The International Performing Arts Festival ConTempo – the largest event of its kind in Lithuania, growing in Kaunas and Kaunas District since 2019 – was born from the desire for performing arts to become not merely a date on the calendar, but a living impulse for change. It is a festival that goes beyond the stage or the confines of a theatre space – it creates encounters, dialogue, and experiences capable of transforming both the artistic field and society’s relationship with culture.

The festival’s direction is grounded in the ambition to create change through art. Not declarative change, but change that is experienced: through unexpected spaces, new forms, and a sensitive relationship with the audience. ConTempoconsciously expands the boundaries of performing arts by inviting audiences to experience contemporary, bold, and relevant works not only in traditional venues, but also in open urban spaces and unexpected architectural or natural settings. In this way, art becomes closer, more accessible, and integrated into everyday life.

The central figure of ConTempo is the human being. Curious, open, perhaps only just discovering the performing arts, yet ready to experience, reflect, and engage in conversation. The festival is created first and foremost for this person – not for the stage or the institution, but for a living relationship. Here, the audience members are not passive observers – they become part of the process, co-creators, partners in dialogue.

The festival’s mission remains consistent: to challenge the performing arts, the city, and the audience itself, while ensuring the highest level of artistic experience. ConTempo seeks not a short-term effect, but long-term impact – strengthening the cultural ecosystem, fostering professional and relevant performing arts in Lithuania, and developing sustainable models of cross-sector collaboration.

Through partnerships with local and international organizations, the festival’s geography is steadily expanding into the regions of Lithuania, enhancing cultural accessibility and diversity. Communities, local creators, and cultural institutions are invited not only to observe, but to actively engage in the creative process.

ConTempo is more than a festival. It is a space for encounters, ideas, and experiences that endure beyond the event itself.