Šilainiai Project Fundraiser

Hello,

I invite you all to support the continuation of an amazing, community based art project in Šilainiai post-war housing estate in Kaunas (LT). In 2016, with minimal resources I was able to organize a global artist residence in the neighbourhood, several exhibitions, public walks introducing residents to their seemingly generic but actually extremely diverse community, poetry readings and photography workshops. I would like to continue doing amazing things for the community in 2017 too! Please support and/or share. Thank you very much.

Kind regards,
Evelina


DECEMBER 2016 UPDATE  (scroll down for first entry)
Photograph by Artūras Bulota

2016 has been the most amazing year.

The project has received the best reception and support from the local community. It was extensively covered by the press and it grew.

In short, Šilainiai Project in 2016:

-       Organised and/or led 8 public walks in Šilainiai, about 100 people participated;

-       Organised and led 5 photography/ contemporary art workshops in local schools for pupils aged 11-18;

-       Organised and led 5 artist talks in Šilainiai library;

-       Hosted 6 international artists, who worked in public spaces in Šilainiai;

-       Produced 3 exhibitions;

-       Initiated 2 artist discussions at Kabinetas project space;

-       Curated first art happening in Kaunas VIII Fort;

-       Supported international day of phylosophy in X Battery;

-       Initiated Humans of Šilainiai photography series;

-       Started Šilainiai archive of images and oral histories;

-       Started building a network of artist communities in Lithuania.

What I am most proud of is that it connected people together and inspired creativity.

 Šilainiai Photo-walk, 2016


These are the activities I would like to organise through Šilainiai Project in 2017-2018:

-       Host 5 international artist residencies, if possible, rent an appartment that would enable us to have a public engagemet programme in an open studio setting;

-       Enable one-two artists from Šilainiai to produce a public piece of art in Šilainiai;

-       Support the creation of the first collaborative street art/mural in Šilainiai by pupils from Grušas Art gymnasium and Kaunas school for pupils with special needs;

-       Organise 6-7 Artist talks in Šilainiai library;

-       Produce 3 exhibitions: Šilainiai stories, Šilainiai residency and one exhibition displaying work of one very special senior resident;

-       Initiate/lead at least 2 discussions on subjects like cummunity art;

-       Curate 2 art happenings in Kaunas Forts;

-       Organise and lead 6 photography workshops in local schools with pupils aged 11-17;

Photography workshop in local school, 2016

-       Continue Humans of Šilainiai photography series;

-       Continue collecting Šilainiai archive of images and oral histories;

-        Create Šilainiai Project publication;

-        Finalise Marija Nemčenko artwork that she created in 2016: put it on a billboard in Kaunas;

-       Organise public walks in Šilainiai that would be led by myself, but also by local residents;

-       Organise poetry readings in Šilainiai public places;

-       Organise Šilainiai flag creation workshops;

-       Organise ‘Bastille Day’ celebration in Šilainiai, which will involve both local communtity, artists from Kaunas and other cities in Lithuania;

-       Support practical design-architecture workshops in public spaces in Šilainiai;

-       Initiate/ organise a public event, where graphic/ street art/ animation would be screened on multy-storey buildings in Šilainiai, Pilaitė (Vilnius), Pietinis (Šiauliai) and Klaipėda. The event would be accompanied by live music. During the day, there would be a talk/ discussion about the use of public spaces in Lithuanian ‘sleeping distrcts’.

-       Continue building a network of artist communities in Lithuania and abroad.

Senior poets' community at Šilainiai Library, 2016



This is my proposed year plan, that will involve many partners, team members and volunteers. It will require me to work full-time and I need to be based on-site.

I currently do not receive any other income, so will only be able to do what is funded.

My practice is very open and I strongly believe in collaboration. I am working with local NGO’s (partners listed below) in implementing my activities.

I am currently going through intensive training in cross-sectorial cooperation, participation and art management and will be implementing my knowledge in 2017.

Yes, this is an ambitious plan and in so many ways I am breaking new ground. But 2016 has proved that this project is important and is needed. And that nothing is impossible, unless, of course, you do nothing. So I am taking a leap of faith again and I’m trying.



