Daugavpils Fortress – where the magic of creative entrepreneurship happens

Activities of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, continuous development of Daugavpils fortress Culture and information Centre have made an impact on development of cultural and touristic environment there. Local people have accepted it and, without even being aware, are proud of it. Thanks to Festival of the Military Reenactment Clubs and excursions, recognition and popularity of Daugavpils Fortress have increased in Daugavpils city, in Latvia and in foreign countries. Activities of Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre – 50 expositions, 5 art symposiums a year, workshops for both adults and children and about 100 000 visitors annually helped Centre to develop as a popular place of culture and art and tourism object. People, activities and place by itself has made a special magic of Daugavpils Fortress.
A research, aiming to find out the understanding of citizens and students of Daugavpils, as well as those, who work in the city, about the creative industries and the city’s creative potential was carried out in the city of Daugavpils within the framework of the project „Gen-Y City”/“Get into the swing of the City!”, supported by URBACT III programme of the European Regional Development Fund.
During the survey, the respondents expressed their opinion about creative places and events in the city, about popular tourism sites and about future development perspectives for the city of Daugavpils.
According to respondents` belief, a creative city is characterized by cultural institutions and cultural events, creative activities, communities of craftsmen and artists in the city, as well as Culture and art are the most perspective areas of the city's development. Respondents believe that in order to develop various creative initiatives in the city, Daugavpils city municipality should develop a more creative urban environment (14 %), provide more support to cultural events and create the centre of creative industries (13 %), as well as finance the development of small entrepreneurs (10 %).
Local Action Plan has been developing for next five years, within the framework of the project „Gen-Y City”. In order to develop various creative initiatives in the city, local activists need a place to meet and develop their creative potential. At the meeting of the project's local initiative group, the idea of creating a creative entrepreneurship center has emerged. The Fortress is planned as a place for the establishment of a creative business center, as it has proven to be and develop as a touristic, cultural and creative arts block. The atmosphere in the Fortress – special magic, existing tourism and business offers, as well as the creative entrepreneurship center will fit in a united initiative ensemble that will promote development of the creative and entrepreneurial potential in Daugavpils.
It is important for Daugavpils to promote the involvement of young people in urban life by doing business and promoting the city as a whole. The diversity of the education system, the creative foundation and the artistic atmosphere dominate in the city and are the key factors that contribute to the development of Daugavpils "y" generation. The city strives towards the promotion of creative business at the international level, and seeks to attract talented and creative people to stay and develop in the city of Daugavpils.
Daugavpils future priorities:
- Satisfied with life, educated, creative, active and healthy residents, who are proud of their city;
- Economics, in which the industries with high added value are developed;
- Aesthetic and functionally arranged and developed urban environment.
Let’s make Daugavpils a city, whose residents have diverse perception, a city with stylish ambience, a city, where its vibration can be heard in the streets!