July in Kaunas: Weekly festivals and cultural immersion
Halfway through its year as the European Capital of Culture, Kaunas show no signs of slowing down as July becomes jam-packed with incredible festivals, breath-taking exhibitions, and live performances. Initiatives and events have been organised by local communities and cultural centres showcasing the very best of Kaunasian culture throughout the city.
Visitors are invited to speak with artists and historians at the city telling festival, where the city focuses on forgotten tales of its past. Nature lovers can meet with likeminded people at ‘A Forest for the senses’ Those interested in auditory experiences do not want to miss out on Kaunas this July. The city is hosting its 5th annual Piano Fest with international artists, free concerts every day and music masterclasses. There’s something for everyone this July in Kaunas, read below to discover more.
Exhibition Marilla Destot's "Journey"
The exhibition "The Journey" by the French artist Marilia Destot explores themes of memory and its poetic nature and fragility. The exhibition presents recent artistic projects that utilise a variety of techniques. Destot explores the historical roots of her family in Lithuania and their Jewish heritage by recreating memories activated by imagination.
When: July 14 - 28 August
Where: LSMU Emanuel Levin Centre
City Telling Festival - Public Installation “Slenkstis”
First launched in 2019, City Telling Festival brings together artists, museum and theatre professionals, librarians, and both amateur and professional history enthusiasts. During the project, residents and businesses in the city centre are invited to "accept" a mezuzah created by artist Jyll Bradley, an element of Jewish heritage. A metaphor for individual personal light, anyone who has accepted a mezuzah can contribute. Bradleys art is a stylised object of glass and wood, in which the visual identity of the mezuzah is preserved instead of the traditional roll. With that, the artist seeks to bring the symbol of the mezuzah back to the streets of Kaunas, where many Jews once lived.
When: July 17
Partners: Kaunas Jewish Community
Marina Abramović's Exhibition "Memory of Being"
One of the most highly anticipated art events in all of Lithuania is the exhibition "Memory of Being" by Marina Abramović. Presented exclusively for the first time in the city of Kaunas, Abramović is one of the most famous performance artists in the world. The exhibition offers a detailed presentation of artworks by Abramović from the 1960s to today. The collection also draws attention in a unique form – for the first time, it is prepared as an impressive video installation from selected documentaries and films of the artist's performances.
When: Closing July 30th
Where: Kaunas Picture Gallery
Organiser: Art Park Gallery "Meno parkas"
The Great Ship of Culture: "Nemuno7"
"Nemuno7" is a unique river art and landscape design project in Europe that will serve as a public cultural space. The project combines the history of technology, heritage and contemporary architecture for local residents, and it will become a new place of attraction in Kaunas district. This year the ship is a space for the exhibition "Fluid bodies" and the permanent exhibition "To thrive and to flourish".
When: II - V 16:00 - 20:00 VI - VII 12:00 - 20:00
Where: Left bank of the River Nemunas in Zapyškis, Kaunas District
Organisers: VšĮ "Ars Futuri"
Tickets: here
Kaunas 2022 Summer stage
Throughout the Summer season, the heart of Kaunas Old Town – the Town Hall Square – will beat with the rhythm of culture. Residents and guests of Kaunas will be delighted by the most memorable musical performances, literature readings and food tastings presented on the Summer stage of “Kaunas 2022”.From May to September, you may enjoy weekends of a carefully prepared artistic program and hundreds of free events showcasing the best Lithuanian and foreign music performers This month on Summer stage expect: Monsieur Doumani (CY), Theodore (GR), THE ROOP (LT), Elektro Guzzi (AT), Jurga Šeduikytė (LT).
When: All Summer
Where: Kaunas Town Hall Square
Organiser: "Kaunas 2022"
Events are free
Further Information could be found here.
Exhibition "Kaunas – Vilnius: Moving Mountains"
Kaunas and Vilnius, Vilnius and Kaunas. The largest cities in Lithuania. Competing, disagreeing, but also in need of each other. The pride and superstitions that have filled the life of Vilnius and Kaunas hide the truth – indeed, these cities need each other. This is told by the exhibition "Kaunas–Vilnius: Moving Mountains" taking place at the MO Museum in Vilnius and Kaunas City Museum at the same time. Would you like to see the entire exhibition? Then get ready to visit both cities!
When: 23 April – 28 August
Where: Temporary M. K. Čiurlionis Gallery in Kaunas, MO Museum in Vilnius
Organiser: Kaunas City Museum, MO Museum
Further Information could be found here.
Exhibition "1972: Breaking through the Wall"
We are sure that this exhibition will touch every visitor. Kaunas will open its heart like never before. The exhibition "1972: Breaking the Wall" will take the viewer to the communities of people who disobeyed and resisted the system of the 1960s and 1970s: youth rock bands, actors of drama and pantomime from Kaunas, rebellious hippies, modern artists of Kaunas and Vilnius. Paintings, photographs and films, documentary testimonies of musical life, youth fashion of this period and other artefacts tell about alternative culture and non-Soviet way of life in Soviet Lithuania.
When: Closing August 31st
Where: Kaunas Central Post Office
Organiser: "Kaunas 2022"
Tickets: on site
Further Information could be found here.
As Summer heats up be sure to always carry sunscreen and the Kaunas 2022 app on your phone. That way, you will always keep up to date with the remaining whirlpool of cultural events. Audra Festival, the recent 5-day spectracal shattered stereotypes and demonstrated a modern contemporary city. Get closer to brilliant artists and watch out for more fantastic exhibitions such as: Čiurlionis National Museum of Art hosts "That Which We Do Not Remember" exhibition by William Kentridge, and Yoko Ono's installation "Ex It" at the Bank of Lithuania. As every year, a variety of performers will gather at the Pažaislis Music Festival: from jazz to opera, from a quartet to a symphony orchestra. The European Capital of Culture continues to strive forwards in its pledge, bringing art and culture together.
Basque pop, Alaskan acapella, Contemporary Circus and a Rap Orchestra on the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage in July
Kaunas, Lithuania has already got used to the cultural and not at all boring routine of this season - Thursday to Sunday evenings are spent in the Town Hall Square. The Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage will run here until autumn, hosting concerts by the most interesting Lithuanian artists and the most exotic bands from all over the world, as well as performing arts, talks and other activities. July will kick off with the Audra Festival weekend in the heart of Kaunas Old Town and end with melodic bedroom pop from the Basque Country.
The Old Town to be Taken by Storm
The first contemporary city festival Audra, which will take place at the turn of June and July, will visit some of the most unexpected spaces in Kaunas - from the historic taxi park and metal factory to galleries, cafés and even the Oak Grove. Of course, the festival, dedicated to Kaunas 2022’s youth programme “Emerging Kaunas”, will not bypass the Old Town either. On 1-3 July, the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage will host an exclusive Audra programme. On Friday, young musicians Saulės Dievas, P404, Nouvelle and Stotis will be the first to unleash the thunder of rock, grunge and alt-pop genres in the Town Hall Square. A Serbian play will be performed on Saturday, followed by a discussion. On Sunday, 3 July, esports will take over the stage, with a daytime programme by the Iron Wolves team and the innovative entertainment, new media and community network Trys Kubai.
From Cyprus to France
The second weekend of July at the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage is symbolically dedicated to musical journeys. Thanks to the European Commission’s EMEE project, which brings together the continent’s music export offices, a band from Cyprus, Monsieur Domani, will visit the city on 7 July. As The Guardian reported, they are one of the most entertaining, confident and inventive groups in the scene. The trio, which has performed worldwide, takes inspiration from contemporary Cyprus but also draws on the musical traditions of their island.
Also at the invitation of EMEE, the Greek singer Theodore, who started his musical career in London, will perform in Kaunas on 9 July. Classical and electronic keyboards, ambient and minimal moods, waves of drums and guitars - Theodore adds his haunting vocal to the experience.
