Cultural Breakthroughs in the Regions: From Utopia to Reality

Is the cultural revival of the regions nearing reality, what makes them attractive for creators to live and work, what challenges do those creating culture and art here face, and what are the success stories in Panevėžys and other regions of our country?

These and other questions were discussed in the new “Stasys Museum” in Panevėžys during a panel discussion titled “Cultural Renaissance of the Regions: Utopia or Reality?” organized by the Ministry of Culture as part of the events cycle “Between the Lines”.

“I believe that professional art and the full diversity of culture should be accessible throughout the entire country, not just in one or another form. Right now, if you do not live in one of the three major cities, you are cut off from professional culture. Šiauliai and Panevėžys are intermediate options. I would say that currently high, professional culture reaches only a third of the country’s population. In my opinion, the remaining two-thirds have the same cultural and creative potential as those three big cities, because talent can emerge anywhere. The potential is everywhere; our society simply does not take advantage of it,” said Audronis Imbrasas, the director of the Vilnius Old Theatre, who also has experience leading the Visaginas Cultural Center for four years.

According to Jolita Puleikytė, curator of the art studio at the “Pragiedruliai” creativity center, at least Panevėžys is certainly not culturally isolated. “We have talented artists, and new ones keep emerging. There are open pathways to create professional culture here, as well as to seek new forms of presentation. I would also like to emphasize the importance of cultural education, starting with young people. For art to be understood, we need to develop an audience,” said J. Puleikytė.

According to photographer and theater set designer Arvydas Gudas, all culture revolves around certain personalities. Therefore, in his opinion, culture should not only be brought in, as it will come and go. “For example, I do not wait for someone to bring me something and show it; I look for and find what I need in culture. I am also very pleased that more and more cultural spaces and more positive, sincere people with a spark in their eyes are emerging around us,” said the well-known creator from the Panevėžys region.

Director Laurynas Valkiūnas, who is the curator of the audio-video studio at the “Pragiedruliai” creativity center in Panevėžys, recalled Arvydas Šliogeris’ film philosophy idea, which can be briefly described as a love for the place where you are.

“How do we overcome isolation? There must be action: go to a gallery, try to learn more yourself, experience it. It is precisely the gesture of active engagement, without imposing anything on anyone, that creates culture. Thus, isolation can be overcome through creativity. Openness to the world and to oneself is the way to create both national and regional culture,” said L. Valkiūnas. In his opinion, Panevėžys indeed stands out in the regional context: “Here, I have already found a very solid foundation and the right solutions to implement my vision. I perceive all this not as a random occurrence, but as a long-term and consistent effort from visionary people.”

Vilius Vaitiekūnas, head of the Education Department at the “Stasys Museum” and founder of the Aleknaičiai culture and education space in Pakruojis district, noted in the discussion that regions have their distinctive contexts, unique content, different histories, and known creators. “All this offers a particular perspective that is inherited by both the locals and the visitors. I believe this is true throughout Lithuania, as there is probably no region without its enlightened past. It helps to look creatively at the present and the environment,” said V. Vaitiekūnas. According to him, we need to create an environment where it is interesting for creators working in the bubbles of Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda to come and create in the regions – to create the conditions and motivational tools for that. There is no universal algorithm; each region must address it in its own way.

Vaida Andrijauskaitė, head of the “Stasys Museum,” shared that working with “Pragiedruliai” has uncovered many young creators, even though she was told upon returning to Panevėžys that there were none.

“A significant resource for fostering creative potential is the alumni from Panevėžys, who either return and get involved locally or contribute in other ways while being elsewhere. There are certainly good examples of institutions and projects that thrive, such as the arts platform and festival ‘Iškrovos.’ This is a completely new format. I believe that every city and town has potential; it just needs to be discovered and focused. We are trying to create a unified, collaborative community from all the cultural institutions in the city. However, a clearer cultural and artistic strategy from the local government, not just initiatives from the cultural community, would be necessary,” emphasized the new museum director, highlighting the importance of networking.

She also pointed out the challenges related to human resources. “We can see how things have changed with the arrival of a new generation of leaders and curators in cultural institutions and organizations. However, there is still a noticeable shortage of them. It’s not enough to just outline a vision; you need people to implement it,” said V. Andrijauskaitė. According to her, there are certain ways to attract new creative people, and the municipality also offers incentives for this. “What makes Panevėžys particularly attractive now is that creators can essentially find complete freedom and the conditions to do what they want here. The most important thing is original ideas, which will find a place to be realized one way or another,” noted the director of the Stasys Museum.

The discussion “Cultural Renaissance in the Regions: Utopia or Reality?” was moderated by LRT journalist Indrė Kaminckaitė.

This discussion was part of the “16” cultural spaces festival.

Recording of the discussion.

Photo by Deimantas Jakniūnas.