Latvian Centre for Performance Art invites artists, art historians, researchers and curators to participate in the international performance festival Riga Performance Festival: Starptelpa (2019) that will take place in Riga from 10.06-16.06.2019. The Festival programme will include live and mediatized performances, a conference, public lectures, exhibitions, master classes and workshops.
FESTIVAL
Riga Performance Festival: Starptelpa is focused on performance art as a sovereign form of art in contemporary context.
By definition performance art is an intermedial form of art. It means that there are no strict boundaries among the involved media and art disciplines. It is a hybrid phenomenon in the arts discourse allowing several arts to co-exist in parallel (visual arts, physical theatre, dance, media art, installation, etc.), thus creating an ambiguous in-between space or liminal space. In this space paratheatrical, sound and/or art practices, when freed from standards and traditions, can develop new, experimental and previously unprecedented artistic forms. The most crucial media of performance art – the presence of the artist, the body, time and duration, space, relationship with the spectators – may be combined with music, philosophy, poetry, sculpture, dance, cinematography, sculptural objects/installations, as well as non-art, for example, everyday objects, equipment and tools.
The theme of this year’s festival is “The Phenomenon of Control”. Latvian Centre for Performance Art invites the artists to create performances, which reveal, examine, evaluate and re-evaluate the phenomenon of control from every possible angle. Apart from live performances, the performances can be presented in a mediatized form as well – either as still or moving images. The topics include, but are not limited to the following questions:
● What is the meaning of “control” on a personal level; what happens when we are out-of-control or under too much of self-control?
● Are we trying to escape control or can it be a motivating factor?
● What “control” means in creative practice?
● What is our understanding of control in contemporary society and political discourse exercised through surveillance and other disciplinary measures?
● What are the manifestations of control in the private and public space?
Latvian Centre for Performance Art also invites art historians, practitioners, researchers and curators to apply for an international scientific conference “The Trajectories and Intersections of Performance Art in Central and Eastern Europe: the Phenomenon of Control”. Please send your abstracts (350 word max), along with a short bio to: . The deadline for the conference applications is 30 March 2019. The conference presentations can be presented as papers or workshops, or performances, or artistic research (please indicate).
ORGANIZERS
The Festival is organised by the Latvian Centre for Performance Art (Latvijas Performances mākslas centrs), Laboratory of Stage Arts and Artist Residency Centre MĀ TELPA.
The cooperation partner is RISEBA Architecture and Media Centre H2O6.
LOCATION
RISEBA Architecture and Media Centre H2O6, Durbes Street 4, Riga
Kalnciema ielas kvartāls, Kalnciema iela 35, Riga
It is possible to create performances both indoors and outdoors.
APPLICATION FOR THE FESTIVAL
To respond to the open call, please send your proposal to coordinator Laine Kristberga
at by 1 March 2019. The proposal should include:
– A filled-out application form (https://drive.google.com/open…)
– Artist’s CV,
– Visual material (still or moving images of the performance).
DEADLINES
Application for the Festival: 1 March 2019
Application for the conference: 30 March 2019
When submitting the proposal for the Festival, artists must take into account health and safety issues, the presence of audiences and the restrictions of space. The artists ensure that they have the necessary materials for the implementation of the performance. Please enquire regarding any assistance.
The artists are encouraged to apply for external funding, because the travel and accommodation costs shall not be covered by the Festival. The artists, who are not residents of Latvia, must have a valid travel insurance and, if required, a visa.
The accepted artists will be informed by email by 10 March 2019.
The accepted conference presenters will be informed by email by 15 April 2019.
For additional information please see our Facebook page www.facebook.com/riga.performance
or email the coordinator Laine Kristberga at