From different parts of the globe, rising piano talents will flock to Kaunas Piano Fest in July, bringing classical masterpieces to life with a fresh sound. The festival will open on 8 July with the world premiere
of a unique arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, performed by Monika Mašanauskaitė, Robertas Lozinskis, Žilvinas Brazauskas and Peter Fleckenstein.
On 10 July, the French Rémi Panossian Trio will wrap up the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage weekend. The trio have just released an album called “Happy Birthdé!” on the occasion of their 12th birthday. This humorous trio are emblems of French jazz abroad, spreading their energy and chilled groves around the globe from Uruguay to Tokyo.
Contemporary Circus and Eurovision Participants
If you associate Europe's biggest song contest with the Ukrainian hit “Stefania”, it's time to rewind the timeline and remember the moves you used to know well. Kaunas 2022 ambassadors THE ROOP will undoubtedly be performing both of their Eurovision highlights, On Fire and Discoteque, at the concert on Thursday, 14 July. The band’s night in Kaunas will also be a great chance to hear what they are contemplating today.
An international troupe from Lithuania - that’s how you can introduce Kanta Company, contemporary circus professionals. Their performance “Clothes and Us” opened last year’s Cirkuliacija Festival and now the group is preparing a special programme to catch the attention of the little ones in Kaunas Old Town on 16th of July. The show will feature a Chinese pole, aerial silks, clowning and juggling!
Techno, rap or Rock?
You don’t have to choose one, as all three genres will be live on the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage in one weekend in July. On 21 July, the European Capital of Culture will welcome Elektro Guzzi from Austria, playing analogue techno music on guitar, bass and drums. The Viennese are convinced that playing techno is not a crime.
The most colourful Lithuanian hip-hop collective Despotin’ Fam, whose members bring musical influences from Australia and Berlin, will be changing the techno mood into rap rhythms. “The group that cemented the leaders of the scene” is one of the apt descriptions of the collective that has been playing for two decades and is often presented as a rap orchestra. “Despotin’ Fam” will arrive in Kaunas on 22 July.
On 23 July, guitars will take over again on the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage. Hailing from Šiauliai, the city called Lithuanian Manchester, Colours of Bubbles always presents rock in a modern and unboring way - their music is not only heard on the theatre stage but also with an orchestra. What’s in store in Kaunas? First of all, the fans that have missed them!
More International Highlights as August Approaches
What does an acapella sound like in Alaska? What can beatboxing teach you? The answers to these questions might be heard on the summer stage on 28 July, when two bands from across the Atlantic visit Kaunas at the invitation of the US Embassy in Lithuania. The Pipeline Vocal Band, a female trio from the state of Alaska, is a group that puts a unique twist on well-known favourites from all eras, whether it’s crossing decades or genres. And Freedom’s Boombox is a group of globe-trotting performers who have travelled to every continent (except Antarctica), teaching along the way, touring with the Backstreet Boys, and developing a widespread following.
On Friday, 29 July, another European Capital of Culture project ambassador, Jurga Šeduikytė, will climb to the Kaunas 2022 summer stage. This summer, the Lithuanian singer is travelling around Lithuania, visiting her fans in various locations, and even singing in Ukrainian - also, this season marks the 17th anniversary of her cult song “Don’t be afraid”.
The Basque project Oki Moki is the last guest of the second and penultimate month of summer in Kaunas. Lo-fi pop, bedroom pop, punk-soul pop - the trio doesn’t shy away from labelling themselves with ironic epithets that reveal the lightness and unpretentiousness of their music. Catch them at the Town Hall Square on 30 July.
All Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage events are free of charge. Concerts and other events at Kaunas Town Hall Square are planned until autumn.
The European Capital of Culture programme in Kaunas and the Kaunas Region continues throughout the year, with hundreds of traditional and debut events planned for 2022, including exhibitions, festivals, performances and other activities created by local and international artists and Kaunas communities. For the full Kaunas 2022 programme, visit www.kaunas2022.eu or the mobile app.
Rap fashion designer Ruth Peterson will present her clothing collection at the AUDRA festival
Kaunas has been living in a full cultural rhythm since the beginning of the year, and on June 29, one can expect to reach the apogee of cultural experiences: the city will be covered by the Storm festival activities and the expression of various types of art - from quality music, contemporary art, dance to the presentation of design works. The latter, a design genre, will be presented by a young and highly talented British designer, Ruth Peterson. The clothes created by the artist are inseparable from music: the first clothing collection was immediately noticed by rap music performers, and because of that Ruth was called a rap fashion designer. The debut collection t has become a real springboard to success: rap artists such as SKEPTA are adorned with their clothes, and the first collection was presented at one of the biggest fashion events for young talent - The Graduate Fashion Week Gala.
Clothing designer Ruth Peterson will come to Kaunas and present her work in the framework of the Storm festival on July 1st in the fashion show “The Residence”: during the presentation, it will be possible to see the clothes of the debut collection and the new collection, which has never been seen before. We’re talking to Ruth Peterson herself about the path to the fashion world, the rap fashion these days, and what kind of message we’d like to convey to young creators.
Ruth, in a few days you’ll visit Lithuania for the first time. Do you know something about Lithuania, Kaunas? Some interesting facts or something like that?
I think my dad told me that in Kaunas lives a monster (Kaunas Beast - Editor’s note), obviously as my brand is horror-inspired, I was a bit excited about that. And I really like it!
Your first collection was inspired by the famous movie “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. It’s a horror movie. Why did you’ve chosen the horror genre?
I think with horror films, it's like even if people don't necessarily like them or they're scared, there's something that's quite endearing or something that captures you. If a new horror film comes out in the cinema, then everyone goes to see it just because they want the thrill. I thought it was quite fun to kind of bring that into clothing just to keep people excited a bit.
And are you a lover of horror movies?
I actually scared very easily and I jump a lot (laugh)! But what I love about horror genre movies is there are always loads of hidden meanings. For example, if you watch it the second time, there are more
things that you find out. So I think I like the detective work behind it. I like layers and twists and things like that.
Ruth, please tell us about yourself. How did your career in the fashion industry has started and where are you now?
I started getting into fashion when I was in school. When I was a kid, I used to try and draw wedding dresses or whatever, and then as I got a little bit older, I asked my dad if I could spend my free periods in school with a tailor so that I could learn how to do things. I wanted to be a tailor but thought it may be too specialised at such a young age and decided to study fashion first. Now I combine my knowledge of the two.
Here, in Lithuania, you are presented as a rap fashion designer. Do you agree with this definition? Or maybe you would like to be just called a designer, without a narrow area.
To be honest, the way that I want to go with my brand is to collaborate with different artists to create iconic pieces that they can perform in. I guess there's an element where rap artists were really interested in what I was doing. I think because it was different but without being like too over the top. It was quite subtle and people liked that. The thing with rap artists is that a lot of their music is inspired by a lot of external references - like movies, and poetry... They reference things and my clothing reference things, that's why it kind of went hand in hand. But yes, there are definitely sides of the business where I want to appeal to working with celebrities and artists to do custom pieces and then obviously their followers are kind of the rest of my target market. I don't want to be exclusive, I do aim to be inclusive. But I do also like to collaborate with kind of hip hop artists and rock artists because I listen to their work.
Could you describe how the trends of rap/hip-hop fashion changed from the - the ’90s when the rap culture was blooming and booming? What trends/brands define rap fashion nowadays?
I think men have become a lot more open to experimenting with different styles. With streetwear, there is a lot less of a divide between women and men. And I think men are being a lot more open to wearing more feminine things. Even when I started designing at University, I saw a lot bigger, baggier silhouettes - which I still love, but now, there’s been a lot more experimentation with silkier fabrics, prints or flared jeans. There's a lot more than you can do now and I think it has changed a lot. It also depends on the artist themselves as part of the artists’ brand is their styling.
