Art center NOASS is an NGO - initiative of creative rigans to create an inclusive meeting place for the community, arts and culture.
This initiative aims to ignite transformation, improving accessibility of this community centre and surrounding park all-year-long. It aims to work towards improving: functionality of the center; connection with nature in a busy city center; revitalization the park; transformation from a seasonal venue to functionallity all-year-long.
Local
Latvia
Riga
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Association "Art center NOASS" Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Evija Last name of representative: Dambrovska Gender: Prefer not to say Nationality: Latvia Function: Partnership coordinator Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Zaubes iela 10-3, Rīga, LV-1013, Latvija Town: Riga Postal code: LV-1013 Country: Latvia Direct Tel:+37126319581 E-mail:evija@noass.lv Website:http://www.noass.lv/en/
Riga is divided by the river Daugava. The river sides largely unused – possibilities to safely access water are limited. One of such rare areas is AB Dam – the artificial semi-island in the middle of the city. It is the home for the art center NOASS - an NGO, an initiative of creative rigans with a goal to create an inclusive meeting place for the community, arts and culture. It is a flexible floating berth that is used as a venue, stage, place for enjoyment of nature.
This project is a new initiative that aims to ignite transformation, improving accessibility of this community centre and surrounding park all-year-long. The challenge is that the centers sustainability is most dependent on its functionality only in warm season, thus limiting the center's capacity to function in winter, and challenging financial sustainability and ability to form a team all year long.
Rethinking of the art center and its surroundings is crucial to ensure its sustainable functionality. Priorities of NOASS in the near future is to address the 2 crucial needs of the center and community: easier access to the waterfront and park area; securing all year long functionality, thus fostering its economic sustainability and resilience and avoiding seasonal “break”.
We expect to find and implement an innovative solution for revitalization, functionality and flexibility of the park, and transform from a seasonal venue to a community gathering point that can function all-year-long. Project aims to work towards: increasing number of visitors of AB dam; connection with nature in a busy city center; revitalization the park; transformation from a seasonal venue to functionallity all-year-long; expanding educational activities (by inviting long-term partners from educational institutions to work on research and projects also during study-year which currently overlaps with NOASS’ off-season); fostering community engagement in the development; serve as a good practice example.
revitalization
functionality
sustainability
community
learning
NOASS is located on a pier and raised by a sunken concrete dock that is rebuilt into an organizations’ space. The “buildings” are repurposed and used in an innovative manner as a multi-functional art center. We are searching for new ways and methods to increase functionality of the center during winter season, and increasing the appeal of the park of AB Dam by artistic intervention for example, wrapping facade of the ship with artworks, connecting research with art by making research stations into installations, creating exhibitions with the purpose to improve the surrounding natural area, etc.
The project works on development and implementation of ideas in sustainable manner to increase functionality of the venue and surroundings. That could lead to following impact: social – NOASS will host more visitors (annual attendance increasing from 15`000 to 22`000), make AB Dam a safe and welcoming environment during winter and dark hours; invite inhabitants of Riga to take active part in co-creation of solution of functionality of NOASS by involving in workshops, that will increase sense of community; economic – sustainability of the center, securing its functionality; innovate – new cooperation between local communities and solution developed for functionality of flexible multi-purpose community center.
Sustainability in the context of work of NOASS is seen as repurposing, adapting, reusing materials, creating an energoeffective environment that does not use more resources than needed but still is of good enough quality to avoid pollution and waste creation. In every step of development and upgrades environmental footprint is considered. Sustainable thinking also reaches our learning labs where all the materials used and invented are creative pointers on sustainability in research practices.
NOASS initiates cross-sectorial educational projects - multidisciplinary and training-oriented lectures, seminars, discussions, workshops and more. Knowledge cultivated within our space is shared with the community in different industry meetings, workshops, group discussions and partnerships.
Multi-functional character of the venue of NOASS - as a public community center and platform of innovation helps to people from various sectors, for example, arts, music, science and architecture to work together and learn from each other. NOASS itself is an artwork, functions in a way, that adapts and reuses art fo environment improvement, and it provides a community gathering space that cultivates positive experiences, fosters sense of belonging and reconnect people with nature in a midst of a busy city. NOASS is a vessel of experience and knowledge, that aims to utilize the unique location and resources to encounter new learning opportunities. This leads to the goal to learn the novel sustainability practices and improve this community space by making the building accessible all-year-long and invite communities, students, researchers into its premises for workshops, initiative design, and innovation. Association aims to work with local communities (architects, urban developers, creatives, etc.) and involve students from partner institutions– universities, as well as create partnerships with other institutions by expanding our working capabilities.
