From 29 September to 1 October, the contemporary art festival "Liepāja Art Forum" celebrates diversity in art and society with the motto "All Birds Sing Beautifully". Featuring Latvian and international artists, the festival will impress audiences with virtuoso guitar playing, a rave in the concert hall, avant-garde flamenco, ancient sutartinės chanting and contemporary dance, American a cappella, circus performances, an exhibition, and a participatory musical performance.
The festival week will be introduced by the Cirque Musique Performing Arts Lab from 26 September at the Great Amber Concert Hall, in which young people, together with composer Linda Leimane, musicians and circus artists, will learn the intricacies of contemporary music, collaborative and stage skills and the basic circus elements of acrobatics and juggling in creative workshops. And on 28 September at 19.00, everyone will be able to experience the collaborative work (performance) created during these workshops in the Great Hall of the Concert Hall.
On Friday, 29 September, at 18.00, we will open the exhibition "Milk Diaries. Dementia in Statistics and Stories" by the artist Anna Priedola. The exhibition will be based on the personal experience of the artist, through audiovisual artworks and data visualisations, touching on such fundamental topics as ageing and loneliness, dementia, and the changes in family relationships as a result of these natural life processes. In collaboration with the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art, "Dementia Data Workshops" will take place on 30 September, 21 October, and 4 November from 15.00 to 18.00 led by art mediators.
The opening of the exhibition will be followed at 19.00 by the Scottish electric and acoustic guitar virtuoso Sean Shibe, winner of the prestigious Gramophone and Opus Klassik awards, performing his concert programme "Out there". Shibe is known for his devotional musicality and passionate interpretation of the classics, and this programme masterfully combines contemporary and ancient compositions that speak of spirituality and mysticism.
The highlight of the evening will come at 21.00 with a rave party in the public area of the concert hall, created by Ksenia Kamikaza, a well-known producer and DJ with extraordinary concepts. Joining her at the DJ console will be audio and visual artist "Śūnyata" and techno priestess "DJ Orthodox". Some added thrills will come from Latvian drag queens "Antiboy Amnesia" and "Vencheska Baltique" along with dance show "Deltalivik". The festival motto "All Birds Sing Beautifully" encourages everyone to manifest as their most beautiful self. Video: https://youtu.be/NDsOMe4QpeM
On Saturday, 30 September, at 15.00, the legendary Liepāja club "Kursa" will host the dance performance "Meet" by the duo Ieva and Krišjānis Sants "IevaKrish", fusing two song and dance art forms. Inclusive choreography with references to waltz, salsa and Latvian dances will meet with Lithuanian sutartinės chants, in which multiple singers share different melodies at different pitches. Video: https://youtu.be/Elo_LgXTPao
At 18.00, the Grammy-winning American vocal ensemble "Roomful of Teeth" will appear on the Great Hall stage of the Great Amber Concert Hall with some unexpected a cappella performances. The group is best known for its virtuoso handling and harmonious balancing of different vocal techniques. The singers will perform vocal compositions by talented and accomplished contemporary American women composers. Video: https://youtu.be/1iMJ3qvNHiM
After that, at 21.00, the audience is invited to an exciting and passionate evening at the Fontaine Palace Club featuring Spanish artists performing an exciting avant-garde flamenco act. The exciting performance will blend the elements of flamenco – dance and guitar – with the element of jazz – saxophone infused by the unique instrument, a so called “flamenco machine”. And don't rush home after the performance, but rather enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a Spanish nightclub. Video: https://youtu.be/6TmgCJEpbE4
On Sunday, 1 October, at 11.00 and 14.00, we will be happy to welcome four- to seven-year-olds and their parents and guardians to Norwegian juggler Julian Sæther’s adventurous "Circus in the Enchanted Forest", where they will meet all kinds of fairytale and fantasy creatures through juggling, dancing and theatre. One hour before each performance at 10.00 and 13.00, children will have the opportunity to learn the basics of circus arts in masterclasses. Video: https://youtu.be/mUK3y9kMe3Y
The gala of the festival will take place at 17.00, and we look forward to closing it with a special venue musical performance “All Birds Sing Beautifully” in the Seaside Park, by the “Mother Wind” monument. This will be a performance by Krista Burāne and her team on the boundaries of culture and nature, people and singing.
Audience participation will be most welcome during the show and will shape the overall sound of the performance. Video: https://youtu.be/cr2Gf3DHWTs
"Liepāja Art Forum" is organised by SIA "Lielais Dzintars" Ltd. You can purchase tickets for the festival’s paid events at the "Biļešu paradīze" box office and online:
https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/custompage/3688
For more information about the festival programme, please visit: https://lielaisdzintars.lv/en
The events are supported by the Liepāja Municipality, the European Regional Development Fund, “Valmiermuiža”, “Kokmuiža” and “Gardu muti”, DOTS Foundation, the State Culture Capital Fund, the Kurzeme Planning Region, the Historical Lands of Latvia.
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