Foto: BB.LV / Впервые в истории фестиваля Staro Rīga все световые объекты получат аудиоописание для незрячих и слабовидящих людей
This is the first project in the history of Staro Rīga that opens new opportunities for people with visual impairments to participate in the largest cultural festival in Latvia. The initiative is being implemented as part of the Staro Rīga: An Inclusive Experience project with the support of the Education, Culture and Sports Department of the Riga City Council. Audio descriptions allow conveying in words what a sighted person perceives visually: the shape and scale of the installation, its composition, color solutions, the arrangement of elements, the movement of light, and other artistic details. Thanks to professionally prepared texts, blind and visually impaired visitors will be able to form their own understanding of the light art pieces and immerse themselves more deeply in the festival's concept.  "For us, this project is much more than just creating audio descriptions. It is an opportunity to make a cultural event truly open to everyone, regardless of visual impairments. We want blind people to not just be observers from the sidelines but to independently engage with art, perceive its content, and become full participants in cultural life. I want to especially thank our entire team and the specialists who invested their knowledge, professionalism, and time into implementing this project. Such work requires not only special competencies but also great attention to detail, responsibility, and understanding of the needs of the people for whom we create it. It is especially important to me that, thanks to our joint efforts, we were able to implement an initiative of this scale," notes Maria Kozharina, Chairwoman of the Board of SOCINTEGRA.  In recent years, SOCINTEGRA has consistently worked on developing an accessible cultural environment in Latvia, collaborating with museums, theaters, cultural institutions, and tourist sites. The organization develops comprehensive solutions for people with visual impairments: from tactile maps and three-dimensional models to professional audio descriptions of exhibitions and architectural objects.  The project for Staro Rīga continues this work, going beyond traditional museum and exhibition spaces. It demonstrates that modern cultural events can take into account the needs of different audiences already at the preparation stage and become more accessible through thoughtful solutions. In 2026, the theme of the Staro Rīga festival will be unum momentum ("that very moment"). From November 15 to 18, the streets, parks, and urban spaces of Riga will transform into a large-scale gallery of light art. The program will feature 52 installations by Latvian and foreign artists, audiovisual works, and light projections. The festival will take place daily from 17:00 to 23:00. 
