Maija Demitere. RIXC publicity photo.

The doctoral thesis defence of the joint interdisciplinary and innovative doctoral programme "Media Art and Creative Technologies" of the RTU Liepaja Academy and “RISEBA” University of Applied Sciences was successfully held on March 26–27, 2025. The doctoral thesis where defended by Maija Demitere on “Slow” Media Art and “Deep” Sustainability, by Aigars Ceplitis on Rhizomatic Narratology in 360° Stereoscopic Spherical Cinema and by Elīna Veira on The Expansion of Print-Based Poetry Within the Trans-medial Space.

The newly established interdisciplinary doctoral study programme programme "Media Art and Creative Technologies” is offering an academic doctoral degree (PhD) in digital arts and audiovisual media, rooted in practice-based and practice-led approach that reflects cutting edge contemporary artistic investigations, critical analytical research methods, and technological innovation.

Contemporary culture and economy demand versatile, independent, and capable specialists in digital media and audio-visual arts who can work creatively and productively with a wide range of innovative technologies. It is the aim of the new doctoral program to foster such a milieu where the professionals, primed by the academia, in partnership with artistic experts of both universities and partner schools from abroad, will deliver competitive scholars, equipped with diverse skills, knowledge and practical experience in creating artworks as well as in production of creative project management, artistic research, and production of new knowledge.

The joint PhD degree by RTU Liepaja Academy and RISEBA is a prerequisite, a crucial milestone, not only for a successful individual career in the labour market for arts, media, innovative technologies, and creative industries as well as for an academic career in higher education. The graduates of the new program will be well-prepared to take part in shaping contemporary culture in the widest sense of this word, not limited to the potential to work as experts, consultants, policy-makers, project evaluators, and initiators of various innovations in numerous local, national, EU, and international organizations.

The “Slow” Media Art and “Deep” Sustainability Thesis by Maija Demitere explores the interdisciplinary approach to art, technologies, and ecology. Using arts practice-based research, the author develops material and immaterial artworks that promote sustainable everyday practices, especially in the field of food production and resource management. Her works challenge contemporary perspectives on human-nature relationships, promoting ecological awareness and a deep, holistic understanding of our interdependence with nature, aiming to transform daily habits toward a more sustainable and mindful approach to living.

Aigars Ceplītis. RIXC publicity photo

The Rhizomatic Narratology in 360° Stereoscopic Spherical Cinema Thesis by Aigars Ceplītis undertakes comprehensive and rigorous research at the intersection of narratology and immersive technologies, as it aims to push the boundaries of both fields beyond what has been characterized as “emerging vectors of narratology” to form a specialized sub-field of narrative studies focused on cinematic virtual reality (cVR). The overarching goal is to propose a 3DSC narratological typology that can aid both industry professionals and academics in developing effective stereoscopic immersive narratives not contingent on specific VR technology. Additionally, the typology is tested within rhizomatic space to substantiate whether the communal template of spectatorship provides a foundation upon which social, aesthetic, political, and human interactive models can be built and whether the cVR format itself encapsulates rhizomatic qualities inherent to the medium of 360° film.

Elīna Veira. RIXC publicity photo

The The Expansion of Print-Based Poetry within the Trans-Medial Space Thesis by Elīna Veira is an original contribution to the fields of knowledge of poetry and trans-medial or digital poetry, focusing on the initial poetic impulse, its interpretation into a text form (poem), and its further adaptation into the trans-medial space. It explores how different media tools can be used to enhance the conveyance of the initial poetic impulse to the reader/viewer. The research introduces and tests a new framework for studying audience’s perception of poems and their trans-medial adaptations: the level and type of immersion, literariness, and interpretation.

Contact:

rasa@rixc.org, +371-26546776 – prof. Rasa Šmite, Head of the Master's and Doctoral Program at RTU Liepaja Academy