Zemuju Sanciu Bendruomene are a community association working to develop a sustainable urban vision of the nearby neighbourhood that protects the unique cultural heritage and identity of the neighbourhood against extractive capitalism
Their goals are to:
Create self-government in the district;
Give voice to the community;
To take care of the environment of the district;
Unite and unite the residents of the district;
Foster equality and identity;
Expand knowledge of culture, sustainable environment, health, etc. topics;
Promote small business in the area;
To represent the community in institutions.
Community Opera
Zemuju Sanciu bendruomene began the community opera project “Cabbage Field” as an art process of the Shanti community, that started in 2018. The name comes from the public space between Juozapavičius Avenue and Suomių St., which was resurrected from the garbage dump by the community. Previously, this area was in the 19th century. barracks cellars for sauerkraut. The original arched sauerkraut warehouses have survived to this day. The libretto was created by community members. Professional and non-professional artists of the troupe are related to Shantis in various ways. All events and characters are inspired by local people and their stories. The music was composed by Vidmantas Bartulis, winner of the Lithuanian National Prize. The composer died, leaving the musical part of the opera unfinished. Though the opera involves professional musicians, all of the participating actors are directly from the community. The opera was showcased at ICAF 2023 for the theme “The Sound of Change”.