I’ve noticed that several times you have mentioned the importance of references. What kind of references we cand find in your clothing? What is inspiring you?
I think I use my clothing as a social commentary: I'll see things that are going on in society at the minute and then juxtapose them with some horror films that I've been inspired by. In the past, I’ve had a lot of fun playing with the idea of consumerism - the irony being that fashion is a huge part of it.
Recently there’s been a big movement in positivity and mental health. So actually, some of the phrases that I've used in the collection that I'm going to show in Kaunas will link to that. Even though I'm inspired by horror films, quotes like - “I'm not scared!”, are more mean “I'm going to put myself out there”. I see it as a light-hearted spin phrase you might say when watching a horror movie but also with a powerful message behind it.
Let's talk about Kaunas. You will present your works at the festival AUDRA/Storm in Kaunas at the end of June. What we can expect - if it will be your debut collection of design works or we can expect new ones? In what form we’ll see your clothes?
It will be a part of the fashion show so models will be wearing that. I'm still making some new pieces at the minute, that I'll be showing at Kaunas and it will be the first time anyone has seen this work, so
it's brand new. I've used some of the old prints and things that I've got but there are a lot of new things, therefore, I'm excited about it.
Where are you now - can we expect a new collection in a near future? Are you planning collaborations with brands and music artists?
I've got one collaboration coming up, I will not reveal it now because I would like to keep it exciting. I'm also bringing out a fun but educational video series called “Truth with Ruth” it's for advice for designers or people who want to start brands on the hurdles that you might face with an expert’s view. It is a mini-series covering topics like how to find motivation, protecting your work (with a lawyer) and then about production and what it really costs and how much it goes into it. Just because I feel like there wasn't a lot of help around that when I started and I think not as many people talk about it so that's going to come out next month as well.
Thank you, Ruth. Looking forward to seeing you in Kaunas!
The programme of the Audra Contemporary City Festival is co-produced by the youth organisation "Kylantis Kaunas", "Freimas" and the team of the nightclub "Lizdas", together with Kaunas - European Capital of Culture 2022, Pažaislis Music Festival, Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, various partners from Japan, Greece, Serbia, France, Germany, Estonia, Finland and other European countries.
Interview author: Vaida Morkūnaitė
Kaunas “Summer Stage”: bold statements by the Ukrainian group FO SHO
Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 is organising an empowering and spirit-lifting party for Ukraine day on June 11th. On that day, the “Summer stage” will be filled with powerful music and deep connection provided by the Ukrainian music bands TONKA and FO SHO. Members of FO SHO are vivid truth seekers. Their hip-hop and RnB style mixes with political and social topics. For the upcoming event, we interviewed the unique Ukrainian trio.
How did you come up with the idea of creating a band?
We are real sisters. We were always singing together and harmonising all our life. We knew that we had a huge age difference. I was older, and we will never be able to form a band. At some point, we took a selfie picture and understood that we looked like a band. I was writing a lot of songs, and I showed her a track called “xtra”, and she fell in love with it. And I said, “let’s do the song together”. And she said, “really?”. So, that’s how our first track came out.
Your songs are very empowering and energetic. Where does that power come from? What is the main message you are sending through the music?
It’s the fact that every person has their unique side, craft, you name it. And that makes every person stand out. And as soon as you find your craft, you are extra. And by the time you are born, and you have a life, you’re son or daughter or parent, you are a human being - you are extra. And everybody has their own background and their own shape, and everything makes us stand out somehow. So, if you think that you have some imperfections, it actually becomes perfect and makes you interesting and extra. We are trying to empower and give people the energy and remind that they are unique and beautiful. Each and every one of us. We also grew up in unique surroundings ,– we were black girls in a Slavic world, and we had our own struggles. In every country, people can find their own stories and be inspired by them if they look from the other side. Not from the negative but from the positive side.
Few days ago you were performing in Forbes Under 30 Summit. You were rapping in the Ukrainian language. Some would say it’s impossible. How did you come up with rapping in your language? Is it new or common in Ukraine?
It’s a new way. It’s a new way because hip-hop hasn’t been popular in Ukraine at all. Ukraine is a Slavic country, and here, in Russia, in Belarus, in other countries like that, they are more into balladic music. So now hip-hop has become interesting nowadays. It’s a challenge. It’s something new. Some say it’s impossible, but we can make it possible. We accepted the challenge. We love our language, and we are exploring it. We are now writing in the Ukrainian language because it is vital to support the culture, especially in these hard times.
Your band performs in international concerts. Isn’t the Ukrainian language a barrier to understanding what you are singing about?
First of all, music is a universal language. Sometimes we like songs without understanding the language, but you can appreciate the beauty of the music. Secondly, the Ukrainian language is a challenge. And not everybody will understand it, but everybody will be able to see the beauty and how this language tastes. It’s a new flavour, and it’s awesome. In order to make the message more digestible, we wrote our first singles in English mostly, because we had something important to say and we wanted the world to understand it. We also wrote a couple of songs in Ukrainian language. During the war we released a song called “U CRY NOW” and it’s both English and Ukrainian.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, do you think culture, for example, music, can be the right tool to fight in this war?
Yes, absolutely. Culturally music is a tool to say our truth and speak the truth. Also, we are using our pages on Instagram and Facebook to spread the truth about Ukrainians. And you know, we believe that every craft or business can be used to create peace between nations.
How does your band work? Do you write your songs and music yourselves?
In the beginning, I (Betty) used to write the songs that we recorded. And now Siona is in the process and writing together with me. We are our own producers. We understand what we want. We work with arrangers but we usually lead in the production process. Siona is a professional piano player, Miriyam is a professional violin player, we use these crafts in our music creating process too. We all are working for the same purpose.
What is your purpose as a band?
Our segment is hip hop and r&b. Hip-hop was always about the meaning, the statement you want to talk about. So, we are always about the meaning. If you check our song “BLCK SQR” - we are exposing the truth about Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich that Russian propaganda says that he’s a Russian artist. Meanwhile, he’s a Polish-Ukrainian artist born in Kyiv. We also talk about the fact it is a very weird world we live in. We have a lot of money for the covid, for war, for nuclear power, for bombs, but would we have enough money for those who die from hunger? Like, really, in Africa, Asia, many places. We have a lot of good things that we want to talk about. Political stuff. We are optimistic, but we are also about the truth and exposing the meaning that would help our society and earth become better.
Some say: don’t mix politics and culture or politics and sport. You are a perfect example that you must do it. But is it easy/difficult for you to reach that goal? Can music be taken seriously in this kind of topic?
Absolutely. During the war, musicians come to soldiers, and they sing and lift the spirit. Music has a huge influence on everyone. Whether you like it or not, it can switch your mood: make you sad or happy. We think that it’s a big thing and it has an impact on emotions. Sometimes people would like just to have fun: listen to music and dance not thinking about serious matters and that is also okay, but we also should not forget that music is a tool for a good change and that through music we can trigger people's mind to think about some useful topics. We think that right now, music has become so much about meaningless stuff, we want a change, and the change starts with us. There are people creating music with a meaning like Kendrick Lamar or Tyler The Creator, but they are few, so we are part of this minority in music field, that tries to talk the truth and make people consider other things and trigger their minds to think about some meaningful stuff. But we can also have fun. We are not always serious; we know how to have fun. So, we are creating balance.
You are coming to Kaunas “Summer stage” to perform for the Ukraine day we are going to celebrate in Lithuania. How do you celebrate it in Ukraine? Maybe you can share some insides for us?
