TEDxRiga

From fear to fortitude – a journey through life (and the forest) | Anna Ķirse

TEDxRiga — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 11:36:43 +0000

Everyone has something that they are afraid of. For Anna Ķirse, that something happened to be almost everything. But facing the realization that fear might prevent her from pursuing her dreams, Anna was able to turn fear into her ally, helping her push herself to work hard enough to achieve her goal of making it in the world of music. Along the way, she realized that fear was not a liability but a powerful emotion that can be harnessed into a creative force. And it was alone in the Finnish forest and surrounded by her perceived fears that Anna let her imagination run wild, allowing her create the utterly unique opera in the forest, “Tree opera.”

Anna Ķirse is regarded as one of the brightest young composers in Latvia. Her work flourishes outside the walls of conventional concert halls and crosses the boundaries of different genres. Anna’s most recent opera, ‘’Tree Opera. Wind Throws.’’, premiered in August in Finland and has been hailed as a phenomenon of both culture and nature. Her achievements have not gone unnoticed. Her composition ‘’Radices” represented Latvia in the prestigious international contest ‘’Rostrum,” she was nominated for the Latvian Contemporary Art Prize – the Purvītis Prize, and received the Latvian Academy of Music and LMT Annual Award for outstanding achievements in music and creativity. She has just finished her master’s degree in composition at the Latvian Academy of Music and is currently working on commissions by the Icelandic ensemble ‘’Nordic Affect’’, the Swedish Paetzold flute player Anna Petrini and on a composition for the State Choir Latvia that’s set to premiere next year in Switzerland.

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Bella | PRAGAII – performance

TEDxRiga — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 12:04:34 +0000

You know that feeling when it seems that everything is just a bit too much? This piece was created when PRAGAII were at a low place, and what helped them get out of that funk was – work. Day by day, step by step, onward is often the best we can do for ourselves. The song is named after Bella, guitarist Aleksis’ dog, who was with them every step of the way and provided much-needed relief between bouts of work. The song also symbolizes the friendship between Aleksis and Kaspars, as well as with all of the individuals close to them, who make it easier to get out of bed and start your day.

“PRAGAII” is an experimental pop music project formed in 2015 by Aleksis Luriņš, ex-basist in Carnival Youth, and electronic music artist Kaspars Kubeckis aka “Kashuks”. Despite initially not seeing eye to eye, the two musicians were brought closer together by mutually experienced life challenges and music.

The duo oversees every component of their music making – from the first ideas, going through multiple creative sessions and technical corrections, even leveling out decibels at the end of the recording process. Their style is a mix of both musicians’ individual musical preferences and experiences, brought together by a joint love of sound engineering and producing intriguing and yet unheard style of music. Their first album, “Sorry, Can’t Talk Right Now” was released in November of 2019.

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Becoming a bullshit warrior – and being happier for it | Ralfs Eilands

TEDxRiga — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 13:34:48 +0000

Whether we like it or not, every one of us experiences a certain amount of untruthfulness throughout the day. White lies can seem innocent at face level, but when stacked upon more, we enter a society of untruths. Musician Ralfs Eilands has experience both extremes – the white lies, as well as falling victim to media headline clickbait. Here is his approach to leaving the bullshit behind.

Wherever there is a microphone or camera, you’re likely to find Ralfs, the self-taught Latvian musician, music producer, composer, TV & radio show host, entertainer and actor. With his band, PeR, Ralfs has performed the biggest festivals in the Baltics and many other performances across Europe. His band also represented Latvia in Eurovision 2013, and Ralfs has since been a member of Latvia’s and Lithuania’s international Eurovision juries.
As a solo artist, Ralfs has worked numerous times with Raimonds Pauls and composed music for TV shows, movies and other musicians. In 2014, he won the televised contest “Izklausies Redzēts” (Your Face Sounds Familiar) in Latvia and became one of the most admired artists in the country. Last year, you could see Ralfs on the big screen in Anderjs Ēķis’ new movie “Blēži” (Swindlers) in cinemas all around Latvia. Currently, Ralfs is touring with Latvian Radio’s big band and working with Re:Baltica as host of their investigative journalism show “Starp Citu” (By the Way). This year, Ralfs also won second prize at Romania’s popular song contest and awards, The Golden Slag Festival.

