ESC: Sansusī Volunteering Summer '24 (SVP '24)

Since 2014, Sansusī organises the multidisciplinary festival, taking place in August's second weekend in the territory of Residency Center Susēja. Within six years, it has proved itself not only as a unique event in Selia region's cultural life but also as a serious alternative to traditional cultural developments in Latvia. In 2015, Sansusī initiated a cycle of concerts in Aknīste, Riga, and its surroundings. These events provide high-quality art in regions, emphasising contemporary art, and new creations accessible to new audiences. In 2018, Sansusī opened a new venue in a creative hub in the capital city Riga. The organisation’s two main objectives are to both support and promote contemporary performing art and music and make it accessible to new audiences. Our artistic work has let the local public widen their understanding of modern art, given the artists the possibility to be seen. Eventually, troughs our production experiment, the interdisciplinarity and international work by themselves. But moreover, over the years, it has created a new audience for contemporary art and music in Latvia. Since 2015, we have run a Wellbeing Residency program to support the contemporary creation and encourage the cross-discipline and international collaboration and enrich the local cultural and artistic environment of the rural area. We have already established cooperation between the Psychoneurological clinic of Aknīste and the festival involving both patients and staff in the festival and other artistic activities and with Aknīste Secondary school. Association Sansusi opened its Residency Centre in 2015 due to the lack of residency space for performing artists or academic musicians in Latvia. The residency space is in a rural area of Aknīste district - of 3 000 population 150 km from the Capital city Riga. Till now, the Residency Centre has proved itself to be a functional creative space for artists fostering interdisciplinary creations from the whole of Europe. The residency space and events organised by the association Sansusi are the rare opportunities for local audiences to take part in contemporary creations of performing arts and music.