NEW THEATRE INSTITUTE OF LATVIA

contemporary performing arts in Latvia and abroad

August

Festival is an international contemporary circus and street theatre festival taking place annually in August since 2013. Festival performances, street actions and other events take place in various locations around the city.

Organiser: “Pievilcīgas pilsētvides biedrība” (Society for Attractive Urban Environment)

Contacts: info@rereriga.lv

rereriga.lv

July - August

Contemporary Art Festival, founded in 2007, is held every summer during a period of one month and offers a broad programme including academic music concerts, visual arts exhibitions, performances, open air opera and film screenings in the urban spaces of Cēsis - a town located approximately 1,5h drive from Riga.

Contacts: alisezagare@gmail.com, tel. +371 29334417

www.cesufestivals.lv

October

Every autumn Golden Mask Festival in Latvia offers operas, theatre and dance performances from Russia that are nominated or have already received the Russian theatre award "Golden Mask". Festival programme includes seminars, workshops and lectures.

Organiser: Art Forte

Contacts: natella@artforte.lv, tel. +371 67227411

www.goldenmask.lv

April / May

International Baltic Ballet Festival takes place in Riga and other cities in Latvia every spring. The motto of the festival is "from classics to avangard". The programme of the festival includes classical and modern ballet performances, fine art exhibitions on ballet as the main theme and other activities.

Organiser: "Litas Beiris Dejas mākslas centrs"

Contacts: info@ballet-festival.lv, tel. +371 25486030

www.ballet-festival.lv

June

Since 2005 "Time to Dance" festival takes place every year in the beginning of summer. The programme includes performances by local and international artists, the works by the dance students of the Latvian Academy of Culture and master classes and workshops by international and local professionals.

Organiser: Latvian Professional Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Association

Contacts: horasoc@gmail.com

dance.lv

September

The International Festival of Contemporary Theatre "Homo Novus" is one of the biggest performing arts festivals in the Baltic region. It takes place in Riga over six days every second year and presents an intensive programme of performances, workshops, installations, discussions, creating a meeting point for artists and audiences to share opinions on the world and society. Homo Novus has been crucial in introducing some on the most important theatre artists from the international scene along with emerging talents to Latvian audiences. The festival also supports local Latvian artists by commissioning, producing and premiering new works. Since 1995, 11 festivals have taken place, presenting more than 100 guest performances and producing new work.

Organiser: New Theatre Institute of Latvia

www.homonovus.lv

Founded in 1998, the Riga Opera Festival is held every summer and marks the end of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet’s performance season.

Organiser: Latvian National Opera and Ballet

Contacts: Aspazijas bulvāris 3, Rīga, LV 1050, +371 67073777, info@opera.lv

www.opera.lv

August

Founded in 2009, a small format festival "Dirty Drama" takes place every August and focuses on a specific theme - social activism, garbage theatre, tolerance, war notes etc. The programme includes performances, lectures and workshops for theatre professionals.

Organiser: Dirty Deal Teatro

Contacts: info@dirtydealteatro.lv, +37128603593

dirtydeal.lv

March

Founded in 2017, Festival "Eju meklē!" is one of the only festivals in Latvia that presents Latvian and international professional theatre performances for children and young audiences in Latvia.

Organisers: ASSITEJ Latvia

Contacts: info@ejumeklet.lv

ejumeklet.lv

August

Since 2016 performance art summer festival is organized by Valmiera Drama Theatre and Valmiera municipality. Programme includes new contemporary creations by local, young theatre directors and international performances in public spaces of the city.

Contacts: festivals@valmiera.lv

valmierasfestivals.lv

Movement theater was founded in 1978 by the legendary Latvian artist Ansis Rūtentāls (1949-2000) under the name LU Student Theater Movement and Plastic Group. At that time, the theater was characterized by two basic principles of the creative process: the visual interpretation of music and the expression of associations created by a musical composition in movement, as well as the creative personality of an actor interested in world events.

