Recap | Cultural Mobility Forum 2025

Photo credits: Lauris Vīksne

On April 29-30, 2025 artists, cultural professionals, and policymakers came together to exchange ideas and imagine more inclusive futures for young and emerging arts workers across borders.

Why Cultural Mobility Forum?

After COVID-19, young artists and culture professionals faced major career setbacks. Many started in remote training, virtual internships, or online graduations, limiting networking and industry engagement. The disruption forced some to abandon their artistic paths entirely.
Limited data exists on those who have reoriented their careers, raising important questions:

• In 2025, who is truly equipped to pursue an artistic path amid such uncertainties?
• How do digital advancements, mobility justice, climate concerns, and global instability shape their willingness to follow an international trajectory?

Through these themes, the Cultural Mobility Forum 2025 fostered critical dialogue on the pathways forward for young and emerging artists and culture professionals, offering perspectives on how international mobility, inclusivity, and sustainability can be reimagined for a resilient arts and culture sector.

From entrepreneurship and networking to the need for structural change in institutions, speakers shared insights on how to support young creatives as they transition into the global arts and culture ecosystem.

A big thank you to our Day 1 panelists for their engaging contributions:

• Paolo Montemurro, materahub
• Aparajita Dutta, Royal Academy of Art The Hague – KABK Den Haag
• Adam Svoboda, PQ: Prague Quadrennial
• Jennifer Lee, Mekong Cultural Hub

Moderated by:

• Dr. Dea Vidović, Institut za razvoj i međunarodne odnose
•  Maïa Sertm, National Association of Public Art and Design Schools, France

Their experience sparked dialogue and thoughtful questions from a lively audience – online and in the room!

Photo credits: Lauris Vīksne

Day 2 featured a powerful panel on international relations with

• Niusha Khanmohammadi, Artist
• Bahdan Khmialnitski, Goethe Institut Georgia

The discussion was moderated by Olu Alake, the President of The Africa Center. They were unpacking what global collaboration means for the next generation of creatives.

We closed the forum with a final session of takeaways and recommendations from our rapporteurs:

• Katrīna Dūka, International Project Manager, Rīgas cirks,
• Andrew Ogun, Agent for Change, Arts Council of Wales,
• Ikars Graždanovičs, Performance Artist and Writer,
• Lina Allia, Development & Cooperations Coordinator at Radio Grenouille,
• Karu Treij, Performance Artist and Teacher.

Together with moderator Yohann Floch (On the Move), they turned key insights into concrete ideas for policy and practice.

Photo credits: Lauris Vīksne

We concluded the Forum with a series of field visits to Gertrudes ielas teātris, RIXC, The Center for New Media Culture, and Kim? Contemporary Art Centre. Participants had the option to explore either the field of performance or visual arts.

The performance track began with the contemporary dance piece Vērpete at Gertrudes ielas teātris, followed by discussions focused on mobility within the performance sector.

The visual arts visits included two key locations. At RIXC, co-founder Rasa Šmite introduced participants to the center’s multidisciplinary projects, highlighting its innovative approach to new media. At Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, attendees not only learned about the development of the institution but also had the opportunity to meet artist Jānis Dzirnieks and tour his solo exhibition Healthy Friends.

The Cultural Mobility Forum was organised by On the Move, co-hosted by Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture, and created in partnership with Rīgas cirks and HowlRound Theatre Commons. Co-funded by the European Union.
A heartfelt thank you to all speakers, moderators, and rapporteurs for making this forum such a rich and meaningful experience! 🧡