THE CENTRE OF FOLKLORE AND ETHNOGRAPHY OF ETHNIC MINORITIES IN LITHUANIA

The Centre was established in 2006, its primary purpose is preservation and conservation of the traditional culture of ethnic minorities. Our goal is to raise Lithuanian minorities’ folklore performance level, to promote it in concerts and international events. Budget of Organisation  - €24,637 Source of financing - Ministry of Culture of The Republic of Lithuania Educational activities: It includes departments of Russian, Belarusian, Polish and Ukrainian folk, instrumental music, music theory and literature. School has more than 200 children from the city of Vilnius. There are three folk groups (Poles, Russians and Belarusians). One of them is a famous Russian folk ensemble in Vilnius, “Arinuška”, the winner of international and national competitions and festivals. Methodological activity: The centre constantly prepares international workshops. It organizes the annual international folk music and crafts summer courses “Tradition”, which gathers approximately 250 participants. It conducts courses for educators, students, schoolchildren, folk ensembles. We are consulting Lithuanian minority art groups and provide methodological support. We also organize selection of the groups to various representative events and ensemble certification. The scientific activity. We constantly record the folk heritage of ethnic minorities in Lithuania (Poles, Tartars, Karaites, Old Believers, Belarusians, Romas). We have created a Minority Folklore Archive. We systematize and analyze the acquired materials. We provide information and serve as experts on folklore and ethnography issues (by helping to use our library and video collections). Every year we organize round table discussions and conferences. Dissemination of the Traditional Culture of Ethnic Minorities: Since 2004 we organize the Annual International Folklore Festival “Pokrovskije kolokola”; Our folklore ensembles participate in all town festivals in Lithuania including “Skamba skamba kankliai”, “Baltica”, “Capital Days” and others. We also consult Vilnius city minority groups to prepare their celebrations and festivals; The organization of the Courtyard of Ethnic Minorities during the World Lithuanian Song Festival (2009); Presentation of Vilnius city minority folk ensembles abroad (concerts in Russia, Ukraine, Malta, Poland, Belarus, England, Germany, France); Popularization of the traditional culture of ethnic minorities in the media. Partners of Organisation: Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, Vilnius City Municipality Lithuanian Council of Culture, Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences The Vilnius Teachers’ House Ministry of Culture of The Republic of Lithuania Lithuanian Art Museum Cultural Association  “Xinglar” (Spain).