FestivaL'and 5.0 / Jul 22–Aug 3, 2024 / Valmiera, Latvia

Students of architecture, urban design and related disciplines are invited to the Summer School of Ephemeral Architecture and Spatial Design “FestivaL’and 5.0” in 2024. Summer course is organized as a cooperation between Art Academy of Latvia, Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture, RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design and Valmiera Summer Theatre festival (VVTF).

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The first application round for foreign participants seeking scholarships is open from Feb 1 until April 1, 2024. There are in total 10 Latvian state scholarships available. Scholarships are administered by the State Education Development Agency. Read more about application HERE.

Summer school dates: July 22 – Aug 3, 2024 (arrival July 21, departure Aug 3)
Duration: 12 days
Location: Valmiera city, Latvia / indoors and outdoors*
Type of summer course: with overnight accommodation*
Languages of instruction: Latvian and English

THINK! DESIGN! BUILD! “FestivaL’and 5.0” will take place for the fifth time in Valmiera (Latvia). It is a DesignBuild summer course to go beyond the academic knowledge getting out of the classroom into the physical world of design and construction for city users of all generations. The participants led by design and architecture professionals will generate ideas, design, and learn crafts of construction to create and build an instant spatial framework as an audiovisual adventure and part of theatre festival program.

The summer school is devoted to the idea of the contemporary ephemeral architecture and urban design elements as catalysts for important processes in the society, urban environments, perception, and usability of the city. In the context of climate change, circular economy principles and the quest for a humane, socially inclusive and natural environment, the program will highlight the theme LIFE, inviting students to experiment with the possibilities of using wood, other raw and natural materials and by-products of industry. During the summer school, participants will gain knowledge, skills and experience in the process of design creation from research, ideation, tectonic experimentation to 1:1 scale hands on construction.

After completion of the course participants will receive certificate and 6 ECTS.

Curator of the summer school:
Dina Suhanova, dina.suhanova@lma.lv

Valmiera Summer Theater festival is a unique theater event held annually in the urban environment, open air and non-traditional locations in Valmiera city. The performances are exclusively produced for the festival by national and internationally renowned theatre professionals. The festival is in search of unusual places and original forms, which entertain, enrich, and provoke the festival visitors, locals of Valmiera and guests of the city. In addition to the theater performances, the parallel interdisciplinary program expands the festival into the urban space of the city.

In the summer of 2024 the event will take place from Aug 2 to 4 already for the 9th time.
The festival is organized by Valmiera Drama theatre with the support from Municipality of Valmiera Region.

Valmiera is the largest city in the Vidzeme planning region. In the context of Latvia, it is considered as a development city with strong traditions of the production and industry, a considerable cultural heritage, and history.

Valmiera is one of the oldest cities in Latvia founded in about 1283. It is the former Hanseatic city, ruined by wartime of 20th century, and therefore missing the presence of the historical center in the urban fabric. Valmiera is the administrative, educational, cultural and sports center of the Vidzeme region. As it is a city with a true entrepreneurial spirit, Valmiera is also the center for economic development of the region.

Area of the city – 19,35 km².
Population – 24 750 (data from the year 2021). 
Distance to Riga – 115 km.