Cultural food, like “Borscht”, “Palianytsia”. For example, whenever you meet someone for the first time, for the welcoming, we bring big bread that’s called “Palianytsia” and we bring salt, that’s how we welcome our guests. There's also salo, as jewish we don’t eat it because it's a pork meal but Ukrainians eat it. Of course, we sing Ukrainian songs, and we will teach you to sing them. We wear traditional Ukrainian clothes - Vyshyvanka. We also make a crown from different wildflowers like dandelions and cornflowers. Their colours represent the Ukrainian flag.
What greetings to Kaunas do you have?
We are super grateful for the support. It means a lot. You know, it’s like a brotherhood. Because first of all, we are all humans. We get a life in this world and become citizens of a country. We are all kids, and we are all human beings. And thanks to you for standing behind the truth and love. It’s a big thing, and it’s a blessing. We can’t wait to meet you.
Slava Ukraini!
Gerojam Slava!
Partner of the project: “Švyturys Non-Alcoholic”. Friends of the project - Ukrainian Institute.
For the complete Kaunas 2022 programme, please visit www.kaunas2022.eu or the mobile app.
Programme for June events: contemporary festivals and unique experiences
June is going to be the busiest month of the European Capital of Culture year. This month will start and end with festivals that will bring optimism and action to the hearts of the residents of the city and its guests. The action in the rivers will not end after the “Confluence” weekend: the cultural ship “Nemuno 7” will delight with the exhibitions, and discussions of the National Expedition will take place near the river. Perhaps rivers have become one of the routes on the path to the art objects in the Kaunas district? Culture will awaken the courtyards of the city and the contemporary elderships. The music will play on the Summer Stage, and the choirs and jazz will be heard around. There will be no bad weather for culture - the summer of culture begins!
Music Programme of “Optimismo”
OPTIMISMO is a festival that looks back at the industrial past and is full of modern experimental and electronic music. Just as the creators of modernist architecture, defined by political, social, economic and cultural optimism, the creators of contemporary music, presented by OPTIMISMO, dare to experiment with technology and stand out with their virtuosity, non-traditional structure of their works and new creative methods.
When: June 3-5
Where: Industrial and cultural modernist buildings in Kaunas
Organizers: Creative teams of “Digital Tsunami” and “Ghia”.
Robert Magro’s “Visions”
The theatre play “Visions” is a dedication of the Italian contemporary circus director Roberto Magro to Vytautas Mačernis and M.K. Čiurlionis. The play analyzes human’s desire to create and be surrounded by art. The director decided to interpret Vytautas Mačernis’ “Visions” and, with the help of contemporary circus, dance, theatre and music, to reveal the metaphors and symbols hidden in the poet’s work by supplementing them with local stories.
When: May 31 – June 4
Where: The forest of Paštuva
Director: Roberto Magro. Scenography: Paolo Primon, Davide Visintini. Creative team: Džiugas Kunsmanas, Agnietė Lisičkinaitė, Eugenijus Slavinskas, Motiejus Bazaras, Liam Carmody, Pauline Camille Talon.
Tickets are available: here
Culture to the courtyards: Eiguliai, Dainava, Šančiai
“Culture to the courtyards” is back! So, take your seats in the VIP lounges on your balconies or make yourselves comfortable in your own courtyards. In June, professionals of various arts - theatre, dance, contemporary circus, and music - will perform in the courtyards of the apartment buildings of Eiguliai, Dainava and Šančiai. Courtyards filled with culture will delight active courtyard communities that collaborate and join “Fluxus Labas” initiatives.
The schedule of the programme of culture in the Courtyards for June:
June 9–11 – Eiguliai. June 14–16 – Dainava. June 20–22 – Šančiai.
Organizers: “Kaunas 2022”
Admission to the event is free
Festivals in neighbourhoods
Residents of neighbourhoods of Kaunas, in cooperation with art creators and using local stories, each created a festival for 2022. On June 11 in Eiguliai, there will be a musical route “Sounding Walls”, where participants will be greeted by wall drawings and music that reflect the community’s identity. On June 18, the action will continue in Dainava. As mid-summer approaches, the community of Dainava neighbourhood will invite you to the event “Midsummer Magic” in Draugystės Park, which will take you from everyday life to the times when people would draw strength from a harmonious relationship with nature and old customs. The programme of Šančiai Festival “Come as You Are” will take over the programme for St. John’s Day. The initiatives developed in Šančiai for four years: performance, opera, stories, and excursions which will merge into a joint two-day festival in Šančiai. The programme also includes a meal in an authentic restaurant “Kastytis”.
Schedule of festivals in the neighbourhoods:
June 11 – Eiguliai. June 18 – Dainava. June 23-24 d. – Šančiai. Dates and times are subject to change. Organizers: “Kaunas 2022” and neighbourhood communities
Admission to the events is free
“Kaunas Cantat – Kaunas Sings” International Choir Music Festival
Kaunas will be flooded with the sounds of choral music - the tenth international choir festival “Kaunas Cantat”, will be held in the city. Well-known bands from Lithuania and abroad will appear at the anniversary event. The German sextet “Singer Pur” will be among the festival guests performing at the event, and two children’s choirs from Ukraine will join the festival. Among the memorable concerts in the churches and at the Kaunas city fountains, the audience will be invited to sing together during the entire festival.
When: June 09-12
Where: Kaunas
Organizers: Public body “Lithuania Cantat” VšĮ
Admission to the events is free, except for the opening concert at the Great Hall of Vytautas Magnus University on June 9 at 20:00.
Tickets to the opening concert here.
“Contemporary Elderships”: Ežerėlis, Kulautuva, Raudondvaris
The alternate reality of Ežerėlis audio guide will introduce you to the imaginary local reality. On June 9, a photography exhibition (curator Vaida Virbickaitė) will open its doors at the newly established community gallery. The Kulautuva community is organizing a theatre music performance that will tell the story of the place on June 11. Finally, on June 17, the Raudondvaris community invites you to dive into an impressive time travelling – a theatre night trip.
Admission to the events of “Contemporary Elderships” is free.
The programme: is here
Opening the Emerald Road
Look for emeralds in Kaunas district. Emeralds are new artistic objects found in unexpected places. 8 objects were turned into emeralds of by the artists: Tadas Černiauskas Tadao (Neveronys), Vytautas Viržbickas (Čekiškė), Donatas Jankauskas Duonis (Piliuona), Kotryna Čalkaitė (Daugėliškiai), Tadas Vosylius (Bubiai), Mindaugas Lukošaitis (Vandžiogala), Kotryna Čalkaitė (Užliedžiai), Donatas Bielkauskas-Donis (Mastaičiai). Visit the opening of the Emerald Road on June 10 in Alšėnai and Neveronys.
When: From June 10.
Where: Kaunas District
Admission is free
Documentary performance “TAXIS. Attempts to travel distances”
The performance experiment in moving cars tells us about the changing everyday life of taxi drivers. During the performance, nine taxi cars with taxi drivers telling their stories will appear on the streets of Kaunas. Spectators-passengers will have an opportunity to get acquainted with the different daily lives of taxi drivers, the city’s nightlife, the passengers they meet and the stories that took place inside and outside the taxis.
When: June 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, at 19:00
Where: A. Juozapavičiaus pr. 31G
Organizers: Art agency “Artscape” VšĮ
Tickets are available: here
Kaunas 2022 Jazz Stops
The legendary “Kaunas Jazz” presents Kaunas 2022 Jazz Stops - four jazz stops of Lithuanian and European cities in the centre of Kaunas and Vilkija. The most talented jazz creators from Lithuania, Norway, Hungary, Estonia, Luxembourg and Ukraine will perform here. Together with the jazz operators of Dudelange (LU) and Novi Sad (XS), the organizers of the event invite you to a unique project “jazzXchange” at one of the jazz stops. This is a specially created joint work and will be presented to Dudelange and Novi Sad audience later this year.
