Founded in 1990, the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) is a small yet an extremely open and welcoming higher education institution offering study programmes at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral levels.  

The rector of LAC Rūta Muktupāvela says: “Hardly could there be found a field in the cultural life of Latvia where alumni of the LAC are not found. Besides working in theatres and contemporary dance groups, our students and graduates create wonderful films, work at embassies, ministries, museums, galleries, concert halls, and cultural centres. They create, produce, research, and become famous not only in Latvia, but also in Europe and all over the world. The Latvian Academy of Culture is not only about education, it is about a way of life!”

At the moment there are about 650 emerging professionals of the cultural field enrolled in various study programmes and sub-programmes offered by the Latvian Academy of Culture. What sets LAC apart is willingness to organise communication in studies, research and life of its community in a very warm and personal way.

In the recent years LAC has engaged in activities strengthening its ties with players in the cultural and creative industry sector and supporting the idea of mentorship as an efficient educational method and valuable tool to exchange experience, knowledge, ideas and contacts.

In 2020 LAC and Riga Technical University admitted the first students to a new interdisciplinary, international master’s programme “Creative Industries and Growth Management”. The new programme will train potential leaders of culture and creative industries, who will be able to succeed in the changing environment of global economy, respect creativity and cultural diversity and might act as the agents of change also in other economic fields. The new programme focuses also on development of coaching and mentoring skills.

In February 2021 LAC launched a mentorship pilot programme involving 27 professionals in the field as mentors for LAC students. This new activity aims at expanding mentees’ horizons, developing mentees’ knowledge, attitudes and skills and facilitating mentors’ involvement in the study process.