Natalia Anol & Kotryna Valiukevičiūtė...

 

For this issue, CADAM. talked to Natalia Anol & Kotryna Valiukevičiūtė – our partners from Roşa Collective in Chernivtsi (Ukraine) & Laboratory of socio-spatial experimentation 54°+

in Kaunas (Lithuania) in the framework of the program TANDEM UKRAINE.

 

Activist or cultural manager?

 

Natalia:

Usually I call myself a culture manager, but never quite sure if it’s appropriate. In terms of labour market terms I am probably an activist, as all things I do are mostly self-initiated and rarely well-paid. However, I don’t find any of this terms suitable enough to describe my activity and I think one yet is to be invented.

 

Kotryna:

I am always confused when I am asked to give the precise definition who I am and what I do. Actually, I do not know myself and I experience a constant change in the profession. Sometimes I am an artist, sometimes I am an activists, sometimes - cultural manager, journalist or art director or, as we have a very borad title in Lithuanian -  visuomenės veikėja (to translate literary - public figure). I merge my practices and skills acting in the field of urban animations and I am interested in cultural, social and political practices in the contemporary urban environment.

 

Garden or kiosk?

Kotryna:

I was working with the Šančiai Kiosk project for over 2 years. The project consists of transforming a traditional kiosk into a new icon for community involvement in Šančiai, a dramatically changing post-industrial neighborhood of Kaunas. Through the support of the local community, the kiosk became a multifunctional platform and a new public space where active community members get together and develop their initiatives. I think, it’s high time to use my experience gained in this project with something new. So, I guess, my answer is - garden

 

Situated or displaced?

Kotryna:

Both. Situated and rooted in Lithuania. But I travel a lot and as a team member I engage with different collectives abroad. Constant move, change of working environment became a routine.