Since 200, Ansis Rutentals Movement Theatre has been headed by Dzintars Krūmiņš. It is an independent company that creates stage works, participates in video installations and performances. The theater does not have its own permanent premises, performances are rarely staged and performed (at the Independent Theater “Skatuve”, at the Theater House of the Latvian Academy of Culture “Zirgu pasts”). The theater has participated in festivals and performed in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Armenia, England, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Austria and Hungary.

Artistic director – Dzintars Krūmiņš

Contacts:
arkt@arkt.lv
http://arkt.lv/en/

National Center of the International Children and Youth Theater Association (ASSITEJ), which represents Latvia in ASSITEJ activities. ASSITEJ-Latvia members are representing both theater professionals and individual artists.

The center organizes workshops and promotes Latvian theater performances dedicated to children and youth in international festivals. The festival of children's and youth performances organized by ASSITEJ-Latvija has taken place several times in various cities of Latvia.

Chairwoman of the Latvian ASSITEJ department – Lilija Lipora

Contacts:
lilija@ejumeklet.lv
http://ejumeklet.lv/en/assitej/

Association "Workshops" is an alternative training system and basis for the development of creativity for future and practicing theater and film professionals.

Association "Workshops" initiates and implements continuous and short-term training in the form of workshops, where those interested acquire, in addition to theoretical knowledge, skills for their application in practice.

Contacts:
11@darbnicas.lv
http://www.darbnicas.lv/darbnicas/

Association of Choreographers is a member organization that serves as an umbrella organization for Latvian contemporary dance artists and also creates and manages creative projects.

Founded in 2003 as the "Association of Contemporary Dance Choreographers in Latvia", in 2006 it became the "Association of Choreographers". The Association of Choreographers unites both the youngest professional contemporary dance professionals and the beginners of contemporary dance in Latvia.

Chairwoman of the Board of Association of Choreographers – Ina Ločmele

Contacts:
horasoc@gmail.com
+371 29126544
Facebook page of Association of Choreographers

Dita Balčus Theater is a non-commercial project theater that involves professional artists in its projects. The theater has been formed and transformed, but has existed in various rooms ("Kabata", "Artelis") since 1990s, and is currently located in the cultural space "3 Sisters".

The theater has a long experience in creating children's performances. The repertoire includes performances by both children and adults.

Director - Dita Balčus

Contacts:
Zirgu Street 1, Riga, LV–1050
+371 26003578
info@ditasbalcusteatris.lv
http://3masas.lv/en/
Facebook page of "3 Sisters"

ESARTE is an independent theatre collective founded in 2020 by acknowledged director Elmārs Seņkovs and his former students - young puppet and object theatre actors. Seņkovs is the artistic director of the company and other members include performers Sandija Dovgāne, Una Eglīte, Alīda Pērkone, Elizabete Skrastiņa, Matīss Budovskis, Mārtiņš Gailis, Agris Krapivņickis, set desginer Līga Zepa uand light designer Niks Cipruss.

ESARTE aims to act as a theatre platform to explore and zoom into the current world and people. In one of their first productions "Last Hours" , the young company focuses on elderly people and  research done in the retirement homes in Latvia. With no particular residence place, the company plans to collaborate with other artists, producers and institutions.

Artistic director – Elmārs Seņkovs

Contacts:
Facebook page of the theater company "ESARTE"

Contacts: Guna Zeltiņa, +371 29470990, guna.zeltina@lulfmi.lv

ITI Latvia is a branch of the International Theatre Institute which is a world organization for performing arts. Contacts: Brigita Silina, +371 26 39 92 82, itilatvia@gmail.com

Kroders.lv is an informative and analytical thought space – an internet platform and a site of current theater processes in Latvian – that offers space for professional critics and students to exchange informative and analytical thoughts about theater.

Kroders.lv evaluates the current process of Latvian theater, researches theoretical and historical theatrical phenomena, reads and analyzes plays and books, contributes to a blog, writing about the world of theater.