When: June 18-19
Where: Kaunas (Laisvės Bld. and the Independence Square) and Kaunas District (the amphitheatre of Vilkija berth)
The admission to the event is free
National expedition with Edmundas Jakilaitis
For seven years, the project “National Expedition” travelled by the rivers across Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Poland, the old estates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Central Europe. In the middle of June, the expedition will moor in Kaunas for five discussions about the city on the most interesting issues. The city’s residents and guests will be invited to participate in the discussions together with the most famous Lithuanian historians, academics, cultural and art experts. The panels are moderated by Edmundas Jakilaitis / Robertas Petrauskas.
When: June 17, 18, 19
Where: Amphitheatre of Kaunas Castle
Contemporary City Festival “Audra”
A “Storm” is coming. Over a few days, you will see the whole future of Kaunas! Contemporary art installations and electronic, experimental and acoustic music will move into the city's industrial spaces. The Festival of the Modern City “The Audra” is an event that reflects the lifestyle, culture and values of young people, creating a curious community through experience and bold discussions. You will not be able to remain a passive observer at the festival!
When: June 26 – July 3
Where: Kaunas
Organizers: International Association of Art Creators “Freimas”, “Kaunas 2022”, youth organization public body “Kylantis Kaunas” VšĮ.
Exhibition “Memory / Future” by an artist group “Konsortium” (Germany)
Kaunas has an impressive number of modernist buildings. However, the unique history of the city and the international cultural cooperation that once took place here is still inspiring today. A group of artists-curators, “Konsortium” (DE) has invited over fifty artists worldwide to create a collaborative collective sculpture dedicated to this historical period in Kaunas.
When: May 27 – July 1
Where: Gimnazijos g. 4, Kaunas
The admission to the event is free
“Summer Stage” of Kaunas 2022
Throughout the warm season, the heart of Kaunas Old Town - the Town Hall Square - will beat with the rhythm of culture. The most memorable performances, concerts, tastings and meetings will delight the spectators and the audience at the Summer Stage of “Kaunas 2022”. From May to September, you will be offered carefully prepared artistic programme weekends and hundreds of free events with the best Lithuanian and foreign music performers. In the repertoire in June: Golden Parazyth (LT), Kaunas National Drama Theatre performance “Empty Chair”, Fo Sho (UA), “Girių Dvasios” (LT), “Akli” (LT) and at least ten other performances.
When: from May 9.
Where: Kaunas Town Hall Square
Organizers: “Kaunas 2022” and partners
Admission to the events is free
Summer Stage programme: here
Summer full of culture
During the summer, it will be possible to visit the cultural ship “Nemuno7” by the river or participate in the initiatives of the organizers of “Upynė”. The brass quintet will create a (con)Temporary Music Train, spreading the word about Kaunas on the train route Kaunas–Białystok–Warsaw–Berlin–Esch –Schengen–Brussels. “Kaunas Gospel & Worship Festival” will set up a tent town with concerts by Lithuanian and foreign Gospel choirs and worship groups, film screenings, seminars, creative workshops, and children's programme. And the International Summer School of Modernism “Modernism for the Future”, organized for the fourth year, will introduce you to the treasures of Kaunas architecture and allow you to gain a unique experience of the city as a studio.
Having broken through the wall earlier, an exhibition filled with rebellion, “1972. Breaking Through the Wall” is open at Kaunas Central Post Office. After climbing the Owl Hill, visit the exhibition “Kaunas-Vilnius: Overthrowing the Mountains”, and then, during an hour’s trip, complete your experience with the exhibition at the MO Museum (or vice versa). Finally, refresh the collective memory at the Yoko Ono’s installation “Ex It”, William Kentridge’s “That Which We Do Not Remember” and Marina Abramović’s “Memory of Being”.
The European Capital of Culture programme in Kaunas and the Kaunas region continues throughout the year, with hundreds of traditional and debut events planned for 2022, including exhibitions, festivals, performances and other activities created by local and international artists and Kaunas communities. For the complete Kaunas 2022 programme, please visit www.kaunas2022.eu or the mobile app.
Transform4Europe Culture Festival: From Art Projects to Centennial Marathon
Workshops on creative writing, photography, filmmaking, art, and dance led by arts and culture professionals, as well as learning about other cultures through interaction – these are just some of the activities of the first Transform4Europe Culture Festival. This year, they have gathered several hundred guests from partner universities of the Transform4Europe Alliance, which unites seven universities, to Kaunas, the European Capital of Culture 2022.
Prof. Ineta Dabašinskienė, the VMU Transform4Europe Institutional Coordinator, shared her delight in the Festival’s success: "It is so gratifying that the first meeting of the Alliance, after a long period of limited communication due to the pandemic, convened us to enjoy the student event. Their interest and involvement in creative activities pleasantly surprised the organizers. Students from various programs – from computer science, genetics, and engineering to law and philology – met for the first time to produce a joint art project. We were fascinated by their performance, and the students were excited about the unexpected opportunity to reveal their talents." This initiative is expected to be a good start for the universities in the Alliance to continue their creative projects.
The Transform4Europe Culture Festival has brought together not only the academic community, but also residents and guests of Kaunas. An event on the VMU Agriculture Academy campus attracted many visitors with dances and songs, inviting them to learn languages and learn about cultures over brunch.
During the festival, for one evening, the VMU Multifunctional Center for Research and Studies turned into a hive of modern culture. Accompanied by live music, the spaces of the building were filled with videos and portrait photographs created by students, sensitive poetic collages, drawings and paintings on the walls, and a modern dance performance.
European students also celebrated the centennial of VMU by participating in a marathon event dedicated to the university's centennial. The participants' acquaintance with Kaunas was enriched by the opportunity to join the events organized by the European Capital of Culture. The next event of the T4EU Culture Festival will take place in Poland.
Festival movie: https://youtu.be/uCrCi1Ajt28
Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage in June - Contemporary Ukrainian Artists and a Dedication to Jonas Mekas
In May, the Old Town of Kaunas, the European Capital of Culture, welcomed the high-sounding news of the warm season - the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage. Every weekend until autumn, concerts and performing arts performances by the most exciting and up-to-date Lithuanian and foreign artists will take place in the heart of the city, on the Town Hall Square. In June alone, 17 events are planned, from an international choir festival concert to guests from Ukraine, Armenia and New York.
Contemporary genre fusion and sound experiments
The first weekend of June will be opened on Thursday with a remarkable fusion of two worlds of music. ‘The Night in the Dream-York Re:shaped’ by electronic music producer Deividas Jaroška and the Twenty Fingers Duo, Lora Kmieliauskaitė (violin) and Arnas Kmieliauskas (cello), promises a cinematographic experience. In this performance, scheduled for 2 June, sound meets dance, computer, and analogue electronic instruments curb the sonic details of acoustic instruments and the virtuosity of the instrumentalists. The result is a new reflection on the relationship between electronic and acoustic music and ritual dances and visualisations.
On 3 June, a special concert of the prodigy Golden Parazyth, who started his career in Kaunas and transformed from a one-man orchestra into a full-scale band, awaits. The project’s new album ‘Empatijos’, is both a gift and a wish for Kaunas. It is music about the world as seen through the empathic eyes of Golden Parazyth.
On Saturday, the National Kaunas Drama Theatre and the Raudondvaris Manor Arts Incubator will present a performance ‘Empty Chair’ dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Juozas Naujalis, one of the most famous figures in the history of Lithuanian music. Director Agnius Jankevičius found the key to the story of this extraordinary man and interwove the actual facts of his biography with fantasies, creating a musical collage story. The performance reveals Juozas Naujalis as a unique educator - the Lithuanian choir he created for street children became a bridge to the first Song Festival in Kaunas in 1924.
The first weekend of June will be rounded off with a sound experiment music workshop on the summer stage, presented on Sunday afternoon by the community projects programme ‘Saugi pradžia’.
