From June 29 to July 2, at the International Street Arts Festival SPOT, the spectators will be able to witness not only the performances of foreign creators that will invite to an experiential excursion or a contemporary circus performance in the trees but also unique works of Lithuanian artists that were created for the public spaces of the city.

“It is a great achievement and joy that we can finally present an extensive program of works by Lithuanian artists at the sixth SPOT festival! We can be happy not only about the foreign artists from all over the world coming to visit Vilnius during the SPOT festival but also with the appearance of foreign producers in the festival this year, who will be introduced to the performances of the Lithuanian artists”, says Judita Strumilaitė, one of the organizers of the festival.

The wide audience of the festival will also be introduced to Lithuanian performances! On June 29, beside the National Arts Gallery, the dance performance TRUTH OR DARE, performed by dancers Ema Senkuvienė, Marius Eidrigevičius and Greta Snitkutė, will be presented to the residents and guests of Vilnius. This dance performance is like a dialogue between the past and the future, where the extremities collide: people‘s historical memory and the desire to cancel the past and create everything anew. “Beliefs formed in the past and imposed foreign traditions take root in the memory of the generations; thus, in public spaces and even in the immediate environment, the legacy of occupational thought and nostalgia for the period when everything was “equal” can still be noticed. On the other hand, as the cancel culture becomes more and more prevalent, it encourages to give up one’s identity, which, although formed in inappropriate conditions in the past, has made us who we are today. In this way, family members, neighbours or citizens of the same state move towards separation and confrontation: as if a boundary between two rivals – the past and the future – emerges in a game, where different truths, values and goals exist”, the artists say about their performance.

On June 30, the music and movement installation ISLANDS created by Šeiko Dance Company will settle for a few days at the SPOT festival and welcome its visitors to the Taxi park. This installation is a tribute to the history, present and worrying future of our relationship with nature. ISLANDS will invite to immerse yourself in the elemental state created from minimalistic music, movement, lights and abstract costumes. Entering the space of the installation involves a feeling of the gradual blow of sand – as if you were inside an hourglass. The spectators’ ears will be filled with meditative music composed of sand and the cello and the sounds of live cello music!

On July 1 and 2, during the festival, Vilnius Urban Dance Theatre Low Air will present their newest dance performance VIENUDU which tells a story about a person’s relationship with himself/herself through one’s relationship with others and the environment. “By exploring the movements and flow of breakdance, juxtaposing them with Lithuanian folk dance, we raise philosophical questions in the narratives of male identity. In this dance duet, as if in a dialogue with someone else, but essentially with oneself, it is tried to explore a look of oneself in today’s hustle and bustle of norms, preconceptions and stereotypes. It is about our internal processes and going in circles”, say A. Gudaitė, L. Žakevičius and R. Šaltenis, the creators of this performance.

At the SPOT festival organized by the Arts Printing House, the first solo work Playces – Playgrounds will be presented by Mark Liberman – where acrobatics will intertwine with music, childhood with maturity, chaos with the search for structure, and the author of the performance will try to answer the question: “What does it mean to grow up and remain a child?” In this performance, the audience will be invited to rediscover the joyful spirit of childhood and remember that the world is our playground!

From June 29 to July 2, Vilnius will also become a large street arts playground, where dance performances, contemporary circus shows, interactive excursions and much more will intertwine! For free!

The festival program is supported by: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius city municipality, Swiss Cultural Foundation.