In implementing the Programme of the Government and seeking to ensure the development of cultural competences of children and young people, and the access to culture, the Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Lithuanian Museums’ Association (LMA) has initiated a special programme of cultural hospitality in museums for schoolchildren ‘Creators and Promoters of the 16th of February’.

‘Culture is the basis of the value education. A person interested in culture, using culture, living in culture will always be initiative, smart and active. Such person will always be a citizen, which is what Lithuania is missing’, emphasized the minister L. Ruokytė-Jonsson.

According to L. Ruokytė-Jonsson, the programme ‘Free museums for Schoolchildren’ starts with the museums and a special free pilot museum programme for schoolchildren ‘Creators and Promoters of the 16th of February’, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the state.

Neda Žutautaitė, the member of the board of the Lithuanian School Students' Union, noted that now what all schoolchildren should do is to take advantage of the opportunity and visit the museums free of charge not only during excursions, but individually as well, prepare themselves for lessons or collect material for projects implemented.

The president of the Lithuanian Museums’ Association (LMA) Raimundas Balza pointed out that the new cultural education programme, which will take place from September 2017 to the end of the year, was developed having evaluated the experience of the successful project ‘The Road of Lithuanian Museums” which is implemented by the LMA for several years already.

The Minister of Culture pointed out that promotion of cultural accessibility throughout Lithuania is one of the main objectives of this program. ‘Lithuanian museums have a lot of cultural products and interesting educational programs, which are very suitable for the development of the cultural competences of children and young people in the field of culture. As foreseen, it is very important to help children and young people to establish a unique relationship with the country's heritage and history, especially on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the state’, said the Minister of Culture Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson.

Museums will offer various educational activities, creative workshops, thematic tours, film presentations and other events and activities for schoolchildren that will give the opportunity to get acquainted with the most prominent personalities of our country - creators and promoters of the state: writers, educators, artists, signatories of the Independence Act and other brightest personalities.

‘The initial phase of the project is to test how a new programme of this kind may function. We hope that more and more museums understand the educational purpose of their institution and develop educational programmes so that visitors could leave the museum enriched with knowledge and ideas, having expanded their horizons and gained new skills’, said L. Ruokytė-Jonsson.

During the second phase, from the beginning of 2018 schoolchildren will be invited to attend free of charge exhibitions at all museums of Lithuania.

All national and state museums have already joined the cultural hospitality programme, initiatives have been shown by municipal museums as well. The program will be continuously supplemented and updated. Currently, the preliminary program contains information from 50 different Lithuanian museums.

The joint programme of cultural hospitality in museums for schoolchildren is published at the websites www.muziejai.lt and www.muziejuedukacija.lt, as well as the website of each museum that has joined the initiative.

https://lrkm.lrv.lt/en/news/programme-free-museums-for-schoolchildren-has-begun