Editor-in-chief - Ieva Rodiņa

Contacts:
ieva@kroders.lv
info@kroders.lv
www.kroders.lv
Facebook page of kroders.lv

KVADRIFRONS is a non-governmental, non-commercial and institutionally independent theater troupe, founded in September 2017 by young professionals Reinis Boters, Klāvs Mellis, Āris Matesovičs, Ance Strazda and Evarts Melnalksnis. The troupe creates performances in contemporary aesthetics with an interdisciplinary and performative approach. The performances and the overall artistic program include elements of theater, music, visual arts and cinema.

Important aspects of the activity are research, interviewing with conventional structures and international cooperation. KVADRIFRONS wants to talk about the relationship between people and society now, to critically evaluate the past, to react actively to what is happening and to form a vision for the future, not forgetting contradictions, laughter and wit. KVADRIFRONS creates an art space where all kinds of people can feel belonging and addressed.

Contacts:
info@kvadrifrons.lv
http://www.kvadrifrons.lv
Facebook page of KVADRIFRONS

The aim of Latvian Dance Information Centre (LDIC) is to promote the circulation of information in the field of Latvian dance by promoting both the development of artists and the public's understanding and interest in the achievements of the dance art industry.

Information about opportunities for representatives of the dance art industry is published on the association's website dance.lv, while in the magazines journal.dance.lv and ballet.dance.lv – news, reviews and interviews about contemporary dance and ballet. In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, from 2019 LDIC will present the highest award in Latvia in professional dance art – the Dance Award.

Dance.lv magazine editor and LDIC board chairwoman – Inta Balode

Contacts:
+371 23307679
info@dance.lv
Facebook page of the Latvian Dance Information Centre

Latvian Theatre Workers Association is a union that unites all theatre professionals who join on voluntary basis. Its aims are to maintain, promote and develop the theatre culture of Latvia, to defend the rights and professional, economic and social interests of its members and enhance the prestige of theatre professions, to participate in creating and implementing of culture policies at a state level. The union is the organiser of the annual Latvian Theatre Award event “Spēlmaņu nakts”. It is also the co-organiser of the Baltic theatre festival "Skats".

Contacts: ltds@ltds.lv

www.ltds.lv

New Theatre Institute of Latvia (NTIL) is a project based organisation working in the field of contemporary performing arts. Since 1995 NTIL has been organizing the biennial International Festival of Contemporary Theatre "Homo Novus", which is the largest performing arts platform in Latvia. NTIL also produces and presents projects and long term collaboration programmes together with local and international partners, strongly believing in the necessity to explore the contemporary performing arts field together with artists and audiences. Contacts: Miera iela 39-2, LV 1001, Rīga, +371 67228477 www.theatre.lv

"Teātra vēstnesis" is the only printed journal about theatre. It publishes reviews, interviews, news about theater events and processes in Latvia and abroad. Published 3 - 4 times a year, only in Latvian.

Editor Edīte Tišheizere

Contacts: Dzirnavu iela 135, Rīga, LV 1050, 371 67287560, teatravestnesis@ltds.lv

The Theater of Playwrights, established in 2007, performs only plays by contemporary Latvian authors, provided that the author must participate in the process of staging his play, choosing whether he will be an assistant director or actor or one of the theater staff, thus trying to maintain a living connection between the playwright and the theater. The theater employs professional and non-professional actors.

Artistic director - Hermanis Paukšs

Contacts:
+371 22067325
Krišjāņa Barona Street 130/12,Riga,LV–1012
dramaturgu.teatris@gmail.com
www.dramaturguteatris.lv

In April 2011, Liepaja Theater actor Kaspars Gods established an independent theater – an alternative playroom – in Liepaja and positioned it as the only independent theater outside Riga. In addition to its founder, the theater also includes director Varis Siliņš, Leons Leščinskis and several actors of the new generation Liepāja Theater. The theatre has staged several performances with which it has also visited other cities in Latvia.

