Latvian Academy of Culture Enters a New Chapter with a Fresh Visual Identity in Its 35th Anniversary Year
As it celebrates 35 years, the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) steps confidently into a new chapter with the launch of a renewed visual identity. The update reflects a period of dynamic growth: student numbers are rising, the Academy’s footprint is expanding, and its voice within Latvia’s cultural and educational landscape is growing stronger and more assured.
Recent years have marked a period of acceleration for LAC. In 2025, the Academy welcomed a record number of applicants, completed the consolidation with the Latvian College of Culture, and began shaping its new creative district at 58a Miera Street — a space already alive with study and artistic practice, and set to evolve further. The new visual identity naturally accompanies this transformation, aligning the Academy’s physical environment with a contemporary and cohesive brand presence.
Rector Dāvis Sīmanis reflects: “I am genuinely delighted with the Academy’s new visual identity. It is bold and forward-looking, and it captures the energy that defines LAC — a place where creativity, scholarship, and research intersect and respond to the cultural pulse of today. This is more than a visual refresh; it is a statement of intent. In the coming months, we will introduce a new graphic mark and launch a redesigned website, completing a broader rebranding journey and reinforcing the Academy’s presence both in Latvia and internationally.”
The transformation began in 2025 with the development of a brand strategy by the agency White Label. Audience research highlighted a persistent challenge: culture is still too often viewed as intangible rather than instrumental — an outlook that can shape perceptions of cultural education. In response, the renewed LAC brand centres on the idea of the Academy as a forge for strong, self-assured cultural professionals. LAC stands for individuals who do more than participate in culture — they shape it, challenge it, and use it to spark change.
Building on this strategic foundation, the design agency Overpriced developed the visual concept and communication system. The result is a clear and contemporary visual language that brings together the Academy’s diverse disciplines under a unified framework. At its core is a new logo built around the principle of openness, expressing movement, exchange, and the flow of ideas. A custom-designed typeface further strengthens the Academy’s identity, ensuring a distinctive and recognisable voice across all platforms.
As the Overpriced team explains: “Inverted brackets serve as a visual gesture — positioning culture not as a closed circle, but as an open field of connection. They create a kind of magnetic space that draws together ideas, practices, and
disciplines. They act as bridges: from theatre to film, from research to dance, from past to present, from the individual to the collective.”
The new visual identity is already visible across LAC’s social media platforms and will gradually be introduced across all communication channels — from digital spaces to print materials.
The Academy’s anniversary year will unfold not only through its refreshed image, but through an extensive programme of events and creative initiatives. The highlight will be Anniversary Week from 18 to 22 May 2026, including a major alumni reunion on 22 May. This will mark the final large-scale event at the Academy’s historic home at 24 Ludzas Street before its full relocation to the new campus in the 58a Miera Street. Updates on anniversary events are available at www.lka.edu.lv and on LAC’s social media channels: Facebook and Instagram @kulturasakademija.