Audiovisual installation “When Stories Meet” invites citizens of Šiauliai and visitors to hear and share stories

From 16 March, Šiauliai residents and visitors are invited to visit the audiovisual installation “When Stories Meet”, which will give them the opportunity to feel the links between different cultures, to hear and share stories. The space created by Jonas Tertelis and Dominas Pulokas in collaboration with Artscape will allow you to feel the diversity of cultures and its uniqueness; to hear different people’s stories, to interactively engage in the creation of your own stories, to share ideas and to discuss. The installation in Resurrection Square will be open until 29 March.

The installation will be accompanied by various events and activities for visitors throughout its stay in Šiauliai. Every day, a video installation will be on display to introduce the stories of people from other cultures living in Lithuania. On weekends, passers-by will be invited to an open and cosy space where an opening event, talks and meetings with the organisers will take place. On 19 March at 6 pm, the creative team of the installation will invite everyone to the opening event, which will include an open meeting with the organisers and a presentation of the project “When Stories Meet” to promote tolerance. The meeting will be followed by a concert by “Uphill 7” in the installation space.

“Uphill 7” is an alternative and pop rock band coming to Šiauliai from Pabradė. The band will surprise the guests with “glocal” – both global and local – world music: the group consists of members from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Lithuania. “Uphill 7” recently released its introductory track “Freedom”, which features lyrics in English, Lithuanian and Farsi.

On 26 March, the installation will invite to an open discussion on the topic of migration, followed by a programme of short films “When Stories Meet III”, co-produced by the partners of the project “When Stories Meet” – Lithuanian Shorts, a Lithuanian short film agency. The four short films in the programme tell the sensitive and inspiring stories of those who have dared a new phase, full of uncertainty and the search for their neighbour. The films, which have won the audience’s affection at the international film festivals in Amsterdam, Toronto, Sundance, Busan and Trieste, can also be viewed in LRT’s media library.

The audiovisual installation “When Stories Meet” is one of the activities of the project “When Stories Meet”, implemented by the “Artscape” art agency together with its partners Lithuanian Shorts, Diversity development group, NARA. The project aims to promote public tolerance towards citizens of migrant countries facing economic and social problems through innovative artistic means and a publicity campaign in Lithuania.

All events and activities in the installation are free of charge. The activities in the installation are still in the process of being completed, so more information can be found on “Artscape’s” Facebook account and on our website.

The project is funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Ministry of Social Security Labour.

Photo by Algirdas Venskaus.