Lithuanian Days in Scotland. Lithuanian Stories
We would like to extend a warm invitation to join us this autumn for ‘Lithuanian Days in Scotland’. A journey of mutual reflection celebrating the connections between our two countries, the programme will explore the many ways these ties have manifested themselves across the centuries: what can we learn from our histories, what sources of inspiration we share, and how we, the people of small nations in Northern Europe, might address the pressing issues of our European homeland and beyond.
We hope that a series of events between October 22nd-25th will create an opportunity for a Scottish audience to ‘taste’ the unique ‘flavour’ of Lithuania, to feel the spirit of its people, laying ground for new partnerships. Launched with a concert at the historic St Cecilia’s Hall in Edinburgh, the programme will feature talks, film screenings, and discussions, as well as a parallel programme of contemporary art exhibitions.
Our opening concert will present two virtuosos from different generations and genres – Liudas Mockūnas from the world of free jazz will collaborate with acclaimed classical pianist Petras Geniušas in performing a unique project, The Sea in the Forest, which will take us on a journey into the visionary world of one of the most celebrated and singular of Lithuanian artists, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911).
Lithuania and Scotland based professional storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė will invite us to immerse ourselves in the Garden of Tales: Stories from Lithuania as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival ‘Beyond Words’ on the 23rd of October. Later that day, the University of Edinburgh’s auditorium will host ‘Past to the future: Scotland, Lithuania, Europe' - a roundtable discussion between prof. Tomas Venclova, a Lithuanian intellectual, poet, literature researcher, emeritus professor at Yale University, and famous dissident of the Soviet times, and internationally acclaimed expert in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth history, Burnett Fletcher Chair of History at the University of Aberdeen prof. Robert I. Frost. The discussion will be moderated by the former Lithuanian Ambassador to the EU Rytis Martikonis.
The programme will also include screenings in Edinburgh and Glasgow of poetic documentary cinema from the Lithuanian film archives, and will conclude on Friday 25th October with a talk at Glasgow’s Collective Gallery by curator Adomas Narkevičius from the Rupert centre for art and education.
Lithuanian Days in Scotland were inspired by the Scottish Government’s Nordic-Baltic initiative, launched in 2014 with the aim of strengthening the links between our communities, increasing our mutual engagement and discovering new avenues for dialogue, cooperation and exchange.
Lithuanian Days in Scotland have been organised by the Embassy and Cultural Attaché of Lithuania in the United Kingdom with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Cultural Institute. The organisers are particularly grateful to the Scottish Government for their generous patronage, and would like to extend that gratitude to the City of Edinburgh Council, the University of Edinburgh, St. Cecilia’s Hall, CCA Glasgow, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh Filmhouse, Civic Room gallery, David Dale Gallery, and Street Level Photoworks.
Please find the full programme of the Lithuanian Days in Scotland events' here.
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The Lithuanian stories will continue with further events scheduled beyond October - including solo shows by Robertas Narkus at David Dale gallery and by Marija Nemčenko at the CIVIC ROOM gallery repectively, while Gintautas Trimakas will launch his new publication at Street Level Photoworks.
