Zeimuls is Latgalian and means ‘pencil’. Zeimuls is also the name of the creative centre for children and young people in Rēzekne, a town with around 27,000 inhabitants in eastern Latvia in Latgalia. Directly opposite the medieval remains of a castle belonging to the Livonian Order stands a futuristic building where children and young people aged four and above can discover their talents. Headmistress Līga Springa explains that around 1,600 children can discover their talents here in 80 different courses and programmes. The offerings range from music, dance and folklore to woodworking, ceramics and painting to robotics, photography, working with textiles and food preparation. Additionally, there is work on international projects, which regularly accept volunteers from various countries. So far, Zeimuls has two young women from Azerbaijan.
Even from the outside, the building is a symbol of creativity. It has sloping, green roofs and towers that resemble two pencils decorated with white patterns. Zeimuls is a municipal institution that opened in 2012. ‘At that time, there was significant financial support from the European Union to realise these ambitious plans,’ says Līga.
Aleksander Vasilovs works as a chess teacher at Zeimuls. He is one of about 30 teachers who pass on their knowledge and passion to the next generation. Aleksander emphasises how important it is for children to discover their talents. ‘They can do that here freely and without pressure. There is no assessment and it is not about results. The most important thing is that the children have fun and can try things out. Those who have found their passion can then go to music, art or sports schools in the city. All of them offer different ways to spend free time in the afternoons after school.
For Līga, the creative centre is also a place for learning about democracy. ‘Children learn here at a very early age to get involved, present their work or stand on stage. Here they learn that doing things they are passionate about strengthens their self-confidence.’ Rēzekne aims to be a city where children and young people have prospects. To this end, the city not only promotes the talents of children and young people, but also creates spaces for participation. In a youth parliament, for example, young people can stand up for their interests.
The 31-year-old cannot say whether Zeimuls can also help to stop young people from leaving Rēzekne. She always returned to her hometown after several Erasmus programs in different countries of Europe. ‘But many stay in the capital Riga or live abroad.’
Rēzekne has applied to become the ‘Latvian Youth Capital 2026’. ‘We are among the finalists,’ says Līga proudly. The winning municipality will be announced in Liepāja at the end of August. The center’s director, who has a master's degree in youth work, is convinced that the centre's successful work is an important factor in this application.
‘We live integration here,’ explains the 31-year-old. ‘The creative centre is open to all children, regardless of their ethnic or social background.’ The language of instruction is usually Latvian. However, there are efforts to integrate children from the Ukraine. ‘In a bilingual setting every child can speak the language they feel most comfortable with.’ This would also attract more Ukrainian children who may not yet speak Latvian very well to the courses.
According to Līga, the creative centre must also continue to develop. ‘We are actually open to everyone, but there are still people in the city who don't know us or don't know exactly what we do. That's why we present ourselves more often at city festivals and other public events.’
Līga thinks it's great that the programme is free for children. However, she also finds that children and parents often don't take the programme seriously. The courses usually run for one school year. ‘If a child wants to switch, we try to accommodate their wishes, of course. But it often happens that children then stop coming altogether or only attend irregularly.’ But it's actually part of the concept that everything is free of charge. ‘The center also receives funding from the Latvian government for this.’
Art and culture are deeply rooted in Latvian society. Traditional music and dance are passed down and developed from generation to generation. They are not only for entertainment, but are also part of Latvian identity. After centuries of foreign rule, culture also serves to preserve language, history and tradition. ‘That's why there is so much interest in what we offer,’ says Līga. ‘At the moment, I can't imagine a better job. I wake up every morning and look forward to working for Zeimuls.’
