A train ride, a variety of educational activities, and performances created for young audiences are all part of the experience that more than 300 children from regions across Lithuania are enjoying at the ConTempo Festival this summer. For many, this is not only their first encounter with the performing arts, but also an opportunity to meet international artists and take part in workshops exploring dance, movement, and technology.
According to Eglė Nevedomskė, head of the ConTempo for Kids program, the ConTempo Festival has always been welcoming to families and children, with its annual program featuring contemporary performing arts productions relevant to younger audiences.
“We wanted to create an even more immersive experience for our youngest festivalgoers. Last year, we organized several educational activities for children and received an overwhelmingly positive response and a great deal of interest. When the philanthropic Devbridge Foundation proposed expanding the program, we were able to develop a larger-scale project and include children from smaller towns and communities, where opportunities to experience contemporary performing arts are much more limited,” says Nevedomskė.
ConTempo for Kids, nuotr. Martynas Plepys
As part of the project, 340 children from different parts of Lithuania, including Radviliškis, Kėdainiai, Jonava, Kaišiadorys, Lentvaris, Kybartai, and other communities, travel by train to Kaunas for a day. There, they take part in educational activities, meet international instructors, interact with artists and actors, attend performances created for children, and have an opportunity to ask questions.
“This is not only an opportunity for children to visit Kaunas, but also to discover the worlds of dance, theater, and circus, practice their foreign-language skills, and spend time with their peers. For many, it is their first train journey, their first visit to Kaunas, and their first experience with the performing arts. They learn how to engage with performances and are eager to ask questions of actors, workshop leaders, and educators,” Nevedomskė explains.
According to the program director, the tremendous support the initiative has received from the Kaunas community and its partners has been especially important. Some partners have opened their spaces to the children, provided educational activities, and offered free transportation.
ConTempo for Kids, Gražvydas Jovaiša
“We all want the younger generation to grow up aware, curious, eager to learn, and guided by strong values. We are delighted to see that we share a common goal: to involve as many children as possible from across the country in the project and give them access to these kinds of experiences,” says Nevedomskė.
“Curiosity grows when we create the right environment for it. For several years now, we have been working to ensure that the latest perspectives in education and technology, as well as culture and, in this case, contemporary performing arts, also reach children living in regions where these opportunities are less accessible. In developing the ConTempo for Kids program together with the festival team, we know that this summer more than 300 children have gained inspiring experiences that nurture their curiosity and creativity.
ConTempo for Kids, nuotr. Martynas Plepys
“We hope the program will also have a lasting impact. For example, it may encourage children to seek out cultural opportunities once they return home, whether by joining a theater or dance group, finding meaningful ways to spend their free time, or discovering events taking place in their own communities,” says Gintarė Dzindzelėtaitė-Kelmelė, head of the philanthropic Devbridge Foundation, which initiated the project.
The ConTempo for Kids program takes place in Kaunas on August 3, 4, 7, and 9. Organizers hope the project will continue in the future, giving even more children from across Lithuania the opportunity to experience the performing arts next year.
ConTempo for Kids, nuotr. Martynas Plepys