Starting point '26: sketch competition

September 23 (Wednesday) 18:30 Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, Small Hall Event is free, registration required In the 2024 Seimas elections, only 35.69% of young people (aged 18–29) voted, even though their turnout was record-breaking in the Presidential elections that same year. After the Seimas elections, an LRT portal article headline asked: "Active during the presidential, didn't get off the couch for the Seimas elections: why don't young people vote?" (LRT, 2024). "Why don't I vote?" is a documentary play for teenagers that invites them to look at civic engagement through personal stories. Four creators from Lithuania, Ukraine, and Russia share their childhood and teenage memories – about family, school, first dreams, and coming of age in different political contexts. Although their experiences start similarly, a different relationship with politics and civic life eventually becomes a decisive factor in shaping a person's future. The play, created in the form of interactive storytelling, erases the boundary between actors and the audience. The classroom-like space gradually turns into a living field of memories, discussions, and imagination, where documentary narratives intertwine with elements of visual theatre. "Why don't I vote?" is a play about responsibility for one's future and community. Creative team: Nijolė Makutėnaitė, Karolina Šoblinskytė, Mariia Patokova, Stanislav Alokhin