Jazz, choir music, and friends from Ukraine
On 9 June, Jazz Academy, a music school in Šilainiai, invites everyone to Town Hall Square to hear a concert by future jazz stars. The original compositions of the Academy’s Lithuanian Youth Jazz Orchestra combine elements of atonality, dissonance and imitation. The works are full of spontaneous deviations, gushing energy and impetuosity. The collective’s concert will be kicked off by a discussion.
Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage will host a special welcome from the traditional international choir festival Kaunas Cantat, which joined the European Capital of Culture programme on 10 June this year. The girls’ choir Vognyk from Kyiv, Ukraine, will perform for Kaunas residents and guests. This group promotes Ukrainian contemporary choral music and presents it outside the country in various European cities.
On Saturday, 11 June, the Ethiopian-Ukrainian sister hip-hop trio Fo Sho and the indietronica project Tonka from Kyiv will perform on stage during Ukraine Day.
Another international highlight of the second summer weekend is on 12 June. On Sunday, a trio from Armenia, led by New York-trained pianist and composer Vanagh Hayrapetyan, will fill Kaunas Old Town with jazz. The programme includes his own compositions, Armenian traditional music and works by ethnomusicology legend Komitas.
Olympic spirit in Kaunas
On 18 June, The traditional Olympic Day, which attracts thousands of sports enthusiasts each summer in Lithuania, returns to Kaunas. Sports activities and other entertainment will take place throughout the day in the newly renovated Santaka Park. In the evening, the ambassador of the European Capital of Culture, Linas Adomaitis will take over Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage. Meetings of the National Expedition will also take place in City Hall Square on that weekend. On 16 June, the evening will be hosted by the mathematical rock band jautì, who recently released songs with singers Monika Liu and Monique.
Midsummer weekend - a dedication to Mekas and post-folklore mood
2022 is the year of Jonas Mekas not only in Lithuania but also in the world, where the legacy of this Lithuanian artist is highly appreciated. On 22 June, a live soundtrack to Mekas’ 1966 short film ‘Mysteries’ will be performed in Kaunas.
Jonas Mekas filmed a play ‘Frankenstein’ at the 1966 Cassis Festival in France, organised by the film director Jerome Hill. Jonas Mekas did not like the result and did not release the film. However, he did like one segment of the play, ‘Mysteries’. The only sound that could be heard on film was the sound of the actors’ feet. In May 2000, Philip Glass, John Gibson and Howie Statland created an improvised soundtrack for this play segment and performed it live at the Anthology Film Archives in New York, founded by Jonas Mekas.
Kenny Wollesen, Tony Scherr, Jonathon Haffner and Dalius Naujokaitis, members of the New York-based group Himalayas, are coming to Kaunas to provide the 2022 version of the soundtrack for Mysteries. The group will be joined by Eugenijus Varkulevičius-Varkalis, a Kaunas-based artist who has worked with Mekas, William Shore (USA) and Giuseppe Zevola (Italy) for an exclusive performance in the European Capital of Culture.
On the shortest night of the year, the sounds of post-folk music will weave across the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage. Some of the most exciting projects of this genre in Lithuania - Driezhas and Girių Dvasios - will perform here. Driezhas collective will present an ethnic-electro, synth-pop, ambient programme combining sharp electro-acoustic sounds and soft acoustic lines. Girių Dvasios, or Evaldas Azbukauskas, will create a dub techno lake inspired by Lithuanian forests and Baltic culture.
On 24 June, fans of one of the most interesting musical projects in Lithuania, Akli, will flock to the Town Hall Square. The post-punk/industrial music project from Kaunas, formed while the world was in the grip of a pandemic, was twice nominated as the best band of the year at the M.A.M.A. music awards. All have already played at major events in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. They will be joined on stage by the dark alternative and post-punk atmospheric collective Katarsis, whose music is full of experiments and musical explorations.
On the last Saturday of the month, Kaunas-based electronic music producer Palmės Žiedas invites contemporary music lovers to swap the traditional fern blossom plaids for something more exotic. He has just released his third solo album ‘Elektroninė Muzika’, which is about the distant future.
The Colombian electric violin player Diego Esteban will wrap up the month of the Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage on Sunday, 26 June. His music reflects a mix of classical music with electronic beats and dubstep influences. His Latin roots also make a part of his repertoire, which can be mellow and romantic and make you dance and jump. During his time in Lithuania, Diego Esteban has collaborated with Lithuanian producer Vitalijus Saxton and pop singer Justinas Stanislovaitis and other musicians. On 26 June, Justinas will join Diego on stage, and they will be accompanied by a drummer and a guest violinist.
All Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage events are free of charge. Concerts and other shows at Kaunas Town Hall Square are scheduled until autumn.
The European Capital of Culture programme in Kaunas and the Kaunas region continues throughout the year, with hundreds of traditional and debut events planned for 2022, including exhibitions, festivals, performances and other activities created by local and international artists and Kaunas communities. For the complete Kaunas 2022 programme, please visit www.kaunas2022.eu or the mobile app.
Midori Takada will premiere her work made of traditional Lithuanian polyphonic music
From 29 June to 3 July, Kaunas will be hit by „Audra“ („the Storm"), a five-day music and art festival in the city's spaces. The nightclub Lizdas, together with the youth of Kaunas city and Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 team, is organizing a huge programme of events, which will be scattered around the city's most spectacular urban spots.
One of the festival's most important guests is Japanese percussionist and composer Midori Takada, considered one of the world's pioneers of ambient and minimal music. The premiere of "Silence Birds", a collaborative project between her and several ensembles, will take place in the Grand Hall of the VDU, inspired by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Midori Takada has already visited Lithuania three decades ago, just after the regaining state's independence.
The concert in Kaunas on 30 June is one of the most anticipated and important performances of the Audra Festival. Midori Takada, one of the pioneers of ambient and minimal musical and an icon of modern Japanese music, will present a work that she has been preparing for several months together with local sutartinės (polyphonic Lithuanian traditional songs) ensembles Gaudė and Devynragė.
Each time a new and unique piece is dedicated to the country the artist is visiting. Every live performance of Midori Takada is unique and prepared especially for that occasion. In Kaunas, she will be performing "Silence Birds", a piece that has never been heard before and which was born quite recently and not by chance. Midori Takada composed it with the crimes of Russian aggression in Ukraine in mind. The bird is a symbol of freedom for the Japanese artist, whose songs and sounds she will recreate with the help of traditional Lithuanian and Japanese sutartines. Why the sutartinės? Lithuania and Japan are the only countries where this style of polyphonic singing is still alive.
Midori Takada is a true luminary in the world of ambient and experimental music, playing solo, in various groups and theatre productions. In the 1980s and 1990s, Takada devoted her craft to traditional African and Asian percussion with great success, culminating in her classic album "Through The Looking Glass", which was reissued in 2017. Considered a Holy Grail of Japanese music by many, "Through The Looking Glass" is Midori Takada’s first solo endeavor, a captivating four-song suite capturing her deep quests into traditional African and Asian percussive language and exploring contemplative ambient sounds with admirably precise use of marimba. The result is alternatively ethereal and vibrant, always precise and mesmerizing, and makes for an atmospheric masterpiece and an unparalleled sonic and spiritual experience.
Midori Takada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnYSIDwu3TA
She debuted on the scene of Berlin Philharmonic, performing with the RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin just after graduating from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1974. She continued her career with solo concerts in Japan and abroad.
In the 1980s Midori began to explore the traditional music of Asia and Africa. Her fascination resulted in joint projects with Kakraba Lobi from Ghana, Lamine Konte from Senegal, Farafina Band from Burkina Faso, and Korean musicians: zither player Chi Seong-Ja, flute player Won-Il, and saxophone player Kang Tae-Hwan. She also led Mkwaju Ensemble's innovative percussion project and still performs with free-jazz band Ton-Klami with Kang Tae-Hwan and jazz pianist Masahiko Satoh.
