The former boiler house of Valmiera built in the 20th century in the 70s, is located in the very center of Valmiera and is in the process of becoming an interdisciplinary art space of international importance. At the end of 2022, it will be transformed into a temporary home for the Valmiera Theater (authors: SIA Sudraba Arhitektūra), KURTUVE is a place where a new cultural ecosystem of the city and region of Valmiera develops, a process in which contemporary art events and spaces are formed a vision of development, an answer that continues to address the (in)accessibility of contemporary art in the regions of Latvia.
The idea for KURTUVI was born when Valmiera was nominated for the "European Capital of Culture - 2027" competition. Choosing to develop the city's old boiler house into a new cultural place, the architecture office "Silver Architecture" was approached for cooperation. The reconstruction vision created by the authors envisages supplementing the building with a glazed entrance hall, allowing the existing space to be used to its full extent. The new lobby integrates the nearly 50-meter high brick chimney, which is the main architectural dominant of the building. The reconstruction project treats the evidence of the industrial heritage with respect, preserving the brick, concrete block and reinforced concrete structures and layers.
Without winning the title, the city's position regarding the succession of the developed program remained, determining the availability of contemporary, international and co-creative culture in the region as three priorities. Shortly after the end of the competition, due to delays in the reconstruction of the Valmiera theater, KURTUVE was adapted to the needs of the Valmiera theater with the support of the municipality and funding from the Ministry of Culture. A reconstruction project was developed for the building, a theater hall and the necessary auxiliary rooms were created - this industrial heritage adaptation project earned the authors special recognition from the international jury as a successful architectural process in the Latvian Architecture Year Award 2023 competition.
At the given moment, KURTUVE fulfills its basic task – it acts as a temporary home for the Valmiera Theatre, while at the same time cultural events of various scales take place around it. After the return of the theater to its renovated size, KURTUVES' transformation will continue by adapting it to the new function of the space.
Interactive art object for families with children created by artist Linda Vigdorčika.
The Festival centre, open daily during the festival, will be a meeting and information point for festival visitors and participants.
The Summer School is dedicated to the creative synergy of art, design, architecture - it develops as an urban laboratory, temporarily transforming certain places for the duration of the theatre festival, revealing the potential of using new urban spaces.
The Orbita Group will host various contemporary art plein-airs and masterclasses in Strenči, as well as a mail-art exhibition throughout the summer.
The theme of this year's Summer School “Social and Political Contexts of Language” will focus on language to explore our shared living space. The Summer School will offer a number of public lectures.
For a week, a unique environmental object will be on display in Valmiera's central park, accompanied by a programme of workshops on analogue photography.
In cooperation with Riga Circus, the circus duo "Felix & Philo" will perform their "Red pants" performance. In between the performances, children and young people will have access to circus school activities.
In 2025, the third edition of the festival will take place, providing a high-quality and educational programme of multimedia artworks in the urban environment of Valmiera.
KURTUVE has acted as a festival centre at different stages of the space's development.
Opera "Vēsā" received the "Latvian Grand Music Award 2022” in the nomination "Production of the Year". Conductor Artūrs Gailis, director Klāvs Mellis, author Katrīna Neiburga
A conceptual exhibition that highlighted and framed special artefacts and historical layers in the industrial spaces of the building.
The exhibition was created as a large-scale urban experiment, the central axis of which is the work of Māris Bišofs. A mural by the artist is also currently on display on the outer wall of KURTUVE.
The world's largest people photography project, in which 386 portraits of the county's residents were placed on the chimney of KURTUVE. In parallel, in cooperation with the film studio "VFS Films", a continuation of the project was made - 5 documentary shorts “People. Portraits. Inside Out”.
The programme highlighted ecological issues through the lens of our region's present and recent past heritage, linking them to global developments, including the processes of decolonisation.
The project was funded by the US Embassy Small Grants Programme in collaboration with the Contemporary Dance Arts Programme of the Latvian Academy of Culture.
Performances by the winners of the Performing and audiovisual arts festival "The Autumn of the Patriarch 2021”.
The exhibition brings together 20 photographic stories about people with mental disabilities, as well as their insights into life, thus reducing stereotypes and promoting an inclusive society.
