International conference "Art as an Agent of Change: Cultural Literacy for Societal Resilience"
RSU Anatomijas muzejā Rīgā, Kronvalda bulvārī 9
2026. gada 22. aprīlī
Arts education is inherently interdisciplinary – it integrates visual, verbal, kinetic, and emotional dimensions, creating a holistic approach to human development. New sensibilities, critical self-reflection, shifting boundaries between the private and public spheres, the redefinition of taboo topics, and an awareness of the multifaceted nature of collective memory characterize contemporary understanding of culture and art.
When global and local policy priorities reorient toward military and economic security, cultural and arts education budgets often find themselves at the forefront of optimization and consolidation plans. The peculiarities of Eastern European geopolitical and economic development often marginalize the role of culture and art in political communication, prioritizing economic issues and disinformation threats.
Contemporary society faces multilayered challenges – geopolitical upheavals, fragile social cohesion, fragmentation of the information environment, and transformation of value systems. In this context, arts education reveals itself not only as a space for creativity and self-expression but as an essential interdisciplinary tool capable of strengthening societal resilience, fostering critical thinking, and creating connections between different social groups. Defining cultural and creative processes in education is challenging, as they develop in close interaction with the era's geopolitical and social realities. Similarly, culture is characterized by self-reflexive processes that cyclically return to seemingly known historical facts to reevaluate them within the spirit of the times and the frameworks of our collective and individual ethics.
The conference will gather arts educators, researchers, artists, cultural policy makers, and practitioners to jointly explore the changing role and potential of arts education in an era when cultural and educational sectors are often marginalized in political agendas. The conference will examine how arts education enriches other disciplines – social sciences, humanities, technology, and civic responsibility – creating new opportunities for knowledge synthesis and forming hybrid states in the domains of values, legality, and democracy.
- How should values be developed in young people and society as a whole within the framework of arts education?
- How does arts education help create a more cohesive society?
- What is the role of cultural literacy in young people's lives and social development?
- How can we measure the actual value and impact of art and cultural literacy on communities and society as a whole?
- What methods in arts education add value?
- What are art's potential implications for social change?
- How can we change the discourse on the socioeconomic foundations of art and its interaction with politics?
Critical thinking, creative problem-solving, empathy, and the ability to navigate a complex information environment are skills developed through arts education that are essential not only for individual growth but also for the resilience of a democratic society.
The conference is organized within the framework of the international research project CLiViE (Cultural Literacies' Value in Europe), which develops and applies the Theory of Change methodology and the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework to deepen understanding of the value of cultural literacy and its impact on social cohesion. The project "maps" arts-based education across various learning environments and stages of youth education, "evaluates" the results and outcomes of arts education, "determines value" of arts education activities by calculating their impact, and "practices" pedagogies by developing innovative practices and materials that support arts educators in promoting social justice and inclusion.
Keynote Address
- Kemal Ahson – Research Coordinator, Department of Education Learning, Culture & Interventions, Helsinki University
Thematic Directions of the Conference
We invite researchers, arts educators, artists, cultural policymakers, and practitioners to submit applications to participate in the conference 'Art as an Agent of Change: Cultural Literacy for Societal Resilience.'
Applications are welcome in the following thematic directions:
- Cultural literacy and social cohesion: theoretical and practical aspects;
- Determining the value of arts education: Theory of Change and Social Return on Investment (SROI) approaches;
- The arts educator as an agent of change: innovative pedagogical approaches for promoting social justice and inclusion;
- Arts education policy: arguments and strategies in an era dominated by military and economic security issues;
- Best-practice examples in arts and cultural education in Europe and Latvia.
