LAUKKU is international collective of around 30 people from different disciplines (such as contemporary dance, visual arts, philosophy, classical ballet, dance writting, performance art etc.) from such countries as Latvia, France, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, USA. Peripheria and mobility are two fundamental elements of the collective. It  promotes cultural, art and social projects in “periphery” both geographical, economical and social by engaging rural outsider artists and audiences in projects, using local infrustructure and space as an inspiration for work. LAUKKU believes that there are unforeseen artistic potencials outside the centers which do not meet the institutional expectations and needs of centers.  Even though it is officially founded just in 2017, projects with the same characteristics has been initiated and organized by one of collective’s initiator Inta Balode long before.

One of LAUKKU latest projects – social and art project in a collaboration with social workers and clients of social service of Burtnieku parish My Freedom, My Belonging. It was a creative process where professional contemporary dance artists, dance writer, dramaturg, visual artist and local community cooperated to create a dance performance  And suddenly swans!It was built on personal stories from participants: personal became abstract and abstract became personal. This project has brought a lot of warm feeling for both professionals and community people and connection through the movement has been created really strong.

Personalities at tKtC:

Agnese Bordjukova

Agnese Bordjukova – a contemporary dance artist since 2007. Has BA at Contemporary Dance Art of Culture Academy in Latvia (director of the programm – Olga Zitluhina). Has been a part of such collectives as ZI temp.dance (2004-2008) (artistic director – Ilze Zirina) and Anatomy of Dance ( since 2007) (collective of 4 dance artists). Now mainly works as a freelance artist. With her latest piece Rockstar has been nominated for Latvian Dance Award in 2017 -2018 as a best contemporary dance artist. She is an active LAUKKU member by taking part at interactive art projects with local communities, for example social and art project in a collaboration with social workers and clients of social service of Burtnieku parish My Freedom, My Belonging. She was a choreographer of the dance performance And suddenly swans!

Inta Balode

Inta Balode – is a freelancer, working in the field of contemporary dance to effect political decissions towards contemporary dance development in Latvia. She writes about dance ( critics and not only), organizes projects in local and international scale, mostly social with contemporary art within, works in Latvian Dance Information Centre. She is the initiator of the idea about the Dance Award in National Scale. She is the head of LAUKKU, starting to run projects in “peripheria” long time before LAUKKU officialy was formed. In this project Inta wants to contribute not only as an administrator of finances but to participate at the creative process of the research.

Ilze Zirina

Ilze Zirina – is the working in contemporary dance field since 1997. Got her MA at Choreography in 2001 ( Music Academy of Latvia). Professional skills mostly developed being a dancer at Olga Zitluhina Dance Company untill 2011. Through different labyrinths of creating choreography for drama theatre and opera she finally has found pedagogy as her passion. She works as a Contact Improvisation teacher at Latvian Culture Academy. Recently started to work also as a youth worker at Rauna Youth Center Basement. Together with non formal educator Ieva Grundsteine they have run 6 international training programms for youth workers on theme Kinesthetic Learning. Ilze is an initiator and coordinator of this project.

The project financed by the Erasmus + Programme, which for years has been the leading program of the European Commission supporting educational activities in a form that is limited only by imagination, so if someone would like to try their hand at obtaining a grant for unusual international projects, they should definitely look at the website of the www.erasmusplus.org.pl