To the New European Bauhaus we can bring knowledge gathered by the organization over 20 years about sustainable operation of NGOs, work with the local communities in different age, social, and economic groups and experience in combining them, cooperation with the local government, innovative solutions using limited resources, etc. Multi-functional character of the venue of NOASS - as an public community center and platform of innovation helps to people from various sectors, for example, arts, music, science and architecture to work together and learn from each other.
NOASS initiates cross-sectorial educational projects - multidisciplinary and training-oriented lectures, seminars, discussions, workshops and more. Most recent project happening on the premises of NOASS is N-LAB. Association aims to work with local communities (architects, urban developers, creatives, etc.) and involve students from partner institutions – universities, as well as create partnerships with other institutions by expanding our working capabilities. With support for this project we aim to create workshops that would allow us to discuss, innovate and realize building improvement projects in sustainable manner, work with local educational institutions to give them access to research space, and most importantly - invest in specialist expertise in order to work, prepare proposals and communicate them with the municipality. It serves the purpose of the overall improvement of AB Dam -NOASS itself has provided many accessibility measures but there is a lot of work to be done with the municipality on the park area to find ways to make it an accessible, safe, and beautiful place for enjoyment of culture and nature in a busy city centre.
Art Center NOASS produces its own cultural and event program, and hosts partner projects. NOASS stands out with extensive work in visual arts; cultural event organization including workshops; public lectures and discussions; art in city space, science and cross industries project realization; operating a community building. Recently NOASS has participated in MADCity international city planning event (2019), which was focused to the development of the left side riverside of Daugava in Riga, and produced community-inspired art project’s in the park area e.g., interactive sound-art tour “Isle of Sirens” (2021), “Stories Told by Water” (2015-2021), art project by Swedish artist group SIMKA (2014), and more.
Our existence is based on a genuine need from the local community (and ecosystem) for an independent venue where everyone is welcomed and all voices and generations, provide an inclusive meeting-place for local community and creatives (a limited opportunity in Riga). It’s flexibility was one of the key factors that secured its partly functionality during gathering restrictions, giving invaluable support for local musicians, artists and performers (place where they were able to perform and meet their audience).
We want to continue work of the AB Dam development and further communication with local communities. We offer cultural events and safe access to nature for free to all the interested communities. We encourage to continue work of neighborhood improvement whilst promoting volunteer work and monitoring, participating in initiatives managed by the city. NOASS promotes civic participation, creates space where creatives, scientists, activists can work together. As an NGO it works towards providing accessibility and representation to all social and economic groups. NOASS is outstanding with the approach that we take to integrate older generations of culture consumers with exhibitions and other events.
The unique location and buildings of the NOASS bring many challenges. These repurposed buildings (that are technically ships built in 1960s) do not qualify for any construction grants among them (therefore well-considered reuse of materials is considered in all NOASS projects, starting from art projects to improvements of the venue). Not less important, location in water and park areas ask for well-thought-out, ecological solutions, and municipality agreement whenever adjustments to the building take place. NOASS is also the only functional venue/building/ attraction in all park area.
NOASS has knowledge gathered over 20 years about sustainable operation of NGOs, working with the local communities in different age, social, and economic groups and experience in combining them, cooperation with the local government, innovative solutions using limited resources, etc. Most of our work is supported by funds of municipality and state that proves our functionality in the cultural and social scene of the city and country. We have a close partnership with multiple universities that have been and are invited to join internships, workshops, and research projects.
The team of NOASS has a small, but enthusiastic and dedicated team of artists, and architects, and the organization has a strong network of passionate science, art, and city planning-related professionals. Some of them are members of the association, but others take an active part in the activities.
The most recent project happening on the premises of NOASS is N-LAB - a research and development center, that connects different specialists in projects about robotics, programming, mechanical engineering, and more. Knowledge cultivated within our space is shared with the community in different industry meetings, workshops, group discussions, and partnerships.
Workshops hosted on the premises of NOASS allow different specialists to interact with each other whilst exchanging ideas, sharing practices and experiences, and coming up with new ideas and solutions for topical problems. Our experience with providing creative working space that hosts many disciplines has resulted in many original designs, experiments, and their implementations as people share different perspectives and are able to come up with new ideas.
This experience allows us to believe that the methodology of creating a workshop for sustainable, beautiful, functional improvement of NOASS and the surrounding park will also be fruitful and result in multiple potential solutions and approaches to sustainable improvement that could be shared with the NEB community. By accentuating our partnerships with universities we will provide opportunities for young specialists to gain experience and participate in a creative project surrounded by a diverse and knowledgeable team.
