The project of a traveling exhibition “Lithuanian bread. With a loaf of bread of one‘s own, one is welcome at any table” received funding from the Lithuanian Council of Culture.

With this project, the Museum aims to innovatively present a significant theme for the history of Lithuania, namely the path of rye bread (from grain to table). Pictures of rye harvesting and its customs, harvesting tools, and the peculiarities of baking black rye bread in the ethnographic regions of Lithuania will be displayed in the exhibition.

The exhibition will be presented in the “Horse Musuem” (Niuronys); Musuem “Senoji Klebonija” (Punsk, Poland); Musuem “Aušra” (Siauliai); Taurage Regional Musuem “Santaka” (Skaudvile).

Project title: “Creation and Application of Service Provision Methodology for Persons with Disabilities in the Museum”.

Project type: Pilot project to ensure the accessibility of museums for persons with disabilities.

Project implementation deadline: 15/12/2023

Relevance of the project: in our efforts to adapt the museum to human well-being, we consider the need for specialized services for people with mental disabilities, and accordingly raise the competencies of museum employees working with people with disabilities. In cooperation with social partners, we analyze the need for essential services in order to successfully integrate people with mental disabilities. Implementing an information system of pictograms would expand the opportunities of disabled people and enable them to visit the museum independently without the need for special educational programs.

Project partners:

• “Social therapy house” – AKVILA (public institution)
• Saint Faustina School (multifunctional center) in Kaisiadorys
• Kaunas Alzheimer Club
• Lithuanian autism association “Lietaus vaikai”
• Kaunas Pranas Daunys Education Center

Project stages:

• Internship in Denmark (Den Gamble By) – learning from others with years of experience
• Employee training (to be held in July and September at the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania, the goal is to train 50 employees of the Museum)
• Internships of the Museum employees in AKVILA – practice with the project partners
• Preparation of methodical material
• Adaptation of the Museum spaces for the disabled:
  • Memory space
  • Interactive educational space
  • An oasis of peace
  • Informational pictogram systems
  • Specialized educational programs for people with intellectual disabilities

The project is financed by: The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania

Moments from the internship in Denmark (Den Gamble By), which took place on May 2-7, 2023:

The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania, in cooperation with AKVILA and social workshops PILNOS SIRDYS, is implementing the project “Creation and Application of Service Provision Methodology for Persons with Disabilities in the Museum”. In the course of this project, the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania will be equipped with educational spaces and adapted programs for people with intellectual disabilities, while the Museum employees will receive training for working with visitors with disabilities.

Museum employees and educators prepare responsibly and do internships in AKVILA. They participate in activities with AKVILA housemates, learn how to work together, how to formulate tasks, how to use easy-to-understand language. AKVILA’s staff strives to ensure that the Museum employees understand even the most severely disabled person and their needs. Moreover, the Museum employees are thought to respond to this in educational activities at the Museum. Preconceived fears, prejudices or inner tensions due to uncertainty fall away during such activities. Cooperation with AKVILA will continue until the end of the year.

Moments from AKVILA:

“Walks through the Life of Swamp Dwellers” is an exhibition reflecting the uniqueness of the ethnographic region of Lithuania Minor. The exhibition aims to acquaint visitors with the political history of Lithuania Minor, life in the swamps, the history of one family of swamp farmers, and the religion of the region.

This exhibition is a permanent and important part of the Museum, where education and tours will also be included. This will be the first innovative exhibition of its kind in the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania. It will be opened in the Vabalai farmstead of the Museum.

The project will be implemented by the end of the year, emphasizing that 2023 is the year of the Klaipeda region (which is part of Lithuania Minor).

The Open Air Museum of Lithuania (Lithuania) together with the Estonian Open Air Museum (Estonia) and the Jamtli Foundation (Sweden) organizes a project aimed at exchanging experience and raising the qualifications of employees in presenting ethnic and religious minorities in museums. Project participants will prepare special week-long programs in their countries.

The first project visit is scheduled for autumn 2023 in the Estonian Open Air Museum in Tallinn.

Visits to the Open Air Museum of Lithuania and the Jamtli Foundation Museum and Training Center in Östersund are planned for spring 2024.