Identity, multiplicity and creation

by Ms Ilga Cimbule

The cultural policy of Jekabpils is based on three principles: local peculiarities, tendencies of global development and the satisfaction of people's needs. The target of cultural policy is to promote the identity of culture, multiplicity, creation and active participation of the citizens in the cultural life.

The cultural establishments of Jekabpils - two recreation centres, three libraries, a museum and others, contribute to the essential needs of the inhabit-ants for the availability of modern culture providing informative educational process. More than 45 different level and interests groups are running in the recreation centres. The main task of these centres is to promote the maintenance and development of nation's art traditions, as well as organization of activities for all the inhabitants.

Every year Jekabpils plans and finances a variety of cultural activities organized not only by the cultural institutions, but also by the private and non-governmental organizations. All inhabitants have a chance to attend the educational, cultural and entertaining events to meet their interests: national holiday concerts, conferences, exhibitions, classical music concerts, opera performances, open-air, theatre and music festivals. The libraries offer different projects, directed towards the promotion of literature, attracting popular writers and poets. The year of 2006 was very important to Jekabpils due to several remarkable events. In Struve's park, once called the Crown Garden, a memorial stone indicating meridian point was opened, now placed on the list of UNESCO World Culture Heritage. XI Latvian theatre amateur meeting assembled 40 theatre troupes with over 1600 actors from Latvia.

The local municipality finances the annual City Festival, which becomes professionally better. The Council has created a system of co-operation with the city and district municipal institutions, social organizations, societies and enterprises in order to organize the cultural life and promote wide scale events where the target is to develop creativity and individual local patriotism.