On January 14, 2025, the first class of the mini-project “The Other in Art and Life” took place at the Rothko Museum for Daugavpils school youth. The class was aimed at developing cultural awareness, creative self-expression, and critical thinking skills as part of the “Horizon Europe” programme project “The Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe” (CLiViE). The mini-project is designed to explore how meaningful interactions with contemporary art influence young people’s attitudes towards “the other”. The event series at the Rothko Museum will combine theory and practical activities, including art exhibition tours, discussions with curators, and creative workshops.

At the January 14 event, together with Aivars Baranovskis, the curator of the exhibition “Disegno Interno: Surrender to Your Obsessions”, the young people learned about the manifestations of surrealism in the works of Jan Švankmajer and Eva Švankmajerová (Czech Republic). In the second part of the event, artist Mairita Folkmane conducted a creative workshop during which the participants created assemblages from recycled materials. At the invitation of the event manager, Alīna Romanovska, the young people actively participated in suggesting titles for the mini-project, from which “The Other in Art and Life” was chosen.

To evaluate the effectiveness of arts-based education and determine its relevance and economic benefits, the “Horizon Europe” programme project “The Cultural Literacies’ Value in Europe” envisages to implement four mini-projects. These will involve cooperation between researchers from Daugavpils University and both formal and informal education establishments, as well as consultations with the project’s official partners from European universities and cultural institutions. Cooperation with the cultural industries adds value to the project, while the involvement of children and youth in project activities will enhance their cultural literacy, foster personal development, encourage positive engagement, and promote tolerance, equality, and inclusion within the cultural space of Latvia and Europe.

Project’s website: https://www.clivieproject.eu

The project has received funding from the European Union’s “Horizon Europe” Research and Innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101132285.

Further information:
Associate Professor and Lead Researcher at Daugavpils University Alīna Romanovska
alina.romanovska@du.lv

Photo:
Sergejs Kuzņecovs,
Margarita Abarasa,
Alīna Romanovska