What happens when fifty young artists live, create, and search for a single shared story together for ten days? We promise that this question won’t linger for long and will be answered loud and clear on August 27, 6 Jūrininkų St. and 4 Lūžų St. in the inner courtyard of the apartment buildings. “But what could possibly be so interesting in the courtyard of an apartment building?” you might ask. We’re glad to hear we’ve piqued your interest! We’ll be happy to answer: briefly and simply—a street theater performance. More fully and clearly—a creative arts camp “KiemArta 2026,” featuring a FREE interdisciplinary street theater performance suitable for everyone—from the youngest tot to the oldest resident who’s walked the courtyard paths the longest.
One of the main goals of this year’s “KiemArta” camp, besides bringing together young artists, is to draw the attention of Klaipėda residents to what they encounter every day when they look out the window, take out the trash, park their car, or walk their dog—their own courtyard. The artists decided to bring their creative ideas to life in the Mogiliovo neighborhood of Klaipėda—incidentally, that’s just what everyone calls it; its real name—Bandužiai—is one that perhaps few would actually recognize. What else don’t we know about the environment in which we live? What secrets might the seemingly ordinary courtyard where we grew up reveal? By staging their final street performance in one of the courtyards of the neighborhood’s apartment buildings, the creators aim to remind us that a courtyard is a space that still holds the fairy tales of childhood and the scent of rain, and invites us to gather precisely where theater has always been—and still is—accessible to everyone.
And we didn’t mention fairy tales just to charm a tooth or evoke childhood nostalgia—this year’s production is inspired by motifs from Lithuanian folk tales —five young directors, together with actors, set designers, playwrights, composers, and puppeteers, promise to present it from five different perspectives, in five different courtyard settings. It’s a story in which you’ll find a bony old man on an iron mountain, devils, and children with stars on their foreheads, as well as many, many other strange creatures—all of whom will meet not only each other but also the audience in the courtyard. We look forward to seeing you there (or peeking out from your balcony) on August 27 at 6 Jūrininkų St. and 4 Lūžų St. IN THE COURTYARD! (time to be confirmed). We promise that you’ll have the chance, if not to meet fairy-tale creatures, then at least to say hello to neighbors you haven’t seen in a long time.
A brief overview of the camp: “KiemArta” is being held for the second year in a row from August 17–28 at the Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. Students of theater, music, and other performing arts from all over Lithuania gather here to create together, experiment, and test ideas that don’t always find a place in a traditional academic setting. During the camp, audiences will also have the opportunity not only to experience a street theater performance, but also to be the first to see a sketch of a play by Dominykas Matulionis—one of Klaipėda’s most creatively mature young-generation directors—based on Graham Greene’s novel *Power and Glory*. You can see the sketch for free On August 23 at 6 p.m. at the Klaipėda Castle Theater on Taikos Ave. 70.
The project is organized by: “Ašaka,” a student-founded creative group, in collaboration with the Klaipėda Faculty of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, the Klaipėda Youth Theater, and the public institution “Meno banga.”
This project is partially funded by: Klaipėda City Municipality.
The young artists are supported and sponsored by: Biržų duona, Sodų sodas, and Būkčia Kombučia.
For information on the exact start time of the event and highlights from the camp, follow the creative team “Ašaka” on social media:
Facebook: Ašaka Creative Team
Instagram: asaka_ashaka