As a cultural institution created from repurposed materials, NOASS has always worked within what is now defined as NEB values. The establishment of NEB gives an opportunity to innovate our work within likeminded communities, create a methodology of sustainable and beautiful development to be shared with NEB friends. NOASS was built relying on the idea of transdisciplinarity. It has connected many designers, architects, engineers, scientists, artists, and technicians.
NOASS team for more than 25 years has invested its own work (including many years of voluntary work) and taken a moral co-ownership and responsibility for AB Dam and its waterfront. The art center as a key location in the park is an inclusive environment that welcomes all generations. From children and young students and musicians to older naïve artists that are discovering their creative potential during retirement. The art center actively works on projects that use its surroundings as an exhibition place (and functions also as a concert hall). The pandemic proved - that the flexibility of the venue was crucial: 1) for keeping the community together during times of change and providing a safe environment for gathering (providing a sense of belonging); 2) for inviting people to step outside of their homes to the AB Dam park, art center, and the riverside and thus reconnect with nature. But even with this flexibility, it is not yet fit for functioning from late autumn – to early spring, thus stopping its functionality for 5 months a year (affecting possibility to organize events for the community and its economic resilience). Due to the limited functionality of the venue, also AB Dam park is a less popular destination for walks.
All previous improvements of NOASS and AB dam park have been based on opportunities, resource availability, and art project integration into the development of the area. With the support of this project we hope to achieve a systemised documentation of the development process. It would allow us to share our experience, and provide guidelines for community involvement that could be adapted based on the success and scope of other projects. We can guarantee that methodology, processes, and learning can be transferred and replicated as on the other hand products and technologies will be used according to local availability and sustainability that might differ in other contexts. This project would provide a unique perspective on how to improve our environment with the power of local initiative and dedication and prove that changes, even if currently bound to one park area, can be started by anyone as long as they have inspiration and community.
The project’s objective is to within 5 months find and implement a solution for improvement of the functionality (during the cold period), sustainability (including economic resilience), and aesthetic look of 1 community meeting point (by involving the focus group in a welcoming, inclusive and participatory manner, and encouraging transdisciplinary cooperation between focus group (local community), artists, architects, students, scientists) with a common goal to work together provide community with better conditions for gathering and rediscovering of the beauty of time spent in the nature.
A focus group of the art center’s members, audience, and network will be organized (5 people). The focus group will work together with cross-disciplinary group architects, artists, scientists & students from 2 universities, and local inhibition with the community center to find solutions for the all-year functionality (6+5 people during 2 workshops).
The solution of improvement of the functionality of the public venue (art center) itself (as a unique location) is unusual and asks for new, innovative measures. It is the only functioning art center located on an industrial floating pier, is unique also in the European context, the measures taken should be well considered (respecting the lifting capacity, shipping safety measures, eco-friendliness, and others). The cross-disciplinary cooperation and mix of participants (visitors, artists, architects, scientists, and local inhabitants) will secure that 1) functionality, 2) esthetic, 3) artistic innovation is met in the realization of the project. We believe that such innovative solutions will be later used also in other similar venues elsewhere in Riga and Europe, starting with those with whom the art center is already in a common network.
NOASS all-year-long is a local initiative that could provide a good practise example that would add to legitimization of NEB initiative. Project considers the local impact putting it in perspective with the future of the entire ecosystem. The project starts as an initiative with local scale application but it can provide basis for initiatives that share similar purposes looking at the future of the entire ecosystem. We can change one thing at a time, but together with the community these changes shape a much larger movement of sustainable improvement. This project has involved a number of regional bodies and aims to build a network of collaborators from NEB. The project also aims to disseminate the achievements and methodology across Europe and other fields and sectors while serving as a practice example of importance of participation and transdisciplinary collaboration.
In all years of organizational work, it has been developed from a sunken concrete dock into two multifunctional buildings. NOASS has participated/organized many cross-industry meetings, created workshops, and organized discussions, meetings with city officials about the development of AB Dam.
The year 2022 has been focused on the availability and sustainability of NOASS - windows and doors were installed (to keep the building warm for a longer period of time), and accessibility ramps and bathrooms were installed. These improvements were made at the first opportunity in order to integrate people (with disabilities as well as e.g. parents with strollers) into cultural and social life. Still, more work needs to be done together with municipality to make AB dam accessible itself.
Year 2023 based on the associations strategy is education-focused - educational projects are being started and carried out, N-lab will be continuously supported, and workshops, research projects, and cross-industry meetings held. This goal was set after years of going through and recovering from the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