In the past 20 years, Midori Takada spent more time in theaters than in concert halls – composing and performing live music for theater. She regularly works with Tadashi Suzuki and his Suzuki Company of Toga on their adaptations of "Electra" and "King Lear".
Midori Takada: In Motion: https://thevinylfactory.com/films/midori-takada-film-midori-takada-in-motion/
Takada's compositions have a remarkable way of affecting the imagination. Her minimalist, contemplative music is filled with the concept of infinity and reminds us of a moon voyage, falling stars, a journey into the ocean, or a walk in the garden. The trans melodies, initially simple, begin to loop and splinter, their rhythm breaking and thickening, slowly drawing the listener into another reality.
The programme of the Audra Contemporary City Festival is jointly developed by the youth organisation "Kylantis Kaunas", team of the nightclub Lizdas, Kaunas - European Capital of Culture 2022 and various partners from Greece, Serbia, France, Germany, Estonia, Finland and Japan.
Midori Takada in Kaunas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aydh8AYUA4s
The “Confluence” Effect in Kaunas: thousands of people gathered in the city
How many ways are there to celebrate life? “Confluence”, the second act of the Contemporary Kaunas Myth Trilogy, flooded the city with a multifaceted programme, showing that there are just as many of us. Every resident or guest of the European Capital of Culture created their own celebration formula this weekend. From a dinner table on Laisvės Alėja to wild dances on Town Hall Square, from the question-raising contemporary art in unexpected spaces to the heart- and body-soothing traditional sauna rituals by the river. From the feverish game of Kaunas Beast, which was even more involving than in January, to quiet pauses in art oases or a selfie after climbing the observation tower erected at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris rivers just for this weekend. “Confluence”, an international cultural festival, was by far the most colourful and eventful celebration to ever hit Kaunas. It is estimated that more than several hundred thousand culture and art seekers attended the events in these days, while performances were created by over 1000 singers, acrobats and actors.
After celebrating the fifth edition of the Courtyard Festival on Friday in the central axis of Kaunas, Laisvės Alėja, on Saturday, the main action of “Confluence” moved to the Old Town and other parts of the city. From the morning onwards, orange balls were bouncing in the “Beast of the Street” tournament by the House of Basketball, while the sauna brothers gathered by the Neris River to set up their fires and prepare for talks on healthier living.
By midday, the most impatient had already dived into three themed mazes set up by Catalan Espectacle Spectacular. The labyrinths required a lot of wandering and head-turning to get through. The reward for successfully solving the puzzles were the performances presented by Kaunas State Puppet Theatre for the Kaunas Puppet 22 International Festival or the incense people could make themselves in the town of creative experiences. Of course, one could also bargain for souvenirs from the traditional fair dedicated to Kaunas’ birthday, which, like the Courtyard Festival, this year was attended by participants from Ukraine and other countries.
The French acrobatic troupe Cie Basinga gave an extraordinary, breathtaking show to those gathered at Kaunas Castle. The artist walked on a 230-metre long rope seemingly carefree and was greeted with an ovation for such tricks as a split or a headstand and other incredible movements that have been polished for years, ten metres above the ground. Fifty Kaunas 2022 volunteers worked together to make this performance, accompanied by fantastic live music, a success, creating the rope tension needed for a perfect show.
The initiative “Let's Celebrate the River”, which offered two cultural routes on the Neris and the Nemunas, invited people to discover unity in water. Cultural stops and co-created works of art awaited the inventively dressed, birthday-themed river-goers. “I would say that such routes should exist not only on the city’s birthday but permanently - that is, when travelling on the river by kayak or raft, you always want to visit an unexpected place or event, so I would vote for permanent art stops along the rivers,” commented a participant later after having completed the section on the Nemunas River starting from Petrašiūnai.
Music lovers also received some outstanding gifts - concerts by popular and emerging artists on two stages. On Friday, Justinas Jarutis, Saulės kliošas and Monique greeted everyone in Santaka Park, while on Saturday, Sisters on Wire, GJan and Saulius Prūsaitis took over the main stage. The Kaunas 2022 Summer Stage, which has just been set up in the Town Hall Square, was full of foreign guests, including LÜCY from Taiwan, Bratri from the Czech Republic and Musica Vitae from Sweden. The most interesting Lithuanian artists and performers - Kristijonas Ribaitis, shishi, or Baltic Balkan, who created a massive party after the main “Confluence” show - also performed on the stage that will remain in the square until autumn.
As darkness fell, miraculously - or maybe with the tail wagging the Beast of Kaunas? - the rain stopped, and tens of thousands of spectators flocked to the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, unwilling to miss the second act of the Contemporary Kaunas Myth trilogy. The show transformed the father of the rivers into a giant stage. The stars of the show were not only the musicians including the Ukrainian Jamala, who stunned with her fiery performance, Giedrė and Jessica Shy, Linas Adomaitis, Beissoul & Einius, Algirdas Kaušpėdas, ROYCE but also canoeists, windsurfers, aqua-acrobats and everyone else attracted to water as the most alluring element.
The actor Dainius Svobonas navigated the audience’s eyes, ears, and souls with his questions right up to the show’s climax, which once again reminded the whole world that Kaunas is not only the centre of Lithuania but also of European culture. Kaunas is a living organism whose heart beats strongest at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, the mythical birth point of the city. “We are capable of more than we think” - with this statement, Svobonas led the crowd of thousands to continue experiencing “Confluence” and celebrating the art and culture that will help build the city together beyond 2022.
The fastest ones rushed upstream - back to the centre of Kaunas, to the Nemunas Island, where the quickest unveiling of a sculpture in history took place at midnight. Spotlights welcomed the Beast of Kaunas, who finally appeared, showing off his glowing body, and who can now be visited by all who wish. Another new attraction - the tooth of the Beast of Kaunas discovered by ceramicist Remigijus Sederevičius - awaits near the Kaunas Castle. It is said to bring good luck to those who see it and show it to others.
On Sunday, the vector of “Confluence” turned to the Kaunas district. In Zapyškis, the traditional international kite festival “Between the Earth and the Sky” was held, followed by the long-awaited opening of the cultural ship “Nemunas7”. The historic dredge, reborn as an art space, will invite visitors to contemporary art exhibitions, workshops and residencies until the end of the warm season.
The trilogy of the Contemporary Kaunas Myth, which began with the “Confusion” in January and invited to dive into “Confluence”, will culminate in November with the last act - “Contract”. The European Capital of Culture programme in Kaunas and the Kaunas region continues throughout the year, with hundreds of traditional and debut events planned for 2022, including exhibitions, festivals, performances and other activities created by local and international artists and Kaunas communities. For the complete Kaunas 2022 programme, please visit www.kaunas2022.eu or the mobile app.
European Capital of Culture Forum in Kaunas: Visions of Legacy and Lessons from Ukraine
What happens to a city when the European Capital of Culture year ends? Perhaps cultural life is replenished with new festivals, but it is more essential to see people discover their artistic flair and witness stronger, more self-confident communities? Legacy is both a stronger identity and a more robust economic blood flow. Sometimes it’s a newfound love, even a new family. Maybe it’s just a cosier backyard. On 19 May, the fifth European Capital of Culture Forum invited to discuss how Kaunas will live beyond 2022 and hear inspiring and thought-provoking international examples.
Ana Kočegarova-Maj, Head of the Kaunas 2022 Programme, welcomed the Kaunas and European cultural community to the Žalgirii Arena amphitheatre and reminded them that the first such forum in 2018 was organised in search of a recipe for a successful European Capital of Culture (ECoC). How to create projects that have a lasting impact and inspire ambition and change in the local community? This Spring, as the Kaunas 2022 programme gathered momentum and the second act of the Contemporary Kaunas Myth trilogy, Confluence, approached, the forum became a much-needed pause and opportunity to reflect on the work that has already been done and a place to ask questions - how will we live, what goals will we set for ourselves in the coming years? Moreover, as the whole world is witnessing the war in Ukraine, the meeting in Kaunas provided an opportunity to hear first-hand the enormous power of transforming one’s professional skills in the face of terror and the importance of appreciating what we have here and now.
