The series of ten public conversations aimed at showcasing the contemporary cultural and creative scenes of Italy and Latvia has concluded. An original project by the Italian Embassy in Riga.
The Caffè Young Italy project, promoted by the Italian Embassy in Riga, has successfully concluded. With ten events held between August and December, the initiative highlighted the dialogue between tradition and innovation, engaging a predominantly young audience and receiving enthusiastic feedback from partners and participants.
“We are proud to have presented a dynamic Italy, capable of uniting tradition and contemporaneity,” commented the Italian Ambassador to Riga, Alessandro Monti. “I would like to thank all the partners of this project, both Italian and Latvian, for their outstanding work: this is just the beginning of future collaborations between Italy and Latvia.”
With an average participation of over 150 people per event—60% under the age of 35—the project exceeded expectations, consolidating Italy’s role as a promoter of culture and creativity in Latvia. The co-curation approach adopted by the Embassy received widespread acclaim from the Latvian cultural institutions involved, laying a solid foundation for future collaborations.
The project was supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as part of the initiative “Capitals of Italian Creativity Abroad – Festival of Italy.”
The Events
The ten Caffè Young Italy events brought together young Italian and Latvian talents under 35, active in various sectors.
The series opened on August 31, 2024, with a discussion on performing arts. The meeting between Agata and Teodora Castellucci of the Dewey Dell collective and directors and playwrights Artūrs Cukurs, Beate Poikāne, and Katrīna Dūka explored the relationship between the performing arts, experimentation, and contemporary culture, as part of Riga’s “Homo Novus” festival.
Next came the visual arts: on September 6, the conversation between Italian artist Monia Ben Hamouda and Latvian artist Līga Spunde, hosted by the “Survival Kit” festival, delved into themes of identity and cultural heritage.
October featured three events. On October 16, a session on information brought journalist Silvia Boccardi and expert Tomass Pildegovičs together at the Riga Conference’s Future Leaders Forum, focusing on combating disinformation and hybrid threats.
On October 18, during the Week of the Italian Language in the World, the spotlight was on literature. A conversation between writer Alice Urciuolo and young author Gusts Ābele, organized in collaboration with the Latvian Academy of Culture, examined the representation of youth in contemporary narratives.
On October 30, the topic was fashion: a dialogue between historian Matteo Augello and designer Laima Jurča, featured in Riga Fashion Week and organized with the Latvian Academy of Art, discussed the relationship between heritage and creativity.
On November 14, during the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, the focus turned to food and wine: young chefs Matteo Corridori and Edgars Dzērve explored the balance between culinary tradition and innovation.
In December, four events concluded the project. On December 5, innovation took center stage: researcher Tommaso Scquizzato and entrepreneur and trainer Elīna Miķelsone discussed creativity and science at Riga Technical University.
The next event, on December 11, addressed security: young officers Ugo Belcaro and Artūrs Mudelis explored topics such as national security, military life, and cooperation between Italy and Latvia within NATO.
On December 13, the spotlight was on cinema: Italian actress Marta Gastini and Latvian director and producer Matīss Kaža shared their experiences in the audiovisual world during the NICE Italian Film Festival in Riga, hosted at the Splendid Palace cinema.
The final event, dedicated to technology, took place on December 17: researcher Valeria Fumagalli and startup founder Keita Augstkalne discussed biomedical innovations and digital applications for healthcare, once again at Riga University.
Partners
The project was implemented by the Italian Embassy in Riga, in collaboration with various Latvian festivals and institutions.
The Embassy extends its special thanks to: Latvian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces; International Contemporary Theatre Festival “Homo Novus”; New Theatre Institute of Latvia; “Survival Kit” Festival; Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art; The Riga Conference; LATO Latvian Transatlantic Association; Latvian Academy of Culture; Riga Technical University; Latvian Academy of Art; Riga Fashion Week; Baltic Fashion Federation; Jelgava Secondary School of Crafts; Splendid Palace Cinema.
The Embassy also thanks: Italian Ministry of Defense; ICE-Agenzia; NICE New Italian Cinema Events; Vita-Salute San Raffaele University; Elastica; ATER Foundation; Sosia & Pistoia.
On social media
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
