​Cultural support initiative launched in Vilnius with €165,000 fund for grassroots venues

A new cultural support initiative has been launched in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a €165,000 fund allocated to grassroots venues in the capital.

Named Dainyklos, the new programme aims to support independent spaces in Vilnius and “strengthen the city’s live culture scene from the ground up”.

The initiative supports 17 “diverse cultural spaces” in Vilnius, including jazz and rock venues, queer club spaces, experimental performance clubs, and poetry salons, per a press release.

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Each of the 17 venues – which are said to vary in size, location, and genre – will receive funding of €9,000 to €10,000 each of a total €165,000 fund.

The Dainyklos fund distributed to venues can be used for artist fees, long-term equipment purchases, licensing and rights for creative works, promotion and communication, administrative costs, and technical implementation of activities.

Call for applicants was opened in January and closed last month, and will reopen each year. Those who can apply must meet certain criteria, such as hosting more than 50 events a year, having a “proper stage or platform” with sound and lighting systems, and security measures.

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“It’s incredibly exciting to see something we’ve been working on for so long finally become reality,” the team behind the initiative say. “We’re confident this program will energize Vilnius’ music scene, bring more people to the venues, and help artists get the recognition and compensation they deserve.”

The programme also aims to give a platform to local talent, and hopes to pull in tourists from around the world. “We’re genuinely thrilled to see how many venues showed interest and jumped in,” they explain.

Find out more about Dainyklos here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter