NEW THEATRE INSTITUTE OF LATVIA

contemporary performing arts in Latvia and abroad

The International Festival of Contemporary Theatre “Homo Novus” will take place in Riga from August 30 to September 9. The 19th festival is dedicated to at the actions of hospitality, collectivity and the potentialities of working together, not apart..

This year the festival will host the Riga premieres of some of the most anticipated Latvian shows as well as playing host to three new inventions made through our new Summer Residency Program.

The Festival will open on the 30th with Krista Burane’s award nominated production “Visi putni skaisti dzied” presented in collaboration with Dirty Deal Teatro & the Riga Summer Program. This new epic opera composed by Jēkabs Nīmanis invites us to view the battle between nature and human desires, an intimate view into non-human perspectives. This work will be presented site-specifically at Dzegužkalns park on August 30th and 31st. The performance is offered for free however reservations must be obtained through homonovus.lv.

After the incredible success of the Baltic Take Over in Helsinki, Homo Novus is presenting the Riga premiere of both of these master pieces after rave reviews in Finland.

After two sold out shows at Teatri Viirus in Helsinki, KVADRIFRONS presents their latest theatrical adventure – this time with zombies. “When the Sleeper Wakes” is a lyrical horror story about unbreakable bonds of friendship, multiple awakenings of Snow White, Bonnie Tyler’s poignant superhit, a broken wind generator, a huge mirror and an even bigger black hole.

LAUKKU will attempt once more to dream of the perfect arts house for Riga through their 7 hour durational piece. After dreaming alongside Kiasma Gallery in Helsinki to more than 1000 viewers the LAUKKU collective will once again install their methodology into public space, inviting audiences as participants, as builders and as dreamers. The Outdoor installation will take place in Riga centre on Sunday 3rd (location to be announced in August).

Throughout Summer the Casino Latvian Summer Residencies have been taking space with three artist groups generating an offering for the festival. The 2023 residents are: Laikmetīgās dejas apvienība “SIXTH”, Rūta Ronja Pakalne un Laura Gorodko & “Spēļlaukums”: Madara Gruntmane, Krišjānis Elviks, Nauris Miķelis Goba. Each artist group receives a residency in the festival Centre which includes curatorial and financial support before sharing their findings in the festival. The sharing times will be announced in August.

With this last announcement before the full program is revealed in the first week August – we can announce that Jaha Koo is returning to Homo Novus with the next work his trilogy “Cuckoo”. In bittersweet and humorous dialogues, Jaha and his clever rice cookers take you on a journey through the last 20 years of Korean history, combining personal experience with political events and reflections on happiness, economic crises and death.

The Final program announcement including all the free events at the Homo Novus festival Centre will be made on early August. For more information and to book tickets please visit www.homonovus.lv

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