PRESS RELEASE Kaunas is shortlisted for the title of European Capital of Culture 2022 We are more than happy to announce that Kaunas City and Kaunas District have submit- ted an application to European Commission to become the European Capital of Culture in 2022. The concept of the programme is CON- TEMPORARY CAPITAL. Once Kaunas (1919– 1940) was a Temporary Capital of Lithuania and that period had a great impact on the city’s development, culture and identity. With a second chance to become a temporary capi- tal (for culture and Europe this time) we strive to explore our city’s contemporaneity and es- tablish culture as an engine, which drives the strategic aim of Kaunas city to become home for learning and happy people. The first Jury meeting took place in Vilnius on 20th June, 2016. Kaunas was shortlisted along with Klaipėda and our city is ready to work on further programming of the biggest cul- tural project, which will reach its culmination in 2022. The final Jury’s decision will be made after a visit to Kaunas and the second Jury meeting in spring 2017. In this document you will find information on Kaunas City and its District, concept and ar- tistic programme, and partnership possibili- ties. The Creative team of Kaunas 2022 welcomes ideas, proposals and initiatives from Euro- pean partners in order to open up this pro- gramme for European audiences. 2022 CAPITAL RARY TEMPO KAUNAS CON KAUNAS 2 CITY, METRO & BEYOND KAUNAS – THE HEART OF LITHUANIA Kaunas is situated in the centre of the coun- try and is one of its most important logistic intersections. In fact, within one-hour drive Kaunas can be reached by 2 million people, that’s 2/3 of the Lithuanian population. Airport RAIL Baltica PUBLIC transport Just 14 km outside the city is Kaunas Air- Rail Baltica is a major railway infrastruc- Many cultural objects in Kaunas city can be 2022 CAPITAL RARY port, which can be reached by car, bus or ture project, which is supposed to link Fin- visited using public transport, which takes taxi. Trains and buses also take passengers land, the Baltic States and Poland and also passengers from the City centre to the out- TEMPO to Vilnius Airport, which is located only improve the connection between Central skirts of the City in less than 30 min for a 100 km away from Kaunas. and Northern Europe. It is envisioned as a price of under 1 euro. continuous rail link from Tallinn to Warsaw, via Riga and Kaunas and is being imple- CON KAUNAS mented in sections. 3 FOUndation TEMPORARY CAPITAL CONTEMPORARY CAPITAL It is believed that Kaunas was founded The interwar period when Kaunas became Using its various historical moments as in 1030. Surrounded by rivers from three the Temporary Capital of Lithuania was a well as the City’s current strengths and the sides the City was an intersection of trade second big jolt after the Hanseatic League involvement of its citizens as reference routes and a river port with the only Hansa for the City to grow. The modernist urban points, Kaunas seeks to create and estab- merchant office Kontor in the Grand Duchy and architectural heritage in Kaunas re- lish its identity as a city that is modern, of Lithuania. flects the diversity and importance of the progressive, full of culture, science and in- modernization as a universal process of novation. human and European history. Hotels Heritage GREEN city RARY CAPITAL 2022 CAPITAL RARY There are 89 places to stay in Kaunas, in- Kaunas has the largest density of heritage Kaunas is located at the confluence of two cluding hotels, motels, private lets, rural objects in Lithuania and recently the City largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and TEMPO tourism as well as very affordable student has been awarded the European Heritage the Neris and near Kaunas Reservoir, the accommodation. Label. The City is also en route to becom- largest artificial lake in Lithuania. The City ing the UNESCO site for Modernist Archi- has an abundance of green zones, includ- tecture. ing public parks and riverside beaches. CON KAUNAS 4 Concept – CONTEMPORARY CAPITAL © RŠ TEMPORARY CAPITAL versus CONTEMPO- – CONTEMPORARY LEGEND. Creating a TIME IS OUR CAPITAL. Let’s use “capital” RARY CAPITAL legend for the City. There will be dragons as a visionary state, as a notion of cumu- on steroids and love stories to die for. lative place where intellectual resources, Our concept is Contemporary Capital. Why? community will and collaboration of per- Because we realise that when we talk – MODERNIST CAPITAL. A friendly face of sons from different cultural, economic and about our City we tend to look back to the modernity: the history of Kaunas’ modern- academic fields can generate power for in- period when Kaunas was