The updated safeguarding plan of the suiti cultural space continues the previously commenced direction, and principal objectives have been selected: (1) to ensure regular and methodical documenting and research of the suiti intangible cultural heritage, promoting co-operation between educational and research institutions and the suiti community; (2) to promote educational, practical, and transfer activities of all kinds in all levels of education, particularly among children and young persons, in order to ensure the sustainability of the traditions characteristic to the suiti cultural space and the co-operation of generations in their transfer; (3) to promote recognisability of the heritage characteristic to the suiti cultural space in Latvia and abroad; (4) to use the creative potential of the suiti cultural space for the development of new products and services with added value, ensuring that representatives of the suiti community are the main beneficiaries; (5) to ensure the support infrastructure necessary for safeguarding of the suiti cultural space, particularly promoting recovery and restoration of cultural and historical monuments and artefacts of significance to the suiti community. In order to achieve the objectives defined, the foreseeable results and activities have been determined:
(1) Research and documentation
Co-operation with the institutions of higher education and research will ensure that expressions of the suiti cultural heritage and the persons practising them will be studied. It is planned to pay special attention to the research of traditional celebrations. Several activities will promote access to the suiti heritage online: registers of local parishes will be digitalised, suiti folklore materials will be aggregated and made available, and place names of the suiti cultural space will be mapped. Alongside successful operation of the suiti heritage depositories, it is planned to open tourism and information centres. It is envisaged to ensure issuing of publications in suiti dialect with the objective of promoting the number of persons knowing and practising it in everyday life.
(2) Practising, transfer, education
It is planned to continue integration of suiti culture elements in the process of lessons in pre-school educational institutions, in study subjects in Alsunga Secondary School, as well as in interest education in Alsunga Music and Art School. Several of the planned activities continue successfully commenced practices: acquisition of the music and dance traditions, and wearing the traditional costume. Summer camps for suiti children are planned to be proposed also to diaspora. It is intended to continue the research and to organise training for adults, particularly with the intent of restoring the craft skills of a tailor, shoemaker, hatter, and jewellery designer, and traditions of making musical instruments – bagpipes, kokle, and violin.
(3) Promotion of recognisability
Essential role in forming the identity of suiti is played by traditional festivities and celebrations of suiti which also promote recognisability of the suiti cultural space. The international drone singing festival will continue the promotion of suiti culture. The visual identity of suiti is being considered – it is intended to create a brand for recognisability of products of suiti craftsmen and domestic producers. It is also planned to promote the recognisability of suiti with the help of audiovisual materials. Henceforth digital information resources will also be taken care of: website www.suitunovads.lv, as well as profiles of the suiti cultural space in social networks.
(4) Entrepreneurship and creative industries
In order to improve safe socio-economic grounds concurrently safeguarding the cultural environment characteristic to the suiti cultural space, it is intended to develop domestic production and craftsmanship based on suiti traditions and principles of organic farming. Development of entrepreneurial skills is planned with the help of general educational programmes and measures of lifelong education. It is planned to promote the establishment of cooperative societies and to ensure trade in articles of suiti craftsmen, creating an online platform "Suitu amatu māja" ["Suiti crafts house"].
(5) Infrastructure
In order to safeguard the suiti cultural space in long-term, the infrastructure must be developed and tending to the cultural environment must be continued. It is planned to renew roads in order to ensure the reachability of the suiti cultural space. Also work on restoration and renewal of suiti churches and historical buildings of parishes and objects related thereto, as well as of Alsunga medieval castle will be continued. For the purpose of promoting tourism it is planned to create nature and recreational parks, a centre of creative workshops and a suiti ethnographic farm, promoting exploration of the traditional farming and fisheries practices. For attracting entrepreneurship and financing a support fund for the suiti cultural space is to be established.
The safeguarding plan has been developed for 2017 to 2019, with the intent of updating it, upon co-operation of the association ECC “Suiti” with the local governments, the Latvian National Culture Centre, the UNESCO Latvian National Commission, and the Ministry of Culture. Involvement of all the abovementioned parties is intended in implementation of the plan. Alongside the abovementioned institutions, the plan also provides for involvement of the State Inspection for Heritage Protection, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, and the Nature Conservation Agency, also the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Transport, co-operating in implementation of the policy related to the maintenance of the cultural environment.
State funding for safeguarding suiti cultural space is planned in the form of yearly State budget earmarked grants for cultural education – 57 450, folk groups and ethnographic ensembles – 3 630, ECC “Suiti” – 10 000. For or a three year period it is 213 240, with possibility of its gradual increase. In turn, for restoration and renovation of the Alsunga medieval castle 281 000 are planned (2018–2019). Concurrently with contribution of State institutions substantial support is expected from the local governments. There is also an attributed funding of the European Union funds – 23 020 for developing entrepreneurship in tourism (2017–2020). Other potential resources are to be attracted based on projects, including from the State Culture Capital Fund.