of Latvia is pleased to be part of this unique project, which has given students and lecturers the opportunity to learn and experience communication and cognition together with people with visual impairments, as well as to experience the wonder of creating theatre and experiencing art without the presence of sight.