Latvian Cultural Capital Foundation backs 448 projects with nearly €1.8 million in third funding round
The State Culture Capital Foundation closed its third project competition of the year in late October, awarding funding to 448 projects. The list of supported projects has drawn public attention after criticism from Katrīna Iļjinska, a former adviser to the economy minister.
The State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), which distributes public funds to cultural projects in Latvia, closed its third project competition of the year in late October. Nearly €1.8 million in total went to 448 projects. In all, 953 projects were submitted, and the funding requested exceeded €6 million.
Dace Bluķe, deputy chair of the VKKF Council, said the supported projects show how broad Latvia's cultural scene is. According to her, the results stand for more than concerts, exhibitions, performances or books: they also give writers, composers and researchers time to create new work and to explore lesser-known pages of culture and history.
Criticism on social media
The list of supported projects has received wider attention thanks to Katrīna Iļjinska, a former adviser to the economy minister. She posts on the social network X data that is already published on the VKKF website, and compiles it in her own spreadsheet. In one post, about master's-degree study support, she asked why master's studies in the film sector are funded while young scientists, physicists, mathematicians, doctors and nurses are not.
Readers' comments are divided. Some say Iļjinska does not understand the field and argue that hiring a professional sound engineer for a film is justified. Others agree with her and call for checks on whether scholarship money is used as intended, including questions about possible repayments.
Examples of supported projects
NRA highlighted several approved projects:
- object theatre performance "Meklējot sumbri" (In Search of the Bison) – €10,000;
- first production stage of the documentary "13 bērnu tēvs" (Father of 13 Children) – €9,300;
- "Humānisms Baltijas fotogrāfijā" (Humanism in Baltic Photography) – €8,100;
- research project "Regenerative Textures: Reed Research" – €4,200;
- Marta Šleiere's study scholarship at Tallinn University – €4,000;
- sound recording "Dzeguzes dziesmas" (Cuckoo Songs) – €3,900;
- Flea Ball 2027 – €3,000;
- scholarships for master's studies in architecture in Brussels and at the University of Applied Arts Vienna – €3,000 each.
