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Year 2000. Drawing Atelier at 26 Stabu Street, Riga.

Grandmother Dolores happy with her granddaughters Anna's (2 y. o.) and Kamilla's (4 y. o.) success in drawing.

Year 2001. We moved from our small atelier in Stabu Street to Building 29 of the Rīga City Clinic No. 1, also becoming incorporated as the open charitable foundation “Saskarsmes pils” on the 13th of September 2001.

TRANSLATION OF A YEAR 2001 MAGAZINE ARTICLE

My getting to know of the lively and outgoing artist and psychologist MARIJA INESE FRIDRIHSONE last year is due to serendipity. However, it wasn’t a mere chance encounter. And neither was her invitation to come and have a look at things already started or about to start. Arriving at the Building 29 of the Rīga City Clinic No. 1, I notice that the public non-profit “Family Centre Saskarsme” led by Ms. Fridrihsone has been allotted ample room here. Daily activities and renovations are actually taking place simultaneously. What succeeds in warming up the otherwise frigid atmosphere of the hospital here is the presence of distinct art pieces and natural objects. I am positively surprised at what they have accomplished and how many benefactors they’ve found, at the same wondering about the still impending amount of work. It turns out however, the busy perspective has only increased the enthusiasm of the “Saskarsmes” members. As of now – and in the foreseeable future – they are offering courses and classes for every person in need for encouragement, psychological boost or an improvement of social competence, with the ultimate goal of fulfilling their aspirations. The specific classes focus on languages (English, German, French and Latvian), dance (sport, pop/music-hall and natural choreography) as well as drawing and visual arts for children, who can also participate in the children’s dance company “Taurenītis” (Little Butterfly, for ages 3 to 5 and 6 to 10) and attend preparatory classes for general school curriculum. The centre unites both children and adults participating in such activities as sewing and bespoke tailoring, knitting, crocheting, braiding, artwork creation from material found in nature, tie-dyeing, wood carving and weaving. Further plans include a drama studio and even a kindergarten group. Consultations are available from a psychologist specialising in family issues. There’s even a children’s help hotline (ph. 7279643) giving access to a medical doctor/psychotherapist. Each Saturday at 6 pm, the centre hosts an open and friendly gathering for “questions and answers”, yet another path toward psychological and spiritual growth, with an added focus on practising interpersonal communication. There are certain limitations on how many attendees the centre can accept at one time, therefore pre-booking your visit with the centre’s manager is recommended (ph. 6410814). “Saskarsme” has also expressed its interest in cooperating with the “Zintnieks” magazine. It may begin by a joint strategic meeting with Ms. Ārija Kalniņa, co-lead of our readers club “Ray of Light”. The important result is the management of the City Clinic No. 1 having understood the aspect of healing and growing [its patients’] mind as well as allotting plenty of space for the activities of the family centre, thus becoming a true sponsor of everything that’s been going on here. It also means shedding a ray of hope more broadly, i.e., among the general public. Like-minded people of good will may thus – either for free or for a small donation – join any of the classes or activities here. Our magazine, quite naturally, is determined to become an information partner of the project. Dear readers: in order to find out how you can take part, you’re warmly welcome to call or simply visit the centre, located at 5 Bruņinieku iela (Building 29 of the Riga City Clinic No. 1)! Reporting and photos by TERĒZA LAUBE

Initially the activities of the foundation mentioned in the article became available to the general public and would remain so until, helped by philanthropists and donors, the family centre’s operation becomes feasible outside the premises of the Latvian capital Rīga’s City Clinic No. 1, i.e., at a different and suitably equipped location. The chief rationale for doing so is the incomplete overlap of the adjunct therapeutic activities and of the general curriculum of arts and crafts classes: for each of these two, the teaching methods and work pace are different.

We were unable to launch both sets of activities at the same time because of existing limitations in terms of material resources. The complementary medicine approach was determined a priority due to its natural overlap with the Family Centre’s activities.

At the time our project launched in three bigger spaces and eleven other rooms of the Rīga City Clinic No. 1, its activities included running an exhibition hall, organising classes of therapeutic movement, exercise and free-form dance as well as general-topic presentations, lectures and meetups.

We were fortunate in that all the rooms we moved in were professionally refurbished and our workshops got all the necessary equipment, such as looms, sewing and knitting machines. We procured tools and material needed for the activities, thus providing the patients willing to enrol with everything they might need in the classroom.

The centre’s activities became open to all patients, during their pauses from medical treatment, upon written approval of their respective attending physicians. This supportive approach has been helping people during their stay at the clinic by promoting faster recovery, thus also greatly improving their potential medical outcomes. A professor with appropriate medical training and a discerning eye for what complementary treatments have to offer became the head of our medical centre.

However, we didn’t receive any outside support. As the seed funds contributed personally by the founders were limited, our financial resources eventually ran out and the centre couldn’t subsist further. Thus we decided to go on a temporary hiatus.

A reboot came on the 27th of October 2014, when at the Radisson Blu Daugava hotel in Rīga the open charitable foundation "Saskarsmes pils" presented an outline of its activities during that year’s conference on social entrepreneurship.

Family  centre " Saskarsmes pils" was opened from December of 2013 till 2016 in room 608. of The Latvian Academy of Sciences on Akadēmijas iela 1, Rīga.

Activities that were being prepared for launch in May 2017.

Unfortunately we will not be able to restore the medical project direction, because the experts with whom we had made arrangements have emigrated form Latvia.

However, in the case of renewed interest in this project, we would be ready to bring it to fruition.