An opportunity to connect and help shape the town you call home.
Place: Smiltene, Smiltene Municipality, Latvia
Timeframe: Mid term
Participants: The event brought together a wide range of residents, including families, seniors, youth, and Latvian remigrants—those who have returned to live in Vidzeme in recent years. It served as a meaningful platform to connect, share experiences and work together towards a common community goal.
Goal: To restore the Jāņukalns open-air stage into a vibrant cultural and community hub that fosters local pride, strengthens social ties and promotes active civic participation. This initiative aligns with Smiltene’s broader strategy to enhance cultural spaces and community resilience through inclusive engagement.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The cleanup events at Jāņukalns are part of a larger revitalization effort of this open-air stage—a site that holds deep cultural and emotional value for the community. As identified through a community survey conducted for the Cultural and Social Resilience Action Plan (CuReAP), residents expressed a strong wish to restore this site for local cultural events.
Several volunteer-led cleanup days were organized, engaging local residents, NGOs, business owners, and municipal representatives. Participants not only cleared the area but also joined discussions about the site’s future use.
The initiative exemplifies a bottom-up approach—where the restoration idea came from the community itself. The municipality embraced this call and supported the process by co-organizing and facilitating events and providing resources.
After each cleanup, participants enjoyed a shared meal (with soup prepared by volunteers), live cultural performances and community bonding activities. These moments nurtured a sense of ownership, belonging, and optimism.
WHY WAS IT A SUCCESS?
First of all, it was community-driven iniciative – the idea to restore the stage came directly from residents. This made participation more authentic and meaningful.
People of different backgrounds, including remigrants, youth, and seniors, felt welcome to join making it an inclusive process.
It was also partnership-based – the cooperation between local authorities, NGOs and volunteers enabled resource-sharing and sustained motivation.
Even before full restoration, the space began to feel active and appreciated again, making it a tangible outcome.
Participant feedback included:
“It’s not just about cleaning up. It’s about building something together.”
“Now my children know where I used to dance and sing. It feels like we’re bringing back something important. A place they will call their own.”
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Continue involving the community in design and implementation phases (co-creating events, stage planning etc.).
2. Keep momentum by organizing smaller events on-site while restoration continues.
3. Document the process with visuals and interviews to inspire other towns.
4. Promote intergenerational cooperation—younger participants loved hearing stories from older residents.