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Not just another number – maintaining humanity and identity in detention | Ilvija Pūce

TEDxRiga — Fri, 29 May 2020 06:46:35 +0000

What happens with a human in detention, removed of their freedom and former identity? How is it that people who were among ‘us’ suddenly become ‘them’, as if they are something alien? And how do these terms prevent us from critically examining the issue of detention? Ilvija Pūce explores the dehumanization that occurs in closed institutions (prisons, mental institutions, migration camps, etc.) and why the fight for human rights and the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in these institutions is essential – not only for the individuals facing these conditions, but also society as a whole.

Ilvija Pūce is a lawyer and staunch human rights advocate with a focus on the prevention of torture and ill-treatment. With over twenty years of experience, she has worked at both national and international levels, building expertise on human rights law and systems. Her main focus is the situation in closed institutions.
She has participated in field missions assessing conditions of detainee treatment in many countries, including Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Malta, etc., and has shared her expertise with stakeholders in Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Montenegro, Armenia etc. After serving for 12 years as a member of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture, she has most recently been elected to the UN Committee against Torture.

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Reaching new heights – a man and his piano | Dāvids Kļaviņš

TEDxRiga — Wed, 27 May 2020 07:34:31 +0000

There is no sure way to success but creating the absolute best of something is not the worst place to start. This was Dāvids Kļaviņš epiphany after a random encounter with a stranger in a café, starting a long journey to create the world’s best-sounding piano that has consumed him for over 30 years. But how does one go about doing this? Where do you even start? Every principle or convention for how something should be done is often taken for granted, but in order to do something truly special you need to question everything. Just because it has been accepted to do things one way does not mean that is the only way. And if you can ask the right questions, then you can reframe the outcome, figuratively and literally.

Dāvids Kļaviņš is a musical engineer, pushing the boundaries of how pianos are made. He builds vertical concert grand pianos, which are the largest in the world. His foray into building musical instruments started at the age of 15, when he quit school to do something more hands-on and eneded up as an apprentice at the Schimmel Pianos factory. Uninspired by the status quo of piano building, Dāvids set out to discover improvements to the already globally-accepted grand piano. In 1987 he presented his first creation – 3.7 meter high piano the ‘Giant’. Though it took another 20 years to find the market and financial support to continue this endeavour. In 2018 in Berlin he presented a 4.5 meter high vertical piano, which served as a kickoff point his growing business. Now his pianos are used in studio recordings, digital sound libraries, and are being built into concert halls around the world.

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Trust – the underrated element of getting things done | Jānis Erts

TEDxRiga — Sun, 24 May 2020 11:56:23 +0000

When so much in life is unpredictable, the most direct approach to personal and societal well-being is to foster trust. Trust is a habit, and like all habits, must be trained. And the best teachers? Children. Civic activist Jānis Erts outlines how we as individuals can become better at trusting, how to learn from kids, and how we can use it to move the dial in difficult situations.

While marketing may be Jānis’ profession, helping people is his passion. Jānis is one of the partners of the Marketing Academy company and previously worked at the Inspired marketing agency and Latvian Radio, where he gained experience and knowledge in marketing and, more importantly, started the charity marathon Dod Pieci in 2014. Currently, he is the strategic director of the PLECS fund, an organization working to eliminate orphanages and ensure that every child in Latvia can grow up in a family setting. Janis is a strategic partner at Iespējamā Misija (Mission Possible), a part of the Teach for All network, helping implement a new approach to preparing teachers. Jānis is also the co-creator of the Mana Balss (My Voice) initiative, a civic organization that provides the citizens of Latvia a platform to promote initiatives, and ultimately have them discussed in parliament.

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When social policies fail in a time of economic crisis | Liene Ozoliņa

TEDxRiga — Wed, 20 May 2020 16:26:56 +0000

When the economic crisis of 2008 hit, communities around the world took to the streets, inspired by the “Occupy Wallstreet” movement, to protest the social inequality of the recession. But Latvia, the second-hardest-hit country, was tranquil. Social policies put the responsibility on the unemployed individual, implying that they were at fault for their suffering. Dr. Liene Ozolina considers how social policies can bolster or break social connections.

