Women's Power at Culture live, 1.3.2007

Irena Garbėnienė, Elona Bajorinienė, Giedrė Kabašinskienė, Rūta Vanagaitė

At the presentation in early February of “CULTURE live,” the programming concept for the Capital of Culture year, Vilnius 2009 Director Giedrė Kabašinskienė also introduced her high-powered top management team: Executive Director Rūta Vanagaitė, Program Director Elona Bajorinienė and Marketing & Communications Director Irena Garbėnienė. This quartet—each of whom has made a name for herself in the cultural production field—will be aided by a six-woman staff of executive assistants. The team of 10 will grow to 20 by year end.

The concept is based on the slogan of the city’s Capital of Culture application “Vilnius CV - Creativity & Vitality,”. Rūta Vanagaitė emphasized that “CULTURE live” is meant to represent “culture as something vital, something dynamic, and that everyone can make an active contribution to cultural life.” In this concept, culture is an essential component of everyday life. “CULTURE live” is being developed on the basis of ideas from both professional artists as well as laypeople who aren’t engaged in cultural pursuits for a living. Even the Vilnius logo—reminiscent of molecules—brings out this liveliness in both its form and color. What the organizers aim to achieve is a cultural program that strives for individuality and constitutes a lively contrast to what previous capitals of culture have done.

The centerpiece is culture: by all and with all. Everyone interested in getting involved—people in Vilnius, in Lithuania and beyond—are cordially invited to pitch in: cooperation, ideas and suggestions are welcome. This call for input and collaboration is also clearly formulated in the four key points of the “CULTURE live” concept:

Create: European Art Programme
Communicate: Culture (Re)Discoveries Programme
Remember: Live History Programme
Enjoy: People Programme
Welcome to the Team

The “European Art Programme” will provide a setting for artists from all over Europe to realize their ideas in Vilnius. The “Culture (Re)Discoveries Programme” spotlights specific cultures that have been especially important for Vilnius and Lithuania but have not yet received the attention they deserve. The “Live History Programme” assumes particular importance in 2009 in light of the millennium anniversary of the first appearance in written historical sources of the name Lithuania in the Quedlinburg Annals dated 1009. This momentous occasion calls for a confrontation with the past within the context of the present. The “People Programme” will be composed of ideas and initiatives from all segments of society and across the age group spectrum.

This year's “Aperitif Program 2007” is designed to whet the public’s appetite for the Capital of Culture year in 2009. The lineup of events includes a Night of European Culture (June), Art at Unusual Venues (September) and an International Festival of Lights (November).

By the way: Based on preliminary results of the municipal elections held throughout Lithuania on February 25, the Social Democrats came out on top with 302 seats out a total of 1,550, followed by the Conservatives (256), the Liberal Centrists (182) and the Liberal Democrats (181). With Rolandas Paksas topping their ticket, the Liberal Democrats were the clear victors in Vilnius with 14 seats. The 50-year-old pilot, two-time ex-mayor of Vilnius and two-time ex-prime minister thus resumes his high-flying political career after impeachment proceedings forced him to resign as President of Lithuania in April 2004. Current Vilnius Mayor Artūras Zuokas’ Union of Liberals and Centrists won only 9 seats, landing them in third place behind the Conservatives (10 seats). Exploratory talks among potential coalition partners are already underway.

Translation commissioned by Linz09