News

Today, the Theatre for Children and Young People Association ASSITEJ celebrates its 25th anniversary. This marks an important milestone for the entire field of Lithuanian theatre for children and youth, which over a quarter of a century has changed fundamentally — from a noisy, often entertainment-focused form of theatre to a contemporary, sensitive, and participatory performing art designed for specific age groups.

Over 25 years, ASSITEJ has become one of the main drivers of change, shaping the perception of the child as a full participant in culture. Today, performing arts for young audiences in Lithuania cover all age groups — from infants to teenagers — include children with special needs, and explore diverse forms of expression and artistic languages.

“Theatre for children has expanded greatly in our understanding — it has become an art form that must be accessible to everyone. When we nurture from early childhood and aim for professionalism, no one is left at the margins. Here, professionalism means responsibility toward the young audience,” says ASSITEJ founder and long-time president Violeta Podolskaitė.

More information is available via the provided link.

Kaunas City Chamber Theatre currently has a repertoire of several dozen productions for children and youth. In 2025 alone, the theatre presented four premieres for this audience: “Close Ones” (dir. Povilas Barzdžius) and “Peter Pan” (dir. Karolis Zajauskas) for audiences aged 16+, the contemporary circus performance “Icarus” (author Džiugas Kunsmanas) for children aged 10+, and the playful performance “About Friendship” (dir. Eglė Kižaitė) for children aged 4+.

Photo by Viktorija Lankauskaitė — a moment from “About Friendship”.