On Thursday, June 12, the Arts Agency “Artscape” opened the festival “Cultural Rhythms” at the National Art Gallery, celebrating the contribution of refugees to society. The festival is dedicated to the commemoration of World Refugee Day, which is celebrated annually on June 20.
From June 12–20, a marathon of 19 events will take place in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, and Pabradė, welcoming city residents and visitors to explore refugee voices and creativity.
Organizations with extensive migration experience have joined forces to create a diverse event map – ranging from workshops for children and adults, quizzes, open-mic nights, to concerts, poetry readings, exhibitions, tours, and more. All events are free of charge.
“We invite you to celebrate refugee voices, creativity, presence, and the value they bring to Lithuania throughout the entire week leading up to World Refugee Day. The content created by numerous migration and cultural organizations will encourage you to stop and get to know the new residents of Lithuania, understand them, and in doing so, understand ourselves. Because the way we welcome people in need of safety and shelter says more about us than it does about those arriving,” says Aistė Ulubey, CEO and founder of the arts agency “Artscape.”
According to Renata Kuleš, Government Liaison Officer of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it is important for all of us to decide what kind of world we want to live in.
“Do we choose empathy or apathy? In today’s world, more than ever, we must continue to show solidarity with refugees, those who did not choose to leave but were forced to flee their countries due to violence, conflict, war, and persecution. This is a critical moment in history,” says R. Kuleš.
The festival was opened with a performance by Ukrainian artist Marina Pilipenko, during which she invited the audience to participate in a sound experiment. A keynote and discussion also took place on the potential of the cultural sector for integration processes – how truly open our society is and how much influence culture and art can have.
The discussion featured Dr. Bart de Nil, a researcher exploring public libraries as a social infrastructure for creative well-being, Aistė Ulubey, the founder and CEO of the arts agency “Artscape,” Asta Volungė, curator of educational and social projects, and Kadim Mazin, an Iraqi oud musician living in Vilnius.
Refugee Week will conclude with a closing concert on the roof terrace of the Museum of Energy and Technology in Vilnius (June 19). Musicians from various countries and ethnicities will perform on stage, aiming to highlight the diversity that surrounds us in Lithuania.
Events are created in collaboration with: Lithuanian Red Cross, International Organization for Migration (IOM), CreateCulture Space, Kaunas Cultural Centre of Various Nations, Sienos Group, Open Lithuania Foundation, Reception and Integration Agency and others
As of May 2025, there are approximately 45,000 refugees from Ukraine living in Lithuania, making it the largest refugee group in the country’s history of refugee acceptance.
Organizers – Arts agency ARTSCAPE
Partners – United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Reception and Integration Agency
Friends: National Gallery of Art, Energy and Technology Museum
The festival is partially funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture
‘Refugee Week’ is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity, and resilience of refugees and people seeking asylum. In Lithuania, the festival is represented and coordinated by the arts agency Artscape.
