On 26th August, 2024 an agreement was signed for the project “A Year Together in Dance. Valka -Valga.”, Nr. EE-LV00105. The project is implemented under the Interreg VI-A Estonia-Latvia programme 2021-2027. The leading partner of the project is Valka Municipality Council, the project partner is Valga municipality. The implementation of the project is planned from 16th September, 2024 till 15th September, 2025.
The aim of the project is to strengthen relations between the local residents of the cross-border towns of Valka-Valka, to promote communication and a sense of belonging to a united, international, cross-border community.
Within the framework of the project, it is planned to prepare a folk-contemporary dance performance giving opportunity for 3 Valka and 3 Valga folk dance collectives to collaborate on staging a joint dance performance. As part of the project, both joint and separate dance rehearsals for Valka and Valga dance collectives will be organized. The first event of the dance performance is scheduled to be performed in June 2025, as part of the Valka – Valga Twin Town Festival. In addition, 4 more dance performances are scheduled – 2 in Latvia, 2 in Estonia.
Alongside the aforementioned activities, 4 different dance workshops will be regularly organized in Valka and Valga, in which the residents of both towns will be invited to participate. The working language of dance workshops is English. When creating dance workshops, various people motor skills will be taken into account in order for the workshops to be inclusive for everyone. Planned events:
- Dance workshop “Lift Me Up and Dance” (LV);
- Dance workshop “Body Percussion” (LV);
- Dance workshop “Stretch Out and Dance!” (EE);
- Dance workshop “Dancing Chairs” (EE).
In order to promote the project participants’ knowledge of contemporary dance, within the framework of the project, interested project participants will be given the opportunity to participate in a contemporary dance workshop in Riga. At the end of the project, a joint closing event will be organized for the project participants in Valka.
Total eligible costs of the project are EUR 87 500, ERDF co-financing is 80% or EUR 70 000, Project costs for Valka municipality are EUR 53 761.25, ERDF financing for Valka municipality is EUR 43 009.00 (80% of project costs for Valka municipality), Valka municipality co-financing is EUR 5376.12 (10% of project costs for Valka municipality), State co-financing is EUR 5 376.12 (10% of project costs for Valka municipality).
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