Riga to open international new theatre festival “Homo Novus” with exhibition on bullying

On September 4 at 17:00, the Latvian National Museum of Art will host the opening of the international new theatre festival “Homo Novus.” The opening event is a theatre exhibition titled “Girls to the Right, Boys to the Left,” created by Czech artists Sodja Zupanc Lotker and Tadeáš Říha. The festival runs from September 4 to 12 in Riga and other parts of Latvia, bringing together local and international artists around themes of mutual care and human relationships.

An exhibition about bullying and belonging

The exhibition explores identity, belonging, and how a person's experience is shaped by others' judgmental views — including bullying, which many first encounter during school years. The installation features nearly six-metre-tall puppets representing people whose documentary stories visitors can listen to by sitting beside them. The stories include negative experiences such as judgment, humiliation and exclusion, as well as positive ones like acceptance, love and friendship. Visitors will also be able to write down and leave their own stories.

Festival curator Santa Remere says the work closely reflects this year's central programme message — the ability to see another person and create space for togetherness despite differing stories.

Latvian context and collaboration with Satori.lv

The first version of the exhibition was created through a collaboration between the Prague City Museum and Prague Pride, while the Latvian presentation was developed by “Homo Novus.” The local context is enriched with bullying experience stories gathered together with the online magazine Satori.lv — more than 60 people of various ages responded to the call, sharing accounts of abuse related to their appearance, gender, sexual orientation or other factors.

The exhibition will be on view at the museum from September 5 to 20, accessible with a regular museum admission ticket. On September 5, as part of the “White Night” cultural forum, the square behind the museum will host a joint party for wheelchair users, skaters and rollerskaters, organised by the Czech-Slovenian collective “Dimanta riteņi” together with the local community.

Overall, the festival will take place in Riga and the regions — from Krāslava to Riga — in theatres, the museum and other venues. It is produced by the association Latvian New Theatre Institute.