About the project

„South Baltic Academy – a tool of social change” is an international socio-educational-artistic project, it is cofinanced by South Baltic Programme, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritige and the Munincipality of Sopot. Partners from Lithuania and Sweeden are involved in its implementation, the participants are young people from Poland, Lithuania, Sweeden and Germany,

Who is involved in the project?

Enthusiastic young people who want to make a difference in the cultural life of their city and their region. By various theatrical methods, such as exercises developing awareness of the body, vocal and voice exercises, dance, puppetry, street theatre, history of theatre and drama, animation of culture and elements of psychology, we are teaching our students not only how to create, but also how to independently plan and implement projects.

The first year meetings have been held both in Poland (Sopot) and Lithuania (Klaipeda) on monthly basis. Additionally, we had two-week-long workshops, as a part of the summer theatrical camps, and a week-long meeting in winter. Each academic year is concluded by diploma performances of the students, they will be presented in Lithuania, Poland and in Sweeden.

During the second and third year, the students, apart from having regular classes, will take part in study visits in the South Baltic Region. They will visit artistic and cultural institutions where they will be able to learn various innovative methods of artistic and cultural activities.

During the third year, the students will be able to verify their abilities, as they will be conducting their own workshops with group they will be responsible for recruiting. Each of the students will also be asked to write a cultural-animation project which then they will realize while utilizing the acquired knowledge and abilities.

The main goal of the project is educating the next generation of young, independent and brave theatrical artists and social animators, who in the future, with a great passion, will influence the environments in which they live and work. Owing to the project we will also be able to test innovational methods of creative and animation work of the South Baltic Region. The methods will later on be gathered in an electronic publication, which will constitute a collection of practices and methodologies ready to be adapted in other regions of Europe.

So far the students were able to take part in classes of:

Spatial imagination conducted by Zdisław Górski the founder of Theatre of Dreams, one of the most famous street theatres.

Physical and breathing training, conducted by Przemysław Wereszczyński, dancer, choreographer, certified dance pedagogue, Salsa Master of Poland, World and Poland vice champion of Salsa and ballroom dance, choreographer of both the Polish and Ukrainian editions of “You Can Dance”.

Rhythm and awareness of the body classes, conducted by Katarzyna Pastuszak, dancer, director, theatrologist, manager of Amareya Theatre, cultural animator, curator of the Theatre in Żak Club, as well as a frequent participant of international theatrical and dance workshops both in and outside of Poland.

Acting training and “through the actor’s eyes” workshop conducted by Ewa Ignaczak, founder of Pegasus Stables Theatre and Sopot Stage of de BICZ, an experienced director and pedagogue.

Elementary acting tasks, conducted by Michał Derlatka, a theatrical director.

Analysis of dramatic works, conducted by Szymon Wróblewski, an author and dramatist associated with Narodowy Teatr Stary in Cracow

Vocal classes, conducted by Jacek Ozimek, a teacher, researcher of traditional and archaic vocal techniques, participant of many vocal apprenticeships both in Poland and in Europe, conductor of many master-classes (e.g. traditional singing of Slavs and Polish Archaic Song).

Drama classes conducted by Ramunas Kaubrys theatrical director and director of the Music Theatre in Klaipeda.

Acting technique, working with Anton Chekhov’s method, conducted by Gytis Padegimas Lithuanian director and lecturer.

Voice emission, conducted by Aurelia Dovydaitienė, renown soloist of Music Theatre in Klaipeda

Pantomime classes, conducted by Aleksas Mažonas.

Dance classes conducted by Giedrė Šidlauskė, Mantas Černeckas and Petras Lisauskas.

The students have also learned basics of stage fighting (Karolis Makauskas) and rhythmic (Nijolė Sinkevičiūtė)