CONTACT

Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to hear more about any part of the project.

Please do so via www.evelinasimkute.com 


LINKS

Project websites:

www.silainiaiproject.com

www.silainiaiphoto.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/silainiaiproject

https://www.facebook.com/silainiaiphoto/

Project volunteer page:

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/349801702029771/



2017 PARTNERS

Lithuanian Artist Association, Kaunas department

Lithuanian Association of Photographers

Kaunas Vincas Kudirka public library, Šilainiai department

Kaunas Fortress Park

Kaunas Artists’ Home

Art management platform ‘Arthesis’

Kaunas Street Art festival ‘Nykoka’

Šilainiai Community Association

Kaunas Grušas Art gymnasium

Kaunas Jonas Basanavičius gymnasium

Yard gallery (Kiemo galerija, Kaunas)



ŠILAINIAI PROJECT IN THE PRESS

Evelinos Šimkutės Šilainiai – balta drobė kūrybai. Kaunas pilnas kultūros. December 2016. Online: http://pilnas.kaunas.lt/2016/12/14/evelinos-simkutes-silainiai-balta-drobe-kurybai/

Audronė Meškauskaitė, Gyvenimą keičiantis menas. 2016 11 24 – 2016 12 07. Nemunas, Nr. 20 (980) Online: http://www.nemunas.net/archyvas/20%20mazesnis%20.pdf

Vaida Stepanovaitė, Decentralizacijos projektų patirtys Lietuvoje. 2016 11 25. Online: http://literaturairmenas.lt/2016-11-25-nr-3591/3625-daile/5588-vaida-stepanovaite-decentralizacijos-projektu-patirtys-lietuvoje

Neringa Krikščiūnaitė, Kitoks Šilainių veidas. 2016 11 25.  Online: http://literaturairmenas.lt/2016-11-25-nr-3591/3625-daile/5587-neringa-kriksciunaite-kitoks-silainiu-veidas

Pokalbis apie kultūros decentralizaciją Lietuvoje. 2016 11 21. Online: http://www.letmekoo.lt/author/vaida-stepanovaite/pokalbis-apie-kulturos-decentralizacija-lietuvoje/

A sleeping district of poets and painters: redefining Kaunas’s Šilainiai. Deep Baltic Blog. 2016 10 31. Online: https://deepbaltic.com/2016/10/31/a-sleeping-district-of-poets-and-painters-redefining-kaunass-silainiai/

Šilainiai driokstelėjo: forto tuneliuose – kaukianti sirena ir menininkų projektas. 2016 10 15. Online: http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/silainiai-driokstelejo-forto-tuneliuose-kaukianti-sirena-ir-menininku-projektas-776600

Evelina Šimkutė: „Šilainių fasadas tėra viena dėlionės dalis“. 2016 09 28. Online: http://kamane.lt/Kamanes-tekstai/Kinas-ir-fotografija/Evelina-Simkute-Silainiu-fasadas-tera-viena-deliones-dalis

Tyrimų laukas – Šilainių mikrorajonas. 2016 09 19. Online: http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/tyrimu-laukas-silainiu-mikrorajonas-771776

Evelina Šimkutė: „Kūryboje ir darbuose Šilainiai visada buvo su manimi“. 2016 08 31. Online: http://kalbasilainiai.lt/evelina-simkute-kuryboje-ir-darbuose-silainiai-visada-buvo-su-manimi/

Daugiaaukščių Šilainių istorija domina net japonus ir australus. 2016 08 28. Online: http://kultura.lrytas.lt/meno-pulsas/daugiaauksciu-silainiu-istorija-domina-net-japonus-ir-australus.htm?utm_source=lrExtraLinks&utm_campaign=Copy&utm_medium=Copy

Kaip miegamasis rajonas virsta kultūriniu židiniu. 2016 08 09. Online: http://www.15min.lt/kultura/naujiena/asmenybe/kaip-miegamasis-rajonas-virsta-kulturiniu-zidiniu-285-666627

