VV Foundation Award Ceremony and Madame Nielsen’s Solo Concert

Name: VV Foundation Award Ceremony and Madame Nielsen’s Solo Concert
Start: 2026-05-31T14:00:00+03:00
End: 2026-05-31T17:00:00+03:00
Location: Latvijas Nacionālais rakstniecības un mūzikas muzejs

Schedule

Sun May 31 2026 at 02:00 pm to 05:00 pm

UTC+03:00

Location

Latvijas Nacionālais rakstniecības un mūzikas muzejs | Riga, RI

At the festival’s closing event, taking place at the Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music, the winner of the VV Foundation Award for Emerging Performance Artists from Latvia will be announced. The programme will also feature a prose reading and solo concert by Madame Nielsen (DK).

This year, three performance artists are competing for the main VV Foundation award: Agnese Krivade, Andris Freibergs, and the collaborative team of Inese Bērziņa, Ernests Valts Circenis, and Kaspars Eglītis.
Their performances can be experienced as part of STARPTELPA 2026 on Saturday, 30 May, at St. Saviour’s Anglican Church in Riga:
* 15:30 – 16:10 Agnese Krivade (LV), GLLRRK / WHAT ARE THE POLITICS OF WOBBLE IN A WORLD OBSESSED WITH CONTROL?
* 16:30 – 17:10 Inese Bērziņa, Ernests Valts Circenis, Kaspars Eglītis (LV), RETRACING AND RESOUNDING
* 19:20 – 20:00 Andris Freibergs (LV), BALD BOYS // 18+ (nudity, intense sound and transgressive actions)
Each finalist has already received €500 in financial support for the development, production, and presentation of their work as part of the Riga Performance Festival STARPTELPA 2026. Following the festival, one artist will be selected as the overall winner and awarded an additional €500, together with a two-week residency at Pāvilosta Artist in Residency (PAiR).

The ceremony will also feature Danish performance artist Madame Nielsen with a prose reading and solo concert.
Madame Nielsen is a novelist, artist, performer, stage director, composer, chanteuse, and world-history enactor whose work explores identity, transformation, and collective authorship. Multigendered and interdisciplinary in practice, Madame Nielsen is part of the global Nielsen Movement, through which different Nielsens present and represent works and interventions created collaboratively across borders and artistic forms.
Madame Nielsen is the author of numerous literary works, including “The Suicide Mission”, “The Sovereign”, “Fall of the Great Satan”, “The Invasion”, “The Supreme Being”, and “The Endless Summer”. Her works works have been translated into nine languages and have received several international literary awards.

Attendance is free of charge, but advance registration is required via [email protected].
Please note that photography and filming will take place during the event. By attending, you consent to the use of this material for festival publicity and promotional purposes.

The festival is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Riga City Council, Danish Arts Foundation, ERASMUS+, Nordic Culture Point, Canada Council for the Arts, Culture Ireland, VV Foundation, PAiR, LSM, K. Suns, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, Aston Hotel Riga, MĀ TELPA, Art Academy of Latvia, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music.