Temporary Capi- ism can educate people and it can contrib- novations, which are relevant to contem- tal of Lithuania. This was between 1919 ute to European culture by presenting a porary life. and 1940. Ironically this was the time missing link between Art Nouveau of Paris when our “real” Capital went to Poland for and Bauhaus of Berlin. Let’s reinstall the European ways of city a while. planning and management. – FRIENDLY CAPITAL. Kaunas can become But it is time for us to move on. To create an eco-city with its longest pedestrian Let’s create permanent places to live and a new “golden age” for Kaunas. And the ve- street in Europe and an abundance of work. hicle for doing so is to become a tempo- green zones. rary capital once again. European Capital Let’s reclaim permanency. of Culture. A contemporary one. Just for one AND FINALLY HERE IS HOW WE BREAK year this time. But its impact will be huge. CONTEMPORARY CAPITAL INTO TWO IM- Permanency is an everlasting contempora- PORTANT STIMULI FOR ACTION: neity. Our concept of Contemporary Capital means: TEMPO MUST BE RECLAIMED AS “TIME”. We are fully aware that we need to change – EUROPEAN CAPITAL. Restoring sover- Let’s have four hours per day dedicated to our identity based not on whom or what eignty of a city as a self-assured and self- family, neighbours, charity, voluntary work, we were a hundred years ago, but rather conscious place among other old European leisure, cultural activities – exhibitions, whom or what we are now. cities. theatre, concerts, public events, guided tours or just exploring the city. So being a temporary capital again can be – FUN CAPITAL. Kaunas will be the city, a catalyst that clears the blocked mind-set, 2022 CAPITAL RARY which no longer needs to fight nor strug- Let’s call it a conTEMPOrary style of living which holds us back. Let’s say it could be gle – it has earned its right to have fun. in 2022. our last and ultimate temporariness. TEMPO – EDGY CAPITAL. The City with cutting edge Let’s make it a habit. technical and progressive humanitarian skills, the City for start-ups and rebellious Habits are very powerful; you may take our CON KAUNAS souls. word for that. 5 RARY CAPITAL 2022 CAPITAL RARY TEMPO KAUNAS CON KAUNAS © RŠ 6 ARTISTIC VISION Our Artistic Vision is to create a new cul- strategy also applies to presenting cutting- open the City to the outside as well as tural and civil tempo in order to make the edge, high quality international contempo- to the inside through the influx of artists citizens take a step from a Temporary Capi- rary art forms and introduce their cultural and groups from all over Europe and the tal to a Contemporary Capital. tempo to our citizens. world through projects, such as Communi- ty Culture in Action, intergenerational and Our Artistic Strategy makes participation A unifying narrative school projects, and through opening up a key value. Every citizen will have a right shared memories like in Yiddishe Mame. to participate. We will bring arts, design, … adresses the general amnesia for parts and architectural projects to the streets of our history and heritage. We envision a Platform for young generation and will aim for cultural activity to become city, which knows its history as a contin- an everyday occurrence instead of being uum. Not as a patchwork of random and The task is to empower young people to “something special”. temporary events. The events can be good see the City as their own and to remain and bad, glorious and shameful, but we here. More than 70% of all activities are planned must learn to see them as an eternal play to take place in communities, neighbour- of cause and consequence. We have officially declared that at least hoods and public spaces. 30–35 Cultural 50% of Kaunas ECoC 2022 team members Labs will be established in Greater Kau- Along with international conferences and will belong to the young generation. The nas territory starting in 2018, where cul- exhibitions about heritage and Modernist strongest example of this in Kaunas 2022 ture professionals will work closely with architecture as well as digital tools and programme is Centuryans – a project com- community members to create their own animations to experience heritage as part pletely led by the young generation. The programme of exchange with internation- of what makes our city contemporary, a project started in Spring 2016 and will al artists, gardeners, circus troupes, chefs, new narrative – a working contemporary run until 2022, growing in participation street artists and activists. All Labs will be legend – will be created. and projects with large scale and high- international and experimental. light events organized by the generation Listen and act of 2000’s.