The event series, which has become a tradition at the end of summer in Kaunas, will be opened by the performer Rūta MUR arriving at Europos Avenue in Aleksotas.
Read more The journey from the seaside in Klaipėda will be faster
By the way, the performer has already participated in the “Culture into Yards” festival: during the quarantine, residents of the apartment yard in Karmėlava listened to her concert directly from their balconies or open windows.
“It is always interesting to observe such turning circles and how I myself have changed being in a different place. At that time, the atmosphere was special due to the unusual concert format, although I was quite far from the listeners. The impressions remained the best, so this year I am returning to the project and hope to see the audience not only from their balconies but also up close.
Moreover, I rarely get to perform in Kaunas, although the audience here is incomparable, curious, and open to listening,” she says.
You will be able to see the performer’s show on Europos Avenue on August 17 at 7 p.m.
Cultural route through the yards of Kaunas
Over eight August evenings, “Culture into Yards” will visit almost every corner of Kaunas, where professional performers will await local residents and guests.
In Žaliakalnis, the work of Flavia Huarachi and Aurelijus Užameckis, combining Latin American folklore and contemporary music, will be heard; in Šančiai, Pijus Opera and Arkadijus Gotesman will perform the poetic-percussion event “PAGAVA”; and on Karaliaus Mindaugas Avenue, the contemporary and street dance duo “Always there but elsewhere” will invite reflection on closeness in the digital age.
Other yards will turn into open cinemas for one evening – in Dainava, a program of Lithuanian short films “Short but films: neighbors of each other,” compiled by the Vilnius Short Film Festival, will be shown, and in Petrašiūnai, director Aistė Žegulytė’s documentary “Dust, Bones, and Miracles” will be screened.
In Panemunė, the walls of apartment buildings will be decorated with photographic projections “Classmates Kaunas” and “Grotesque” by the Kaunas Photography Gallery.
Meanwhile, in Eiguliai, the contemporary circus performance “Stork” will tell about the wanderings of circus artists and migratory birds; in Vilijampolė, actor and director Paulius Markevičius will present a one-man show with a live band “Tomas Peinas (supported by nothing)”.
Read more You can become a general in one day: the deadly attack in Moscow puzzle – intriguing coincidences
Acoustic trio “Golden Parazyth” will also perform here, and in Šilainiai, the event series will close on August 27 with the band “Graži ir ta galinga”.
The entire series will be accompanied by a program of creative workshops and educational activities, offering a wide variety of activities. From juggling workshops in Eiguliai, artist Ilona Miknevičiūtė’s creative workshops in Dainava, to education with mushroom world expert Aurelija Plūke in Petrašiūnai and the “Giving Yard” in Aleksotas and Šilainiai.
The program is created by the residents themselves
The “Culture into Yards” event series was started in 2020 to move culture from the city center to residential neighborhoods and give their residents the opportunity to experience professional performances in their own yards.
“In recent years, culture has taken a big step towards decentralization, creators are increasingly discovering unconventional places, and orchestra performances in parks or plays in industrial spaces probably no longer surprise anyone.
So, more and more, I feel that ‘Culture into Yards’ is no longer just a way to bring culture into the yard – it is increasingly important for us to create a welcoming, inclusive space where residents themselves become the creators and ambassadors of the event,” says Aistė Ptašinskaitė–Paukštė, organizer of “Culture into Yards” and head of cultural projects at Kaunas Artists’ House.
This year, some activities in their yards are initiated by the residents themselves. In Dainava, children from the yard will organize a concert and dance performance; in Žaliakalnis, the main event program will be warmed up by a local DJ, and local artists will decorate the environment; and in Šančiai, as last year, a local initiatives market will be set up.
Additionally, some yard hosts will open their home doors and invite people to look at the panorama of Kaunas from apartment balconies.
“I notice that initiatives coming from neighbors often not only strengthen our planned program but also surpass it – among the yards that invite culture into their yard during the open invitation, a light competition even arises. Such cultural events in the yard become a common challenge for neighbors – a space to meet, discuss, talk about their yard’s identity and the people living there,” adds A. Ptašinskaitė–Paukštė.
The “Culture into Yards” event series is organized by the public institution “Kaunas Artists’ House,” supported by the Kaunas City Municipality and the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Read more Fuel prices in the capitals of the Baltic countries moved in different directions this week
Events are free of charge.
