Considerable international cultural co-operation is also undertaken in the non-governmental sector in Latvia. Individuals and organisations co-operate through networks, co-operation projects as well as through personal contacts.
During the last decades, a dozen non-governmental organisations have developed notable competence in international co-operation, being active in international networking, fundraising, collaboration and co-productions. In addition, large cultural organisations of a national significance have got involved in international cultural co-operation thanks to resourceful staff and participation in European networks.
Film institutions develop multilateral international cooperation, especially valuing partnership among Baltic countries. For example, in 2015 the Baltic film institutions – the Estonian Film Institute, the Latvian National Film Centre, and the Lithuanian Film Centre – signed an agreement to boost film co- productions and to organise joint events. For example in August, 2019 the Baltic Film Days too place to strengthen cooperation in cinema between the three Baltic States and to raise the audience’s knowledge of films by their neighbours.
The Baltic Sea Forum for documentaries took place for the first time in 1997 in Denmark; initially it was a Danish initiative for the Baltic countries, Poland and the western part of Russia. It continued to be a Danish initiative until 2001. At the beginning of this “second phase”, the Baltic Sea Forum was a travelling event through the Baltic countries, but since 2005, it always takes place in Riga.
Baltic Museology School (BMS) is organised in cooperation with the Ministries of Culture of all three Baltic countries. The BMS is a long-term Baltic States collaborative project in the further education of museum professionals, which runs a week-long educational programme annually focusing on one aspect of museum work and linking museum theory with practice.
The Latvian Literature platform was established in order to promote the recognition of Latvian literature and its distribution abroad, to ensure international cooperation among publishers, literary agents, writers, translators, and organizations working in the fields of literature and publishing. The Latvian Literature platform was created through a partnership of the three largest literary institutions in Latvia: the International Writers and Translators House, the Latvian Writers Union, and the Latvian Publishers Association. The International Writers and Translators House is in charge of the management and development of the Latvian Literature platform, as well as Latvia’s participation in the London Book Fair – where Latvia was one of the Market Focus countries in 2018 – and other book fairs (Leipzig, Bologna, Frankfurt).
Numerous non-governmental organisations operating in the field of contemporary arts carry out international cooperation projects demonstrating outstanding managerial and conceptual capacities. Of particular note are The Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art (http://www.lcca.lv/), the New Theatre Institute of Latvia (http://www.theatre.lv/) and the new media centre RIXC (http://www.rixc.lv/). International festivals of different scales are important in the cultural life of Latvia.
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