Online Game “Reassemble a Folk Song!”
The Archives of Latvian Folklore of the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Arts of the University of Latvia has developed a digital, online game "Reassemble a Folk Song!". The game is based on a puzzle principle, where the text of a folk song has to be "broken" into pieces. The game is available for everyone after registration at https://saliectautasdziesmu.garamantas.lv.
Folk songs are one of the cornerstones of Latvian culture. For centuries, they have been considered to be a source of national ideas, history and values. The collection of folklore, and folk songs in particular, in the 19th century was not only a documentation of folk self-expressions, but an important event on the difficult path towards development of the nation. The collection consisting of almost 219,000 folk song texts was gathered and organised by K. Barons at the second half of the 19th century. Collection is stored in the Dainu Skapis (Cabinet of Dainas), which has now become a symbol of Latvian traditional culture. Since 2001, the Dainu Skapis has been included in the International Register of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.
Read more...New Letonica is issued
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The 45th issue of the humanities journal "Letonica", which brings together research on various topics related to Latvian culture, is now available.
Letonica Nr. 47 is issued
The thematic issue of the journal "Letonica" "Digital Humanities in Latvia" (No. 47) has been published, the aim of which is to provide an overview of the current situation of digital humanities in Latvia. Digital humanities today encompasses several interconnected fields, covering all stages of the data flow – data creation, storage, analysis, research, visualisation, communication and practical use of research results.
The articles provide an insight into the history and development of digital humanities resources and tools in Latvia, describe the principles and problematic situations in the development of individual resources, and analyse their content, illustrating the application of various digital humanities methods in research.
Contents and journal available: http://lulfmi.lv/en/Letonica-Nr-47
"Canonical and Non-canonical in Charming Texts and Practices" conference
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On 6-9 September, in collaboration with the International Society for Folk Narrative Research (ISFNR) research group "Committee on Charms, Charmers and Charming", Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of University of Latvia and Archives of Latvian Folklore organised a conference "Canonical and Non-canonical in Charming Texts and Practices" at the National Library of Latvia.
Conference "CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL IN CHARMING TEXTS AND PRACTICES"
The Archives of Latvian Folklore (Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art) in collaboration with the ISFNR "Committee on Charms, Charmers and Charming" is organising an international conference "CANONICAL AND NON-CANONICAL IN CHARMING TEXTS AND PRACTICES", which will take place on 6–9 September 2022 at the National Library of Latvia.
Read more...The 44th issue of journal "Letonica" (English edition) is published
The 44th issue of the humanities journal "Letonica" (English edition) goes to readers in July and introduces the paradigm of the environmental humanities and its relation to Latvian history and today's challenges.
The issue is edited by environmental geographer Anita Zariņa (Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia), philosopher Artis Svece (Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia), and environmental geographer Ivo Vinogradovs (Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia). In the introduction to the issue, the relevance of environmental humanities from a global perspective is stated, and the contribution of Latvian researchers is highlighted.
Read more...Public spaces: new forms of digital discourse(?)
On 14 June, the seminar "Public spaces: new forms of digital discourse(?)" with Stuart Dunn will take place at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, organized in cooperation with Riga Technical University.
The seminar will start at 10:00 and will last up to an hour and a half.
Place: The reading room of the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Floor 5, the National Library of Latvia (Mūkusalas street 3).
ILFA welcomes a fellow researcher from Ukraine
During the next few months, Ukrainian researcher Iryna Pupurs will be working at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. Iryna Pupurs is a literature researcher from the T. Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv (http://www.ilnan.gov.ua), department of comparative literature. Her main research interests include Orientalism in the Ukrainian and European literatures, Romanticism, imagology, and the problems of comparative literature studies. At the ILFA she will do a study on conceptual principles of creating modern literary encyclopedias by investigating the Latvian experience. She will also do research on comparative history of Ukrainian Romanticism and continue the study of Orientalism in Ukrainian Literature. Iryna Pupurs will be conducting a public seminar sometime in May to introduce her research projects.
An application to the fellowship grant program for Ukrainian scholars of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia and the State Education Development Agency is expected to provide support hosting for Iryna Pupurs.
LFMI continues to actively participate and take a coordinating effort in the international #ScienceForUkraine movement. #ScienceForUkraine movement.
Photo: ILFA’s director Eva Eglāja-Kristsone (on the left) and Ukrainian literature researcher Iryna Pupurs
ILFA support for Ukrainian Humanities scholars
03.10.2022. ILFA short-term grant possibility for Ukrainian hum-soc scholars registered in Latvia
Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art (ILFA) of the University of Latvia welcomes Ukrainian humanities and social sciences researchers already registered in Latvia to contact us in case of interest to prepare an application (first deadline October 19) for a short-term full-time grant (2000 EUR per month, including taxes). Provable research experience in the fields of post-Soviet & decolonial arts (especially folklore and folk music), urban studies, or gender/women studies is required.