Contacts:
Manager of the Theatre of Gods – Zane Ellere
+371 20044673
www.godateatris.lv
Facebook page of Theatre of Gods

Theatre of Istaba | Room Theater is a professional theatre that creates performances for children, adolescents and their parents in an environment unusual for the theatre. The activity started in 2014 with the idea to create one show for children and their parents in the gallery "Istaba". The first performance was followed by the next, then the next, then the next, becoming an independent organization that plays and creates performances, fitting into different environments – art gallery, classroom, street, museum, etc.

The core of the theater is formed by director Jānis Znotiņš and producer Alma Kušķe, attracting both working and independent actors and theater professionals to the performances. The goal of Theatre of Istaba | Room Theater is to create a theater for children and teenagers as an independent art form with its own development and industry professionals.

Contacts:
istabasteatris@gmail.com
+371 26418778
Facebook page of Theatre of Istaba | Room Theater

Traveling Puppet Theater "Maska", based in Liepāja, is one of the oldest professional non-governmental puppet theaters in Latvia (founded in 1994). "Mask" consists of a small troupe, which in its special artistic handwriting (realistic naivety) creates puppet shows for children.

Performances with success have been shown at international festivals and guest performances in Pakistan (Lahore), Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, France, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg). For several years, at the invitation of the Moscow State Philharmonic, guest performances have been performed from Moscow to Baikal (Ufa, Chelyabinsk, Tara, Omsk, the Latvian village of Bobrovka, Toulouse, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk and other cities).

Theater management – Agita Lieldidža and Pēteris Trups

Contacts:
petreks@inbox.lv
+371 263433799
Facebook page of Traveling Puppet Theater "Mask"

Founded in 1920, Daile Theatre is Latvia′s largest professional repertory theatre that stages large scale theatrical productions, mostly musicals, comedies and classical pieces to be presented in its 1000 seat auditorium. The other two halls, that are much smaller, present contemporary pieces and more experimental work. The theatre has in-house directors but also invites other Latvian directors and guest directors from abroad. Managing director Juris Žagars, Artistic director Viesturs Kairišs Contacts: Brīvības iela 75, LV-1001, Rīga, Latvia, phone: +37167270463, pasts@dailesteatris.lv www.dailesteatris.lv

Founded in 1854, Daugavpils theatre is the only theatre in the country with Latvian and Russian troup. Situated in Latvia′s second largest city, it has a very specific regional theatre function. DT′s repertoire is dominated by Latvian, Russian, and foreign classical works, with productions for children and young people.

Director Oļegs Šapošņikovs

Contacts: Rīgas iela 22a, LV-5401, Daugavpils, Latvia, phone: +37165426321, info@daugavpilsteatris.lv

www.daugavpilsteatris.lv

Dirt Deal Teatro is an independent venue established in 2008 with the aim to present first works of local emerging directors and dramaturgs, some of them still students at that time. Now DDT has become an alternative stage that produces small scale productions by younger generation of artists. DDT has also organized a series of dramaturgy readings by local authors, reflecting on global current issues in socio-political theatre projects like "War notes" that came in 2015 as a reaction on war in Ukraine. DDT has a programme for children and organizes "Dirty Drama", a small scale workshop and performance festival taking place each August.

Artistic and managing director Anna Sīle

Contacts: Maskavas iela 12/2, Rīga LV 1050, Latvia, phone: +37126626688, info@dirtydeal.lv

www.dirtydeal.lv/teatro

Latvian National opera and ballet (LNOB) is home to opera and ballet troupes. In the course of a season LNOB performs more than 200 performances, staging on average of five new opera and ballet productions every season.

While mostly paying a tribute to the traditional values of the classical and Romantic operas and ballets that are the cornerstones of its repertoire, the LNOB also strives to introduce contemporary productions to its audiences, as well as children's performances, and original Latvian works. The LNOB company has an active touring schedule and it regularly invites guest artist on its stage. The LNOB is a place where some of the stars of global opera world, Elīna Garanča, Kristine Opolais, Marina Rebeka, Maija Kovaļevska, Aleksandrs Antoņenko and Egils Siliņš started their careers.

