On June 1, 2025, the newly renovated Jāņukalns open-air stage in Smiltene hosted the vibrant opening concert “Create Together, Act Together, Celebrate Together!”, along with the Baltic Sea Region Cultural Pearls of 2025 awarding ceremony. The event brought together more than 700 young performers—dancers and singers—from Smiltene and Valkas municipalities, as well as local residents and guests from nearby towns and neighboring countries.
During the official ceremony, Felix Schartner Giertta, representative of the Council of the Baltic Sea States Secretariat and coordinator of the Interreg “BSR Cultural Pearls” project, welcomed the audience and presented the award to Smiltene. The honor was accepted by Andris Lapiņš, Executive Director of Smiltene Municipality, and Evija Dzvinko, Director of Smiltene Cultural Centre.
Smiltene is one of six cities and municipalities to receive the “Cultural Pearls” title in 2025. Other awardees include Helsingborg (Sweden), Peipsiääre (Estonia), Alūksne Municipality (Latvia), Płock (Poland), and Kaskinen–Kaskö (Finland). Each of these locations will implement year-long programs to foster community resilience through cultural and creative activities.
The Cultural Pearls title was awarded to Smiltene for its comprehensive action plan aimed at strengthening community cohesion. A cornerstone of this effort was the restoration of the Jāņukalns open-air stage—an initiative led by local residents and community supporters—transforming it into a public gathering space for celebrations and shared cultural experiences.
In his speech, Felix Schartner Giertta noted:
Smiltene’s planned activities during the Cultural Pearls year include a wide variety of age and social groups. But most importantly, the city’s resilience and cultural action plan is shaped by ideas and initiatives from local residents themselves—such as the revival of this beautiful open-air stage.
Guna Kalniņa‑Priede, Head of the Vidzeme Planning Region Administration, also addressed the audience, emphasizing the value of international recognition for boosting the self-confidence and identity of small towns.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the “BSR Cultural Pearls” initiative, including partners from the Ostrobothnia Regional Council (Finland), Loov Eesti (Estonia), the Danish Cultural Institute in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture Secretariat, and the ARS BALTICA cultural network. Fellow 2025 awardee Peipsiääre Municipality from Estonia was also present to celebrate the occasion.
Photo: Uģis Brālēns / Smiltene Cultural Centre