- Agenda
Opening 9:45–10:00 Arrival and welcoming 10:00–10:05 Opening of the conference
Alnis Stakle10:05–10:10 Forewords
Ieva Puzo, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, RSU10:10–10:30 Opening note: Mapping Matters
Kemal Ahson, PhD, Research Coordinator, University of HelsinkiPanel
Cultural Institutions and Education as Catalysts for Social Cohesion10:30–10:45 Wrong side of the river? Cultural institutions as agents of social cohesion in Warsaw
Prof. Katarzyna Sadowy, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Poland10:45–11:00 Temple of culture: Cultural literacy and social cohesion
Magdalena Novotná, teacher, researcher, Charles University, Faculty of Education, Prague, Czechia; co-author: Jan Pfeiffer11:00–11:15 Promotion of social cohesion through non-formal cultural education: the case study in Daugavpils
Prof. Anita Stašulāne, PhD, Daugavpils University, Latvia; co-authors: Alīna Romanovska, Irina Presņakova11:15–11:30 Activating Cultural Heritage Through Contemporary Experience: Art as an Agent of Change — The Logic of the Bumblebee
Žanete Grende, Doctoral Candidate in Cultural Management, Chair of the Board of Purvītis Museum, Co-founder of Ziedonis Foundation “Viegli” and Ziedonis Museum, Latvia;
co-author: Velga Vītola-Kļava, MA in Visual Arts, Artist and Researcher, Curator and Collection Manager at Purvītis Museum, Member of the Council of Purvītis Museum11:30–11:45 Creative practitioner – how cultural education tools give the ability to create connections with children and young people
Saulė Norkutė & Gabrielė Ivanauskaitė, Masters, Kūrybinės Jungtys, Lithuania; co-author: Milda Laužikaitė11:45–12:00 Discussion 12:00–12:40 Lunch Keynote 12:40–13:20 10 Observations on Artistic Research
Dirk Hoyer13:20–13:35 Questions / Discussion 13:35–13:45 Coffee break Panel
Artistic Research as Space of Learning and Belonging13:45–14:00 NOT MY FILM: Artistic Research Project on Aging and Later Life
Astra Zoldnere, Dr. phil. in art, Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia / Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF, Germany14:00–14:15 Learning from the unknown. Curatorial education as source for the experiment
Antra Priede, Mag. art., Vice-rector for Academic Affairs, The Art Academy of Latvia14:15–14:30 Filmmaking as a Space of Belonging and Becoming
Prof. Natalija Mažeikienė, Dr., Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania;
co-authors: Lina Kaminskienė, Ilona Tandzegolskienė-Bielaglovė, Agnė Liucilė Grickevičė & Leta Dromantienė, Vytautas Magnus University; Milda Laužikaitė, Kūrybinės Jungtys, Lithuania; Kemal Ahson, University of Helsinki, Finland14:30–14:45 Film Literacy in Latvia: Experience and Lessons from the Film 'Stream' ('Straume')
Dita Rietuma, Dr. art, Latvian Academy of Culture, Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia14:45–15:00 Landscape as a Space of Cultural Literacy: PAVASARIS as an Arts-Based Educational Practice for Societal Resilience
Velga Vītola-Kļava, MA in Visual Arts, Collection Keeper, Curator and Board Member at the Purvītis Museum, Latvia;
co-author: Žanete Grende, Doctoral Candidate in Cultural Management, Chair of the Board of the Purvītis Museum15:00–15:15 Discussion 15:15–15:30 Coffee break Keynote 15.30–16.10 Key note speech: Quantifying the Intangible: SROI Framework and Project Appraisal in Arts-Based Education – Lessons from CLiViE/Measuring the Social Value of Cultural Literacy: Applying Social Return on Investment (SROI) in Arts-Based Education in Latvia
Grzegorz Maśloch & Kamil Flig, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Poland16.10–16.25 Questions / Discussion 16.25–16.30 Coffee break Panel
Measuring Impact: Policy, Technology, and Reflective Practice in Arts-Based Education16:30–16:45 The Role of AI in Art Education: the Value of Technology in the Development of Creativity
Vita Pihtina, Teacher, doctoral student, RISEBA, Latvia16:45–17:00 Cultural and creative sector as social infrastructure in an age of security-driven policy
Žanete Eglīte, PhD cand., Latvian Academy of Culture, Ministry of Culture of Latvia17:00–17:15 Through Reflective Creative Practice to the Respect of Otherness: Applying Model of Theory of Change for the Art-Based Workshops in Daugavpils Rothko Museum
Assoc. Prof. Ilva Skulte, Dr. philol., Rīga Stradiņš University, Latvia;
co-authors: Mairita Folkmane, Rothko Museum, Daugavpils, Latvia; Alīna Romanovska, Daugavpils University, Latvia17:15–17:30 What do I learn when I reflect on the topic: The place where I live?
Asst. Lucie Jakubcová Hadjušková, PhD, lecturer, Charles University, Faculty of Education, Department of Art Education, Czechia17:30–18:00 Discussion & coffee
Participation Format
Paper (15–20 min.) – individual or collaborative presentation of research or practical experience
Application Requirements:
- Author(s) name, surname, affiliated institution, and contact information
- Presentation title
- Abstract (up to 300 words) formulating the central thesis, theoretical or practical framework, and planned contribution to the conference theme
- 5 keywords
Important Dates
- Application submission deadline: 22 March 2026
- Notification of application approval: 2 April 2026
- Conferences date: 22 April 2026
Registration / application submission
Conference Organizers
Chair
Members
Chair
Manager, Social Sciences Research Centre
Lead Researcher, Faculty of Social Sciences
Members
CLiViE project website