Practical examples from Lithuania and abroad
The first speaker of the ECoC Forum was sociologist and artist Tadas Šarūnas. The expert, currently conducting an external evaluation of Kaunas 2022’s activities and legacy, playfully presented possible ways to define value and meaning. As an example of how the impact of culture and art cannot be measured in numbers alone, he presented the answer to the question of the meaning of life and the universe, as given by the writer Douglas Adams in his book “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy”. A computer that has done countless years of calculations only spelt out ‘42’ in the book. According to the sociologist, numbers seem meaningless when you do not consider what is untouchable and incalculable. Next year, we will be looking at a study based primarily on small success stories that happened in Kaunas. Each of them is part of one immense legacy, one city body.
Beatriz Garcia, Associate Director at the Centre for Cultural Value in Liverpool (UK), gave a more scientific view of what a challenge of the scale of the ECoC can bring to a city. Liverpool’s success as a European Capital of Culture in 2008 was due to many internal and external factors. For example, shortly after the city won the bid, it was announced that the 2012 Olympic Games would be held in the UK capital, London, which was an added boost. Liverpool’s European pride also grew. As the country witnessed Brexit, this city hosted some of the largest rallies for remaining in the EU. Garcia also stressed the importance of sharing data and knowledge - reinventing the wheel each time is pointless. A qualitative assessment of the legacy can only be made by looking at the figures collected from the perspectives of specialists from different fields.
The latter thesis was in a way extended by the presentation “Gold and Coal: Artistic Community Experience”. It presented the work of the Italian director, contemporary circus artist and teacher Roberto Magro with the communities of the Kaunas district as a success story.
One of the speakers, Lukas Alsys, Deputy Head for Culture at Culture, Sports and Science Department, Kaunas District Municipality Administration, reminded that the ECoC title is shared by two municipalities this year. According to him, the inhabitants of the Kaunas district - as many as 25 towns - by joining the co-creation process invited by Kaunas 2022 had the chance to realise themselves in an unexpected way, proving that the language of art and culture is the most universal.
“We are far away from cultural centres, and cultural life here is based on ethnography and folklore - this is not a bad thing, but the repertoire is inherited, the content does not attract external attention, and as an elder, it is important for me that we grow not only in the number of new pavements but also in terms of the emotional connection with our land,” said Šarūnas Pikelis, head of the Batniava eldership. He recalled the community’s acquaintance with R. Magro, who came here to create the performance “Visions”, inspired by the works of Vytautas Mačernis and Čiurlionis: “We remembered that we actually had a forest, we saw it with new eyes - after the premiere, it became a meeting place for people, the forest came to life.”
Magro himself invited the Forum participants to participate in a playful experiment, presenting a unique working method based on seven invisible strings that can be used to control creativity. “One needs an aesthetic experience to teach the mind to be amazed,” said the Italian, recalling that last year in Batniava, he was impressed by the warmth of the people and the dedication of the Lithuanian artists to the process even in the pouring rain. He then told about his trip to Linksmakalnis, a village literally translated as “Funny mountain”. “I remember the first time I went there. I didn’t find a mountain or any fun - just the fact that it was a secret radio town during Soviet times. But they took me to a small museum of angels, and that’s how we created the play “Radio angels”,” recalled Magro, who made Linksmakalnis a famous town. He and contemporary circus professionals from all over the world who have visited the Kaunas area are still in contact with local young people. Amazingly, one Linksmakalnis teenager is already attending a circus school in Kaunas and is seriously considering such a career.
Lessons from the front
At the invitation of Kaunas 2022, Yulia Khomchyn, Head of the Lviv Cultural Strategy Institute, attended the ECoC Forum. The Ukrainian, who briefly introduced the principal idea of the Institute, devoted her presentation to showcasing how her work and that of her colleagues has changed since 24 February, when Russia started the war in Ukraine. The international partnerships that had been established previously took on a new meaning: the Institute sends factual information on the war to colleagues abroad. It has been able to effectively protect heritage assets with the knowledge and advice of foreign partners. Stained glass windows in churches covered in wood, sculptures hidden under sandbags, theatres turned into places of refuge - this has been the daily reality of Lviv, one of Ukraine’s most beautiful cities, for three months.
“We do what ongoing events demand so that we don’t lose what we are made for”, said the guest from Lviv. The CSI also acts as a humanitarian aid centre for Ukrainians arriving from cities under heavy attack and provides information for those in the cultural field, both those wishing to leave and those staying behind to defend their country. Khomchyn also shared a sensitive video clip, an excerpt from the diary of a jazz festival director fighting on the frontline.
“In the face of war, we came out much stronger than we thought. We were able to transform ourselves quickly and professionally - it is something we keep in mind when we think about our potential to rebuild Ukraine after the victory,” said the cultural expert. She also announced that she would like to organise the Ukrainian contemporary art triennial in Kaunas this year - Lublin in Poland is also being considered. However, there is still plenty of time before October. Anyone with ideas is invited to get in touch and share them.
Growing culture, desire to continue
In the afternoon, Agata Etmanowicz, Audience Development Specialist, Vice President of Impact Foundation from Poland, invited representatives of the Kaunas cultural field to share their experience gained in the training courses provided by Kaunas 2022. She presented the journey of the programme from 2019 to today. The impact of the programme on their organisations was shared s presented by representatives of the Kaunas Biennial, Kaunas Vincas Kudirka Public Library and Kaunas IX Fort Museum. “The experiences of the organisations are different, but the positive effect seen by all is the increased cooperation between Kaunas cultural institutions and the partnerships that have been established,” Monika Straupytė, Acting Head of the Cultural Management Department of the Kaunas Vincas Kudirka Library, told after the presentation.
Immie Jonkmann, Head of Leeuwarden-Friesland 2018, shared the case of the region of the Netherlands, which celebrated the ECoC title four years ago. This year, Leeuwarden and Friesland are presenting the first ECoC legacy event, the Arcadia triennial. Among its highlights are hundreds of trees planted in mobile containers, which ‘travel” around the city to remind people of the importance of nature. According to Jonkman, the attitude of the authorities towards cultural projects has changed a lot since 2018, and it has become much easier to get support for ideas and funding.
Both the guest from the Netherlands and Virginija Vitkienė, Head of Kaunas 2022, who followed her, agreed that it is difficult to talk about the legacy of the Kaunas project at this stage when all the activities are just getting underway. Vitkienė presented the most important Kaunas highlights and initiatives, stressed the importance of having supportive partners and revealed which Kaunas 2022 projects will definitely live on in the years to come. These include the ConTempo and Magenta festivals, Kaunas Literature Week, etc.
The main day of the fifth European Capital of Culture Forum ended with the discussion “Post ECOC. A New Beginning”. It was attended by I. Jonkmann, V. Vitkienė, L. Alsys, as well as the Vice-Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Albinas Vilčinskas, and the Vice-Mayor of Kaunas, Mantas Jurgutis. All agreed that the activities should not cease after 2022. After all, the continuation of the project was already discussed in the project application, and both the Government and municipal representatives agreed to it. This is also included in the Kaunas Cultural Strategy.
On Friday morning, some of the guests of the ECC Forum took part in Etmanowicz’s workshop, while others were preparing for the Confluence weekend marathon. Over 60 events - concerts, performances, workshops, etc. - are planned for Kaunas, which celebrates its birthday on 20-22 May.
The complete Confluence programme is available at kaunas2022.eu/santaka or on the Kaunas 2022 mobile app.