Liene Ozolina is a political sociologist who has written on post-socialist democratisation, neoliberalism, and politics of time. She holds a PhD in sociology from the London School of Economics, where she currently teaches sociology, and has also studied social theory at the University of Amsterdam and sociology and humanities at the Latvian Academy of Culture. Liene recently published her first book, “Politics of Waiting: Workfare, Post-Soviet Austerity, and Ethics of Freedom,” which examines the austerity regime that followed the 2008 global economic crisis. The book offers a sociological critique of the Latvian “success story”.

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The dangers of foregoing emotional due diligence | Aleksander Tõnnisson

TEDxRiga — Wed, 20 May 2020 16:19:05 +0000

No matter how rational we may try to be, emotions and feelings lie behind every decision we make. In today’s world of analytics and data-driven decision-making, however, we often fail to take into account the impact our feelings have on the decisions we make, often to our own detriment. Aleksander Tõnnisson is used to making big investment decisions based on significant due diligence, but in this talk he lays out some decisions, big and small, that led him to realize the need for another kind of due diligence – emotional.

Aleksander has always been involved in the tech, IT, and startup scene. He is currently a venture partner in .Cocoon, which is a startup de-acceleration program that focuses on startup founders’ personal development instead of the company’s. He is also managing partner in the Buildit Seed Fund for IoT and co-founder of the Buildit Hardware Accelerator, the first startup accelerator in Northern and Eastern Europe investing in hardware startups. He has invested in 60+ hardware companies with founders from 17 countries. He previously developed hardware and software solutions for the German navy fight and transportation helicopter and airplane simulators as well as air traffic control simulators for the German Air Forces.

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Finding freedom in playfulness | Andris Gauja

TEDxRiga — Tue, 19 May 2020 17:10:54 +0000

Calculating the benefit received versus the effort put in has become an automatic and subconscious process in considering any effort. And quite possibly restricts us from experiencing true joy. Filmmaker Andris Gauja describes how approaching a seemingly dead end with a playful approach opened the door to creative expression, and quite possibly has changed the lives of those involved.

Andris Gauja is a Latvian film director with an interesting ability for finding unusual subjects and characters. His films have been praised by audiences and critics alike, impressive in their ability to navigate uncomfortable ethical and social issues and relationships. Andris is well known for his documentary “Family Instinct”, a film about incest, which has received several prestigious awards and international recognition. Despite that, he decided to switch to fiction and directed the drama “The Lesson” on teacher-student relationship, which was the most watched Latvian film in 2014. This year the director finished a 5 year project, “Nothing Can Stop Us Now”, a visually stunning film dealing with crisis of masculinity, which has already received nine nominations for “Lielais Kristaps”, the Latvian National Film Awards.

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Parenting after Everest: perspectives from the top | Olga Kotova

TEDxRiga — Thu, 14 May 2020 19:01:41 +0000

One day a particularly ill-prepared hike triggered Olga’s curiosity about being in the mountains. It was the beginning of a long journey to many summits, including that of Mt Everest. However, her most precious discoveries were not the summits themselves, but the acquired world view of what is important in life and how not to die, literally and figuratively, while pursuing one’s wildest dreams. Now that Olga is the mother of twins and facing her biggest challenge yet, she hopes that she can pass on the lessons learned on her long treks upwards.

Olga Kotova is a business developer, aviation entrepreneur, and personal development coach. Her successful business development experience of over 20 years stretches across the value chain from manufacturing to retail, leading projects internationally. After a successful career in the corporate sector, Olga took to the skies and launched her own business in aviation. She owns and leads Baltic Commercial Aviation Training, specialising in professional pilot training and aviation consulting for customers in Europe, CIS countries, and Asia. Olga Kotova is a member of the Steering Committee of the New Door NGO, and co-author of the program for the New Door Social Business Accelerator. She is passionate about social entrepreneurship as a method to move society forward. She gets her energy from climbing mountains and shares her knowledge and passions through mentoring, as a visiting lecturer at Riga Business School, and leading personal development workshops together with IR magazine.

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