Kokie yra tikrieji Šilainiai? 2016 08 05. Online: http://klaipeda.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/kokie-yra-tikrieji-silainiai-763975

Evelina Šimkutė: „Šilainių ilgesys išaugino idėją surengti rajono nuotraukų parodą“. 2015 10 22. Online: https://www.silainiubustas.lt/index.php/puslapiai/kalba-silainiai/naujienos/evelina-simkute-silainiu-ilgesys-isaugino-ideja-surengti-rajono-nuotrauku-paroda/336770

 



JUNE 2016 POST

Hi, 

My name is Evelina. I have been living in London for over 10 years and during this time, I have graduated with an honours degree in Fine Art and have also worked in Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.


Inspiration for my current work comes from the Šilainiai estate in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania, the place where I grew up. 


I have recently started two projects – ‘Šilainiai Photo’ and ‘Šilainiai Project’ on which I have been working full-time since June 2016. This is a major step for me as I am funding my time in Lithuania by myself, however as I do not have any other source of funds, I am in much need your help. Please take the time to read the project descriptions below and I hope you will find them as special as I do.

 Image: Photography workshop at Grusas Art Gymnasium in Šilainiai.


‘Šilainiai Photo’ is a community photography project. 

-       Šilainiai Visual Archive: a collection of old and new Šilainiai photographs from local residents, accessible online: www.silainiaiphoto.com;

-       Photo-walks in Šilainiai (free and open to everyone);

-       Photography workshops for 13-18 year olds in local schools;

-       Photography exhibitions in Šilainiai, displaying photographs contributed by Šilainiai residents and those created during the photo-walks and photography workshops;

-       Šilainiai Photo publication.

The project aims to raise questions and start conversations about Šilainiai through the medium and process of photography as well as discovering and encouraging creativity in Šilainiai community.

Image: Photography workshop in Šilainiai.

Image: Photo-walk in Šilainiai,  photo by Vita Ku.

Image: Photo-walk in Šilainiai.



‘Šilainiai Project’ is an artist mini-residency program in Šilainiai microdistrict in Kaunas, Lithuania. It invites international artists to stay with a host family in Šilainiai for one to two weeks and make temporary works in public spaces. The residency functions as a managed ‘couch surfing' but for artists and therefore no money change hands.

In addition to using public spaces for making work, each artist does a presentation/ Artist talk/ Q&A with local community. Extracts from artists’ daily work will be presented online on the project website: www.silainiaiproject.com.

Image: Artist working on location in Šilainiai.

Towards the end of the year, all artists partake in a group exhibition at ‘Kabinetas’ project space Mapu St. 20 Kaunas.

At the moment the residency is by invitation only. 

The artists who were resident in Šilainiai June – August 2016: Brooke Carlson (Australia), Francis Olvez-Wilshaw (UK), The Lake Twins (UK), Arata Mori (Japan), Marija Nemcenko (Scotland). Local artist Milda Gailiūtė participated aswell. You may see the work created during the residency at this years’ exhibition:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/kabinetas/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1778205305764593



What are the funds going to be used for?

Šilainiai Photo: 

-       Printing photographs

-       Mounting work for exhibition

-       Exhibiting fixtures

-       Small printed publication

Šilaniai Project:

-       Drawing materials (paper, paint, pencils, etc)

-       Sculpture materials (wood, steel)

-       Exhibition venue costs

-       Travel costs

-       Equipment costs

Image: Photography workshop in Šilainiai.


All patrons will be noted on the project's websites, exhibition and printed material and will receive regular updates of the work in progress.

I feel so strongly about these projects as if they were like a void in my life that I just needed to fill. I know that statement may sound a bit far fetched but but it has been on my mind for many years. Now that I have taken a leap of faith and finally putting it into practice, I couldn't be more happier and excited of the things to come.

I feel both privileged and thankful to be able to return to Lithuania and create work that I truly love and hopefully that will inspire others to do so as well.

I very much appreciate any of your help and support for me and my projects.  You will be helping me to elevate my projects and my career as an artist to the next level. Thank you all!

Evelina


Please visit my website www.evelinasimkute.com to see some of my other work.