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“Vedami” goes to the capital

“Vedami” goes to the capital

The performance “Vedami”, which debuted in Pravieniškės Prison, held a rehearsal in Vilnius Prison today.

What can we do to make prisoners willing and able to change? Is this only a structural problem in prisons? Is society that expects a safer world ready to look at convicts differently?These are the questions to which director Mantas Jančiauskas, playwright Rimantas Ribačiauskas and arts agency Artscape are seeking answers in the play ‘Vedami’ (‘Guided’).

‘Guided’ was born out of workshops organised by the authors and the Artscape team in Pravieniškės Prison since 2021. Developing a genre they have invented themselves, which they call ‘performative encounter’, Jančiauskas and Ribačiauskas are looking for new forms of coexistence in theatre. They are trying to create the mechanics of a performance that actively and provocatively – but safely – involves both convicts and spectators. During a performative encounter, 10 convicts and 10 spectators meet for a dialogue, for which neither side is prepared in advance.

Around 6 000 people are currently serving sentences in Lithuanian prisons. As a proportion of the country’s population, this is one of the highest figures in Europe – Lithuania ranks fourth in the EU in terms of the average number of people in prison per capita.

In the performance, uncensored and non-standard language may be used. 18+

The show uses the Remote Player platform (www.remoteplayer.io).

Credits:
Concept: Mantas Jančiauskas, Rimantas Ribačiauskas
Director: Mantas Jančiauskas
Texts: Rimantas Ribačiauskas
Dramaturgy: Rimantas Ribačiauskas, Mantas Jančiauskas
Composer: Andrius Šiurys
Executive producer: Erika Urbelevič
Producer: Aistė Ulubey (Arts Agency Artscape)
Commnunications: Agnė Šyvokaitė

March 26, 2024