On Saturday, May 29 in the Karosta Culture and Information center K@2 the project “Es kÄ ... KarostÄ â€ (“I as ... in Karosta†), financed by PHARE Small Project Program, will be opened and the first month of Latvia as an EU member country will be marked with a multicultural festival.

How will I feel - I as a pensioner, as a business person, as a priest, a Swede, a Pole, a Russian - in KAROSTA after Latvia joining the European Union? The project “Es kÄ ... KarostÄ â€ (“I as ... in Karosta†) will attempt to give the answers to these questions to 8000 inhabitants of Karosta from May till September.

The main goals of the project, prepared jointly by the Development Department of Liepaja City Council and K@2 are, firstly, to increase the knowledge of Karosta community on the EU, secondly, to reduce the prejudices and fear in relation to joining a multicultural union, thirdly, to provide informative support to ca 120 small and medium enterprises in Karosta on how to attract the EU structural funds and other resources, as well as to establish information exchange network between the institutions and various Karosta community groups, involving the most active part of the community - the volunteers in the further dissemination of information.

It is planned to carry out a study within the framework of the project to find out the prejudices of Karosta inhabitants and the unclear questions in relation to Latvia joining the EU and the information needed for businesses. In September the seminars for the entrepreneurs and volunteers - the two most active groups of Karosta community - will be organized as the follow-up of the study results. Through several previous projects and daily cooperation with Karosta Mini City Hall more than 20 Karosta volunteers have already proved their interest to facilitate the development of their neighborhood and solution of its problems, providing individual approach in the information dissemination to the most sensitive community groups - pensioners, the unemployed etc.

The project “Es kÄ ... KarostÄ â€ (“I as ... in Karosta†) will end in September with Open Days and wide orienteering competition in Karosta. On that day the people of Liepaja will have a chance to learn better Karosta - a part of the city which had been for many years a closed area to the rest of the city.

Program

“I as ... in Karosta†, Multicultural festival in Karosta
May 29, 2004

12.00 Opening of the GarJÄ nis’ photo exhibition „Vinilla Dievi†(Vinilla Gods)
“Kinoosta†, 2nd floor, Atmodas bulvÄ ris 6A
Exhibition of the photos by Vasilijs Borjajevs „Salons†(Saloon)
Secular art gallery „K.MÄ ksla?†, Atmodas bulvÄ ris 6

12.15 Show of the experimental films “Divas Annas†(Two Annas) - program of children films
“Klubene†, Ģ.Dankera street 1

14.00 Multicultural opening event of the project “Es kÄ ... KarostÄ â€ (“I as ... in Karosta†) at the fire of nations’ friendship
at “Dzejnieku namiņš†(The Poets’ House) between Studentu rotas and KatedrÄ les streets

14.15 Program of the songs from the 60-ies, the Slavic folklore group „Voļņicaâ€
at “Dzejnieku namiņš†(The Poets’ House) between Studentu rotas and KatedrÄ les streets

14.30 Non-traditional fashion & brake dancers <br<
Open-air stage at “Klubeneâ€

14.45 German and Russian poetry & almost dances in „Dzejnieku namiņš†(The Poets’ House)

15.30 Games and graffiti event for children and other interested persons
at “Dzejnieku namiņš†(The Poets’ House) an the fire

16.30 Performance of the Scottish media artist Andrew Patersonat “Dzejnieku namiņš†(The Poets’ House)

17.00 Gipsy songs and dance, the Slavic folklore group „Voļņicaâ€

17.30 Playing with fire - fire blowing and fire throwing

18.00 Tasting of the Swedish national dish - fermented herring surstromming - performance for taste and the nose

18.30 Cooking of the Cinema Soup , Roberts Gobziņš and folklore group “Suitu sievesâ€

19.00 Cooking and tasting of gigantic Mexican Paelja headed by Jose Javier Manzur Garsia

21.00 Musical performance of the Danish rock star Lui Fontane
The open-air stage

22.00 Electronic music party“Kinoosta†,
2nd floor, Atmodas bulvÄ ris 6A

Parallel events:

14.00 - 15.30 cartoon workshop for children in “Kinoosta†,
Atmodas bulvÄ ris 6A

17.00 - 21.00 Audio/video installation in “Gaismas mÄ ja†,
CÄ“su rotas street 2

15.30 - 21.00 Program of the young film makers within the framework of the festival “Divas Annas†at “Klubene†,
en. Dankera street 1

All the time
INFORMATION STAND and infoTEAM at “Kinoostaâ€
TRANSPORT FREE OF CHARGE FROM THE HOTEL “LĪVA†TO KAROSTA

Supported by the representative office of European Commission in Latvia.

Contact
Ieva Jansone
Head of Marketing division, Development Department, Liepaja City Council
Phone: 3404803
e-mail: ievaj@dome.liepaja.lv
www.liepaja.lv/ap/