Drivers during Kaunas 2022 European Capital of Culture programme were the first people to greet artists from across the world. This is what they recall from those first encounters.
“To be honest, I haven't heard a single bad review about Kaunas – only surprise that the city is so modern and joy that it is full of events and must-see places,” Gintaras Čiupas, one of the drivers, said in a press release by the Kaunas 2022 organisers.
Čiupas remembers not only his friendship with Aideen Barry, the director of the movie Folds, who became his regular passenger, but also meeting various dancers and circus artists.
“They were coming from Italy and, to my surprise, compared the Lithuanian rural tourism to life in the mountains of Switzerland,” he said. “Our nature, greenery, lakes and even the sky left such an impression on them that when leaving, they promised to return to Lithuania as tourists – Pažaislis and Trakai Castle are now on their bucket list.”
Čiupas also remembers his first meeting with William Kentridge. The world-renowned artist from South Africa came to Kaunas to open his exhibition, That Which We Do Not Remember.
“William Kentridge said that he was persuaded to come to Lithuania by his daughter, who wanted her father to visit the country where family roots could be traced. Of course, when the artist arrived, he felt certain grievances related to the experience of his Litvak ancestors,” said Čiupas.
Some 95 percent of Litvak Jews perished in Lithuania during the Holocaust.
“He imagined that Lithuania was still living in the atmosphere of the hurtful past. However, after staying longer in Kaunas, the artist marvelled at the modernist buildings, architecture, the fact that Lithuanians speak many foreign languages, and that there are so many young people here,” said Čiupas.
“When Kentridge and his family left, it seemed to me that he forgave us,” he added.
Lost Estonian and famous director
According to Olga Mikuliavičienė, another driver, when passengers get on board, it is easy to feel whether they want to talk or whether they are more introverted. “Sometimes my task was to listen – both I and the passenger were relieved from simply talking.”
According to Mikuliavičienė, there were various funny stories – together with guests from Japan she had to clean piles of snow during a storm, and another time she drove around the city at night to look for a lost Estonian journalist.
As one of the most memorable experiences, Mikuliavičienė recalls meeting Chris Baldwin, one of the programme directors.
“While driving, we talked about theatre methods, actors, acting, about the fact that our whole life is a game to play. Both in training actors and raising children, you need to play with them,” said Mikuliavičienė.
“I think that it is important that more children and families participate in the events – after all, culture is taught from childhood. Maybe the changes in education should be carried out on a national scale?” she added.
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