More than 200,000 migrants currently live in Lithuania; however, integration remains insufficiently cohesive, and research shows that social distance towards many social groups is increasing. The project “For Each Other”, implemented through the Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme, contributes to addressing this issue by strengthening the social inclusion, emotional resilience and integration of third-country national women and children into Lithuanian society.
The initiative is implemented by the public institution Arts Agency “Artscape” together with its partners, while the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) contributes by ensuring the smooth implementation and administration of the project. The project activities are aimed at women and children living in institutional settings, unaccompanied minors, and individuals at social risk. The project includes creative activities, training sessions, psychosocial support initiatives and socio-cultural information services designed to strengthen the well-being of the target groups and help build connections with local communities.
Key strands of the project activities have already commenced. Weekly textile-based creative workshops for women from Ukraine and Belarus are taking place at the Radvila Palace Museum, a branch of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art. The sessions begin with educational activities in the exhibition halls where, through dialogue with museum educators, participants analyse Western European paintings, encouraging interpretative skills, creativity and critical thinking. The activities then continue in creative workshops where participants work with cyanotype printing and embroidery techniques. This three-month creative cycle concludes with a collaborative textile artwork – a tablecloth – which is publicly presented.
To ensure the full participation of women, childcare is organised simultaneously. During this time, children take part in contemporary dance sessions entitled “Dance in Hidden Museum Corners”, creating opportunities for family engagement in cultural activities.
Another significant part of the project is being carried out in the facilities of the Reception and Integration Agency in Vilnius and Rukla, where some of the most vulnerable people of foreign origin are accommodated. Creative missions involving participants of different age groups have already begun there. In Vilnius and Rukla, interdisciplinary ethnic arts workshops are organised for women, photography and creativity development sessions are provided for teenagers, and visual arts activities for children under the age of ten focus on developing motor skills, colour recognition and early literacy. These activities also contribute to strengthening intercultural dialogue, as participant groups include individuals from Ukraine, Belarus, Cameroon, Somalia, Tajikistan, Egypt, Afghanistan, Iraq and Sudan.
Although the “For Each Other” project only began earlier this year, the first results already demonstrate a positive impact on the target groups. Participation in the activities strengthens women’s emotional resilience, independence and self-confidence, while children are provided with a safe environment for creativity, learning and the development of social skills. Creative and educational activities help reduce social exclusion, strengthen connections between migrants and the host society, and increase integration opportunities at municipal level. The project will continue to reinforce these achievements and ensure a long-term impact.
“At this stage of the project, we can already see not only participants’ engagement, but also their growing self-confidence and interpersonal connections – these are the first foundations of sustainable integration,” says Aistė Ulubey, Head of Arts Agency “Artscape”.
An important aspect of the project’s implementation is the financial contribution and cooperation of Switzerland, which significantly support its successful delivery. This partnership enables the provision of comprehensive social integration services, the implementation of inclusion-promoting measures, and creates the conditions for high-quality and consistent project implementation.
The project is financed by the Swiss Confederation and the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania. Up to EUR 192,910.03 is allocated from the Swiss contribution, while the co-financing amount reaches up to EUR 34,042.94 (Lithuanian–Swiss Cooperation Programme 2022-2029)
