AAL ANNOUNCES A SUMMER SCHOOL IN ARCHITECTURE AND SPATIAL DESIGN AND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPANTS / 2025
The Art Academy of Latvia announces the application for Latvian State Scholarships for international students and academic staff from architecture, design and similar fields to participate in the annual Summer School “FestivaL'and 6.0”. This year it will take place from 25 June to 5 July in Valmiera, Latvia. Apply until April 1!
“FestivaL'and” is design-build Summer School format developed in collaboration with the Valmiera Summer Theatre Festival and held for the first time in 2018. Dedicated to the creative synergy of art, design, architecture and construction technologies, the Summer School is an urban laboratory for temporal transformations in the city. At the Summer School, experimental spatial architectural and design interventions become catalysts for important change in the urban environment. “FestivaL'and” is a summer camp and gathering to celebrate co-creation – participants will gain new knowledge, skills and experience in the teamwork and live process of design from research and ideation to 1:1 scale timber construction becoming part of the Valmiermuiža cultural programme.
In 2025 “FestivaL'and” will take place for the sixth time and is organised by the Art Academy of Latvia, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture (LMDA) in collaboration with Cultural Association CAMPOSAZ, Valmiermuiža Association of Culture, and the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the RISEBA University of Applied Sciences.
The Summer School will be led by experienced and professional tutors from the Italian-based but internationally operating non-profit collective organisation CAMPOSAZ that promotes self-building, craftsmanship and designing with wood. Intense workshops will be accompanied by inspiring lectures from architect Niklāvs Paegle (ĒTER), architect Rūdolfs Dainis Šmits (RISEBA), carpenter and set designer Rudolf Bekič, architect and researcher Dina Suhanova (LMA, LMDA).
Who can apply?
Applications are open to both bachelor- and master-level students in the humanities and engineering fields of study such as architecture and urbanism, spatial development planning, construction, art and design, audiovisual arts, and similar. If motivated, the participation of students from other specialisations in the summer school will also be supported.
There are 10 scholarships available for international participants, students and academic staff who are citizens of the following 46 countries: Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium (Federation Wallonia–Brussels), Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The People`s Republic of China, The United States of America, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Namibia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Fiji, Kenya, Liberia.
The scholarship covers accommodation in a student hostel, two meals a day, activities included in the summer school programme, workshops, lectures, study tours, cultural activities, and the necessary materials and equipment for the duration of the school.
The scholarship does not cover travel, VISA and insurance costs. Participants must cover their travel expenses from their country of origin to Riga, Latvia. The organisers of the Summer School will provide transportation from Riga to the Summer School venue in Valmiera.
The deadline for applications for scholarships for foreign participants is 1 April 2025.
Candidates will be selected based on a competitive application, motivation and creativity. The awarding of scholarships to candidates is subject to the approval of the Evaluation Committee of the State Education Development Agency.
To apply, candidates should fill in the application, submit a CV, a motivation letter and a photograph or digital image of their most recent creative work or project. Foreign participants applying for Latvian state scholarships additionally must submit a copy of their passport or ID, proof of student status and (if available) proof of English language skills.
The Summer School organisers will inform all applicants of the results of the scholarship competition by e-mail 2-4 weeks after the application closes.
Applications for participants from Latvia and those not applying for scholarships will be announced in March. Stay tuned for further information!
At the end of the summer school, participants will receive a certificate as proof of participation and the award of 6 ECTS credits.
Organiser: The Institute of Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture of the Art Academy of Latvia
Collaboration: Cultural Association CAMPOSAZ, Valmiermuiža Association of Culture, Faculty of Architecture and Design of the RISEBA University of Applied Sciences.
Financial support:
State Education Development Agency Republic of Latvia
Municipality of Valmiera Region
Contact:
Dina Suhanova, dina.suhanova(abols)lma.lv
Summer School website: www.festivaland.org