Uldis Trapencieris

Uldis Trapencieris

Entrepreneur & founder — ArtHelios (art × culture × wellbeing)

Riga, Latvia Strategy • Product definition • Partnerships Cultural production • Placemaking • Scenography

I am an entrepreneur, creative leader, and cultural builder with over two decades of experience turning ambitious ideas into projects, spaces, and organisations.

Today, I am Co-founder & Project Lead of ArtHelios, developing a platform at the intersection of art, culture, and wellbeing. Previously, I spent over a decade as Creative Director of Sansusī Festival, founded the independent concert hall Tu jau zini kur, and co-founded the contemporary art space TUR_telpa.

My experience spans strategy, creative direction, design, production, and technical leadership. I work best where strong ideas need to become real—bringing together the right people, shaping a clear vision, and building the structures that allow creative projects to thrive.

I am interested in working with people and organisations who want to build something meaningful, ambitious, and lasting.

Projects

Experience

May 2025 – Present

Co-founder & project lead — ArtHelios

Taking the company from early concept through MVP and market entry; building a platform where art, culture, and wellbeing converge.

  • Lead strategy, product definition, and partnership development with cultural institutions, healthcare professionals, and advisors.
  • Oversee brand development and ecosystem building within the creative health sector.
  • Assemble founding team; represent ArtHelios to partners, funders, and stakeholders.
  • Current focus: MVP development, strategic partnerships, and preparation for first-round fundraising and go-to-market execution.
Aug 2013 – present

Creative Director — Sansusī (seasonal)

Core team member shaping a multidisciplinary arts festival (music, theatre, circus, visual arts) with an experimental, boundary-breaking spirit.

  • Combined artistic and organizational responsibilities: curation, production, and scenography across diverse venues.
  • Created “Musician Brawls at Bars” — live-music format bringing professional musicians into informal spaces.
  • Strengthened cross-disciplinary collaboration, creative problem-solving, and large-scale cultural production execution.
Apr 2018 – Jan 2024

Founder — Tu jau zini kur

Founded and ran an independent mid-sized concert hall for music and theatre productions (small to mid-sized companies).

  • Owned concept-to-operations: scheduling, budgeting, technical and logistical execution.
  • Built long-term partnerships with theatre companies, ensembles, artistic directors, and technical teams.
  • Developed a venue model positioned as an active collaborator (not only rental space).
Jul 2020 – Sep 2023

Co-founder — TUR_telpa (part-time)

Large-format gallery in a repurposed emergency depot; an exhibition space built as a dialogue between artwork, space, and audience.

  • Developed exhibition format (15 artists / 15 weeks) and expanded into larger hall with renewed rituals.
  • Introduced midissages with classical music and finissages with artist talks and community gatherings.
  • Integrated scenography as core to each exhibition; adapted to seasonal rhythms and industrial scale.
Feb 2014 – present

Creative Director — Melns Nezvērs (self-employed)

Design projects and personal craft; created “Latvian Calendar with Solar System” (award-winning), sold via online store and local markets.

Dec 2016 – Apr 2018

Head of Technical Department — Latvian National Symphony Orchestra (Great Guild Concert Hall)

Led technical operations supporting performances and events; managed technicians and stagehands across sound, lighting, stage management, and AV.

May 2016 – Jan 2018

Technical Designer — MADARA Cosmetics, AS

Packaging layouts and ad design for print/web; guided print-production decisions and led overhaul of the print production file system.

May 2007 – Apr 2010

Art Director — Publishing House Žurnāls SANTA (Privātā Dzīve)

Led a full redesign of Latvia’s largest weekly magazine; won internal company award for Best Weekly Magazine Design (2007).

Skills

Leadership

  • Strategy & product definition
  • Partnership development
  • Team building
  • Stakeholder communication

Culture & Production

  • Creative direction
  • Festival production
  • Scenography
  • Placemaking / placebuilding

Design & Ops

  • Project management
  • Technical staff management
  • Packaging & print production

Blog

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