Presentations by NAMS researchers open the cultural heritage session of the “Culture Crossroads” conference

From 4 to 7 November, the Latvian Academy of Culture will host the “Culture Crossroads XX” conference series, bringing together researchers and cultural sector professionals to present their latest research and explore a wide range of issues related to the contribution and significance of culture and the arts in contemporary society. On 5 November, the conference will take place at the Latvian Academy of Culture’s Miera Street 58a campus, with seven thematic sessions. The Cultural Heritage session will open with two presentations prepared within the framework of the project “NAMS. Latvian Identity and Knowledge Strategies as a Resource for Societal Resilience” (VPP-IZM-Letonika-2025/1-0008), funded under the National Research Programme “LETONIKA for the Development of a Latvian and European Society”.

In their presentation, “Normative and Practical Aspects of Conceptualising Cultural Spaces in the Context of Strengthening National Resilience”, Rūta Muktupāvela and Anete Tamane will explore research questions such as: What role do cultural heritage communities play in national resilience and security? Does belonging to a cultural space influence people’s willingness to act in situations of threat, and if so, how?

Meanwhile, in their presentation, “What Can Be Decisive in Preserving Heritage During a Crisis? The Case of the Nautrāni Cultural Space”, Lote Karīna Cērpa and Ieva Vītola will examine how intangible cultural heritage is preserved in the Nautrāni cultural space under conditions of uncertainty. They will also analyse the structure of the heritage community and its local networks, as well as the community’s collective memory of previous crises.

Both presentations are based on an analysis of empirical data collected during the 57th scientific field expedition organised by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (LU LFMI) in the Nautrāni cultural space as part of the NAMS project. The expedition documented the experiences of heritage community members through semi-structured interviews and brief interviews.

The conference programme, book of abstracts and presentation summaries are available HERE.