Challenges presented in the application for Riga as European capital of culture 2014:

• Develop a new understanding of culture, perceiving it as broader than the development of the specific cultural sector, expanding borders and demonstrating the effectiveness of the presence of culture and creativity in all fields as an ability to create added value and develop a positive influence on people, the economy, various aspects of development of the city and society, the human race as a whole;

• Expand the borders of accessibility of culture and initiate the creation of a new form of civil communication, in order to reach new audiences, involve existing ones and ensure their participation in cultural processes, activating a new quality of communication culture within interest groups.

• Create common discussion in interest groups, for the surmounting of sector, territorial, social and competence barriers and common resolution of tasks. Development of a common responsibility and action platform on a local, regional and cross-border cooperation level, within the framework of existing organizations (business associations, research and manufacturing business clusters), as well as develop the creation of a new intersectional cooperation network.

Justification of challenges

For twenty years Latvia’s history has been characterised by – nationalism – segregation – Europisation – migration – ascent – crisis – joint creation of responsibility. These processes can be considered summary development lines, resulting from privatisation, liberalisation and structural reforms over recent years in this region. They are processes that concern society as a whole and influence every person’s life. They are visible and tangible processes that have long-term consequences for society and which create the base from which the city will develop. Creative ideas, creative approaches, creative solutions, imagination and ideas are becoming the main economic driving forces in the world. Creativity has always been an instrument of cultural processes, thanks to which development, cooperation, acquisition of traditions are possible, but the city has developed as a space where creativity can take place. Creativity is what develops links between people, promotes the development of a dynamic society and competition. Latvia’s long-term development strategy for 2030 indicates that creativity is a resource that Latvia, including Riga, as the most significant source of human capital and partnership, mustn’t deplete, but look for new ways in which to make use of.

The fuel of creative economy is creative substance or idea resource, which is generated by talent and an open society. The joint creation of responsibility is the quintessence of the creative process. Three things are necessary for joint creation: cooperation between people and organisations – desire to cooperate, practical action; cooperation institutionalisation – common standards, knowledge, values, support – and social capital – common trust, contacts. The joint creation of responsibility is Latvia’s and Riga’s challenge for the next few years and can be achieved by developing the potential for creativity, imagination and cooperation. Creativity is the resource of the future, without which the joint creation of responsibility is impossible.

Goals proposed in riga’s application

• Promote creativity and an innovative approach, highlighting these as key catalysts in cultural development and the improvement of cultural processes, because culture as an instrument for the cultivation of creative skills and improvement of the individual is the main precondition for the birth of new ideas and improvement of the quality of life and culture as an event and process of society.

• Show the diversity of European culture and encourage intercultural dialogue, promoting the development of a quality, new communication level between people in the Latvian and other European country cultural sector, societies in the civil sense, different generations, social groups and interest groups;

• Promote dialogue and understanding between cultures and nations, promoting diversity of civil opinion and multiculturalism, thus enriching the European cultural space;

• Accentuate the need to deepen the concept of development in the city administration context, supplementing it with a cultural dimension and underlining the fact that cultural development and creative activity are significant factors that influence the quality of life, welfare and sustainability of cities;

• Highlight and present the interconnections between the cultural, educational and economic sectors, acknowledging that the synergy of these fields develops an economy based on knowledge, highlighting the importance of the creative industry in the economy;

• Implement Riga’s cultural development vision and popularise it in Europe, thus promoting the city’s intention to visibly demonstrate that an understanding of culture promotes human rights, sustainability, democratic participation and creates conditions for peace;

• Fulfil Riga’s ambitions with a rapid and determined development of the cultural sector, bringing to life new cultural infrastructure facilities in Riga’s urban landscape and developing the existing cultural infrastructure.

• Promote the principal of participation as the basis of cultural development, which would interweave and link civil responsibility, identity, creation, intercultural dialogue and festive atmosphere;

• Underline the importance of local cultural development, because it furthers the democratic participation of society, multiplies social capital and balances current globalisation tendencies, highlighting the importance of culture in a local context and promoting the rights of all city inhabitants to culture and knowledge, discriminating no-one.