Information about the grant program (in Latvian): https://lzp.gov.lv/2022/09/21/par-ukrainas-petnieku-iesaisti-fundamentalo-un-lietisko-petijumu-projektos/
Meanwhile, we are looking for mid-term and long-term grant options. Communication languages: English (preferred), Russian, and we will do our best to answer also in Ukrainian.
For further information, contact: Ieva Vīvere (ieva.vivere@lulfmi.lv)
Read more...A New Study in the History of Latvian Literature and Culture
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A study on the history of 19th century Latvian literature performed by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia was published in February 2022 by the prestigious academic publishing house "Peter Lang" in Berlin, Germany.
The book is published in the series "Cross-roads. Studies of Culture, Literary Theory, and History" in English titled "A New History of Latvian Literature: the Long Nineteenth Century". The aim of the study was to analyse and interpret 19th-century Latvian society and culture in relation to the emergence of modernity. Emphasising the need to approach the history of literature from an interdisciplinary perspective, the work has involved specialists from various disciplines. The book was compiled and edited by literary scholars Pauls Daija and Benedikts Kalnačs, with the participation of art historian Kristiāna Ābele (Art History Institute, Art Academy of Latvia), literary scholar Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe, historian Mārtiņš Mintaurs (National Library of Latvia), folklore researcher Ginta Pērle-Sīle and Germanist Aiga Šemeta (University of Latvia).
Read more...Language and Culture in the Digital Age // UL 80th Conference Session
On 30 March 2022, the 80th International Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia will host the session "Language and Culture in the Digital Age".
The session is dedicated to digital humanities and resource development, as well as to the role, use and research of language and culture in today's digital world.
Organisers: Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, Livonian Institute of the University of Latvia, digitalhumanities.lv
Join conference here: platform ZOOM 10:00-15:30.
The Section is organised within the framework of the projects "Digital Resources for Humanities: Integration and Development" (VPP-IZM-DH-2020/1-0001) and "Multifunctional dictionary of Livonian" (VPP-LETONIKA-2021/2-0002).
The #ScienceForUkraine initiative
The #ScienceForUkraine initiative is underway on Twitter Account @Sci_for_Ukraine. It is collecting information and tweeting about the help universities and research institutions offer to students and researchers from #Ukraine. Please use #ScienceForUkraine hashtag on Twitter to help us to find your tweet!
To join the initiative, please visit the website: https://scienceforukraine.eu/, where the latest offers for Ukrainian students and researchers appear. Also visit the Twitter account @Sci_for_Ukraine, which publishes help offers from different countries.
There are a variety of ways in which you can help and even the smallest support makes a difference. The listings collected in our database contain following offers (often a combination of them):
- Accomodation in a dormitory or institution guest quarters
- Office space
- Computer with internet access
- Access to library and/or lab facilities
- Scholarship/stipend
- Research visit
- Part time/full time employment
- Support for accompanying family members
Please note that what we are collecting here are offers directed specifically to scholars fleeing Ukraine, not general calls or programmes where everyone else can apply.
The initiative was initiated by researcher Sanita Reinsone from the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. Read Yvan Pandele story on how initiative began "Meet the Latvian scholar rallying support for Ukrainian researchers".
Language and Culture in the Digital Age
On 30 March 2022, the 80th International Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia will host the session "Language and Culture in the Digital Age".
Let's start the new year with new research: a special issue of the journal ''Letonica'' has been published
We are pleased to announce that the 43rd issue of the journal Letonica has been published with a focus on the disciplinary history of folkloristics and related fields through the theoretical approaches of post-socialism and post-colonialism. The issue includes five articles – four of them are by Latvian researchers: Toms Ķencis, Anete Karlsone, llze Boldāne-Zeļenkova, Rita Grīnvalde and Rita Legčiļina-Broka, and they are joined by Ukrainian scholars Pavlo Artymyshyn and Roman Holyk. The issue is in English, on open access and is available here.
The guest editors of the issue are Toms Ķencis and Digne Ūdre.
New project "Folklore Revival in Latvia: Resources, Ideologies and Practices"
From 2022 to 2024, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art will implement the Latvian Council of Science's fundamental and applied research project "Folklore Revival in Latvia: Resources, Ideologies and Practices" (led by Ieva Vīvere (Tihovska)).