Artistic directors Andris Veismanis (opera), Aivars Leimanis (ballet), managing director Zigmars Liepiņš

Contacts: Aspazijas bulvāris 3, Rīga, LV-1050, phone: +37167073777, info@opera.lv

www.opera.lv

Latvian National Theatre (LNT), founded in 1919, works primarily in the traditional theatrical genre of psychological realism, yet over the past years it has regularly introduced experimental and contemporary pieces. Theatre sets a special focus on the development and staging of original Latvian drama. LNT works with in-house directors but also invites independent and guest directors from other theatres houses in Latvia as well as abroad. Managing director Jānis Vimba Contacts: Kronvalda bulvāris 2, Rīga LV 1010, phone: +37167006300, info@teatris.lv www.teatris.lv

Dedicated exclusively to puppetry productions, the Latvian Puppet Theatre (LPT) is the state′s only professional puppet theatre, mostly aimed at children audience. The productions are based primarily on the aesthetics of traditional puppetry. LPT has a Latvian and a Russian troupe.

Managing director Vilnis Beķeris

Contacts: K. Barona 16/18, LV-1050, Rīga, phone: +37167285418, info@lelluteatris.lv

www.lelluteatris.lv

Founded in 1907 and located in Liepāja, the third largest Latvian city on the coast of the Baltic sea, it is the only city theatre in Latvia. It is a repertoire theatre with permanent cast and repertoire. On average 10 new performances are staged every season including works by Latvian and foreign authors.

Managing director Herberts Laukšteins

Contacts: Teātra iela 4, Liepāja, LV 3401, phone: +37163422121, pasts@liepajasteatris.lv

www.liepajasteatris.lv

Founded in 1883, Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theatre′s repertoire is based on dramatic, musical, and children′s theatrical productions, predominantly Russian classics and works of modern playwrights. Riga Russian Theatre is home to local directors as well as host to many guest directors from Russia. The theatre also presents guest performances (mainly from Russian speaking countries), as well as engages in co-productions. Managing Director, Chair of Board Dana Bjorka Contacts: Kaļķu iela 16, Rīga, LV 1050, phone: +37167224660, mct@mct.lv https://www.mct.lv/en/

The New Riga Theatre (NRT), founded in 1992, is a state repertory theatre. Since 1997 its artistic director is Alvis Hermanis, who's work has gained wide international recognition. NRT′s excellent actor troupe has been close collaborators of Alvis Hermanis in the series of productions that explored contemporary Latvia and resulting in productions "The Long Life", "Latvian Stories", "Latvian Love", "The Graveyard Party". NRT has toured extensively with these and other productions by Alvis Hermanis and has been presented in festivals and theatre houses worldwide. In the last years, due to the busy schedule of Alvis Hermanis, other local directors have been more present on NRT stage. Currently NRT continues to search for ways to provide its audience with a vital base for experiencing innovative theatre that pushes the boundaries of reality.

Artistic director Alvis Hermanis, managing director Gundega Palma

International relations: Elīna Adamaite, elina@jrt.lv

Contacts: Lāčplēša iela 25, Rīga, LV-1011, Latvia, phone: +371 67283225, jrt@jrt.lv

www.jrt.lv

Theatre "Ģertrūdes ielas teātris" (ĢIT) was founded in 2009 and is one of the two independent venues in Riga. GIT is a producer and presenter of theatre and dance performances created and performed by local and international artists. ĢIT also participate in other arts and education related initiatives and projects.

Artistic director Andrejs Jarovojs, producer Maija Pavlova

Contacts: Ģertrūdes iela 101a, Rīga, Latvia,phone: +37126355324, git@git.lv

www.git.lv

Founded in 1923, Valmiera Drama Theatre is one of the leading professional state repertory theatres outside Rīga. As all state theatres in Latvia, it mostly bases its repertory on the psychological theatrical tradition, but also invites the new generation of directors to stage productions.

Artistic and managing director Evita Sniedze

Contacts: Lāčplēša iela 1, Valmiera, Latvia, phone: + 37164207297, vdt@vdt.lv

www.vdt.lv