Brigade Week

During the «Brigade Week», overall 31 new «Brigade» initiatives will host concerts, workshops, evening tea and other activities, such as «The Game of Tools» where the players need to collect at least four stamps from the workshops and boutiques of «Brigade». The culmination of the week will take be «The Afternoon of Brigades» on Saturday, October 12 from 13.00 to 18.00 in Riga, Gaujas iela 5. At the event, the Swedish entrepreneur Johanna Skantze will give a talk, and all the new «Brigade» groups will present their accomplishments and future plans. The afternoon will conclude with a short excursion around «Dirty Deal Audio» music recording studio and the closing of «The Game of Tools» with a lottery and gifts prepared by the «Brigade» members. The evening will then continue in an informal setting at the art centre «Totaldobže» with performances by Krist Zankovsky and Mix Zankovsky, DJ sets by Kristaps Kuplais, Pēteris Brīniņš, and others. Participation in the event is free of charge, but registration is required.

Johanna Skantze is a public–spirited entrepreneur,who initiates and establishes new cooperation projects. Johanna is the head of a non–profit organization «Generator Sverige» which aims to draw attention to the growth of creative industries in Sweden, and works in the company «Braccobaldo», which focuses on the management of NGO’s and their development in regions. Johanna has studied business and economics at the Linköping University, led several international projects, and provided consultations concerning innovations, entrepreneurship and regional development. In her lecture Johanna will reveal the key for the development of the creative sector, which in her opinion lies in mutual cooperation, stepping over the boundaries of different sectors and disciplines between artists, economists, the public and the private sphere. Johanna will share her experience and reveal her personal motivation to be an entrepreneur and why everything has to be done for 100 %.

Among the 92 projects that entered the competition of the «Brigade» program, financial support for starting and developing an small enterprise was given to 14 initiatives in Riga, 3 in Rezekne, 4 in Cesis, 3 in Carnikava, 2 in Kuldiga and 5 in Sigulda. The allocated support for enterprises was between 2000 and 3333,33 lats. The aim of «Brigade» is to support creative, sustainable entrepreneurship, which is devoted to art or culture, addresses social problems and improves the quality of life of the local community. The program is organized by The Latvian Centre of Contemporary Art in collaboration with the Soros Foundation — Latvia, but the funding of the program is provided by the «Open Society Foundations». Competition in the regions has been organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Latgale «Gors», Rezekne City Council, Cesis Local Municipality, Kuldiga Regional Council, Carnikava Regional Council, and Sigulda City Council.

More information on the events is available on the «Brigade» website, Facebook page and Twitter account.