ThisThis year, the International Artthe festival „Platform“ will take place 20-andjto timeand. Minandanniversarythe, kūfishe team calle those who have already participated in the festivalūreyou and the troupes with youthe his latest works. „In response into thisToday’s geopolitical issues; the theme of the fragility of life was chosen as the conceptual focus of the festival: kand reitheat the same time and in the world we createto, and jto We are tearing down; we are planning for the futureto, but čAre we fighting too?“ – says the festival’s founder and directore Goda Giedraityte. The entire questionthe and artthe palletandThis year, the rye will sproutandhis 9 – October 7, Klaipėda ein the east and westthe In Lithuania: Priekulewell, Thisimageein Kretinga.
Layers of history and thethe fragility of today
The festival will open with Swiss artist Julian Vogel, who is participating in the festival for the first time, and his performance “Ceramic Circus,” which explores the coexistence of fragility and strength. By using ceramic objects in his performances, Vogel manages to evoke the paradoxical sound of shattering ceramics while simultaneously preserving what is fragile. According to critics, “Julian Vogel pursues a chimerical goal—to destroy nothing, even when everything around him is teetering on the brink of collapse.”
The performance by the Šeiko Dance Theater, the festival’s longest-standing partner, explores the delicate balance between truth and lies, the relentless pursuit of a goal, and the longing for love “Indigo. Das Schliemann Projekt,” which has been awarded three “Golden Stage Crosses.” Inspired by the colorful and contrasting personality of 19th-century businessman, polyglot, and discoverer of ancient Troy, Heinrich Schliemann, the performance nevertheless speaks to the modern-day person, their “disorientation” in the present, and the never-ending search for their true self—a kind of self-archeology.
The theme of longing for the past is explored by choreographer Palle Granhoj (Denmark), who has been participating in the festival since 2012 and has already presented four of his productions to audiences in Klaipėda. His latest work is the performance “This is Not Mårup Church” (“This Is Not Marup Church”) tells the story of a church built in 1202 on a cliff along the Danish coast, which at the time stood 1.2 km from the sea. Year after year, the raging North Sea crept closer, and in 2007 it was decided to dismantle the church, stone by stone, in the hope of reconstructing it in the future. Unfortunately, this never happened, so the author asks how we long for what is no longer there, and how much of that longing still contains humanity and us.
A joint Polish-Ukrainian dance performance explores the themes of humanity, self-sacrifice, and love for the Fatherland and one’s homeland “Every Minute Motherland.” Choreographer Maciej Kuźmiński’s production explores the impact of trauma, exile, and alienation within the context of war, identity, and the forces of history and geography. “This dance tableau reminds us how real and intimate the experience of war can be—a full-fledged experience that permeates time, the space around us, our bodies, and our minds,” says critic Justyna Stanisławska. From Mariupol to Kharkiv and everywhere else where the war began, culture and artists have become deliberate targets in an effort to destroy the Ukrainian nation. This performance is an act of resistance against these crimes and a declaration of solidarity with Ukraine.
In everyday lifeandand the future
The circus performance “Ballroom” by the company “Post uit Hessdalen” (Belgium) challenges the daily routine and the tedium of work in modern life. According to critics, “Ballroom is characterized not only by impressive technical juggling skills, but also by visual magic that instantly makes you feel like a child again. I had never seen so many amazing bouncing balls before. Until one ball suddenly stopped bouncing. And I was plunged into a universe of magical realism, where balls simultaneously appear, disappear, or float in the air. The unique concept and the magic of the storytelling transform Ballroom into the festival visitors’ favorite performance.”
“Contours,” a solo dance and shadow play for adults, is a journey into the human soul and an encounter with one’s deepest darkness. “We all have our own shadow—it is our fears, envy, distrust, anger, disappointment, a lack of meaning, and doubts. But the shadow is also a part of us,” says the show’s director, Gintarė Radvilavičiūtė. After all, the desire to live is determined by the desire to act.
And sometimes we just look up at the sky. Have humans really landed on the moon? Or is it just a tireless dream that drives humanity forward? The Nuepiko troupe invites you on a journey. In a time full of haste and chaos, the moon becomes a metaphorical place where we can meet ourselves, look at ourselves in the light, and touch the less illuminated depths of our inner selves. In a performance dominated by duality—music and dance, light and darkness, structured order and pure lightness— dance artists Marius Pinigis and Andrius Stakelė meet on a journey into their inner and outer cosmos.
What’s next?
It seems that whenever an anniversary rolls around, this question always comes up. That’s why we’ll be discussing with colleagues from other festivals what it means to be an international festival outside the capital. As we do every year, we’ll host an artist residency, during which artist Liepa Vozgirdaitė will develop her vision of the sounds of the future. We will present a vinyl record by sound artists who have previously participated in the residency, dedicated to the festival’s 20th anniversary and Klaipėda. And we will meet with future professionals at dance movement workshops.
And at the same time, we’ll look back and see that a new generation has grown up over the past 20 years—a generation that doesn’t need to fly anywhere, but is creating right here and now. What will they tell future generations? We invite you to Herkų Kanta to hear them, where L. Vozgirdaitė, Jokūbas Sarulis, Aistis Bielkauskas, and Urtė Krutkevičiūtė will present their creative explorations.
So what happens next? I guess it depends on the audience… See you there!
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The mission of the international arts festival “Plartforma” is to bring together the artistic experiences of different countries and the creative potential of artists within a shared creative event. The festival features creators and groups working in contemporary dance and theater, new circus, and sound art. This interdisciplinary festival, held in Klaipėda and Western Lithuania, aims to introduce the public to contemporary artistic expression.
“Plartforma” is Klaipėda’s long-standing flagship festival; it was added to the list of Strategic Lithuanian Festivals in 2025 and has been awarded the European Festivals Association’s “Europe for Festivals / Festivals for Europe.” The festival is organized by the artist group “Žuvies akis” and funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, the Klaipėda City Municipality, and “Prohelvetia.”
The organizers reserve the right to change the festival program. The full program and the latest information are available on the website www.plartforma.lt or on the Facebook page “Men” Festival Plartforma”
Tickets for paid festival events are available through www.bilietai.lt
