Panevėžys Municipality‘s support for culture and sense of community: Creativity Centre Pragiedruliai
About this good practice
Skaistakalnis Park, located in central Panevėžys, is known for its mature trees and greenery while maintaining its authenticity. Poet and activist J. Čerkesas had his Pragiedruliai homestead here, making the park a hub for intellectuals from 1926 to 1949. After the homestead's nationalization, the park lost its cultural appeal.
The practice aimed to reinstate the creativity center in Pragiedruliai, rich in cultural heritage, and to promote public involvement in cultural processes through creative placemaking methods and cultural entrepreneurship training. The activities here are based on the ideas of J. Čerkesas and collectively developed vision of the community. The aim is to make the site a focal point for locals again, attractive and accessible to the general public.
Renewed creativity centre has a new theatre, applied arts, audio-video studios, art residences and community spaces for cultural education activities and services. The new premises are used for creative placemaking, cultural entrepreneurship training, seminars for owners of cultural heritage, best practice sharing activities, art residencies and many other activities.
Stakeholders: Panevežys municipality, Stasys Museum, Panevėžys theatre "Menas", Panevėžys city Art gallery, Panevėžys local community of Aukštaičiai-Žemaičiai, Panevėžys musical theatre, Norwegian partner - Nabolagshager.
Beneficiaries: Panevėžys local communities, art and culture institutions, artists and residents, townspeople and visitors.
Resources needed
Renovation works and project implementation costs - EUR 1,078,557.67:
- EUR 815,863.72 EEA Financial Mechanism funds
- EUR 143,975.95 joint financing funds
- EUR 118,718.00 municipality's budget funds
Estimated operational costs per year - EUR 180,000 (calculated since the opening in summer, 2023).
Evidence of success
- 5 implemented projects with total of 38 artists ("S. Spreading the work of Eidrigevičius 2023", "I am Panevėžys", "Cool'tūra", "Children creates", "Is this art? Residence")
- 15 organized exhibitions
- More than 150 educational activities conducted (also in cooperation with various initiatives with NGOs, businesses and other creative organizations, e.g., Artihost, Fazė, Public Health Office, Society of Photographers).
Data indicates achieved results since the opening of Pragiedruliai.
Potential for learning or transfer
Each city and town has forgotten, benignly neglected areas or buildings, with significant heritage, related to citizens that made influence for city’s cultural development. Therefore, these sites can be given a new meaning that reflects contemporary topics and environment, where collaborating locals co-create new cultural trends and spread them in the city.
Culture itself has a very broad meaning, and Pragiedruliai has a task to focus and involve townspeople into applied art, with contemporary new educational and artistic forms of activities. Sustainability, green environments, townspeople involvement, co-creation and other topics are inscribed into the most of ongoing projects, therefore such practice could be applied to many different regions and cities.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Panevezys City Municipality Administration