Departments

Department of  Art History and Criticism

The Department of Art History and Criticism was established in 1997. The mission of the department is to carry out research in the fields of architecture, visual arts, photography, contemporary art and culture industries in Lithuania as well as Central and Eastern Europe, to organize art and culture projects and to prepare highly qualified art historians and art critics. Teachers of the Department together with students initiate and implement international and national research and studies projects, collaborate with Lithuanian art institutions, state culture and heritage institutions, cooperate with foreign universities and research centers.

The department supervises two undergraduate programs Art History, Criticism and Media and Creative Industries (together with the Department of Theatre Studies), two graduate programs Cultural Heritage and Tourism and Art Curating, and a doctoral programme in the field of History and Theory of Art the study area of humanities.

Teachers of the Department have been actively involved in fundamental and applied research in the field of arts. They are active members of university’s research clusters such as Research on the Identity of Lithuanian Art History and Cultural HeritageThe Church’s Relations with the Government and Society in Lithuania, Research on Migration and the DiasporaResearch on Intercultural Art Exchange in Eastern and Central Europe: Global Contexts and Local Practices.Teachers and doctoral students of the Department organize and participate in academic conferences, curate art exhibitions and events, participate in public cultural life (they conduct public lectures, participate in TV and radio broadcasts), take part in expertise activities (they are jury and committee members in various international events, experts of research and cultural projects commissioned by ministries and other state institutions).


Department of  Theatre Studies

The Department of Theatre Studies was established in 1996 as a study and research unit which combines the studies of performing arts – theatre, film and video art, dance, music and performance art. The mission of the department has always been to become an internationally renowned centre of theatre studies and research which conducts fundamental and continuing analysis of the comparative history of Lithuanian theatre, theory of performance arts, engages in the formation of methodologies of performance studies and dissemination thereof both in Lithuania and abroad. Therefore, the department pays great attention to the quality of its studies, scientific research and dissemination of its results. It also seeks to promote international study, research and project exchanges and cooperates with the best Lithuanian study, research and art institutions.

The Department of Theatre Studies conducts two undergraduate programmes Art History, Criticism and Media and Creative Industries (together with the Department of Art History and Criticism), two programmes Theatre Research and Stage Art Management and  Creative Industries and a doctoral programme in the field of History and Theory of Art, the study area of humanities.

Researchers of the Department of Theatre Studies have been actively participating in international scientific research projects, they publish extensively in scientific and professional journals, teach or perform research in the world class universities, participate in international summer schools and educational programmes of performance festivals, take part in the activities of various professional and academic organisations.


Department of Contemporary Art

The Department of Contemporary Art was established in 2010. From the very beginning the mission of the department was to combine practical art studies with the broad artes liberales education and prepare highly qualified media artists ready to successfully develop their career in the areas of contemporary arts or creative industries.

The department conducts two undergraduate study programmes: New Media Art and Music Production (study program in English).

There is all the necessary infrastructure and equipment at the department to implement new media art studies of the highest quality. Students and teachers are offered fully equipped sound, photo and video studios, analogue photography laboratory and computer classes as well as workplaces for individual creative activities.

The lecturers of the department are involved in the art practices directly related to the fields of studies they teach. They realize projects in the fields of new media art, music, design and theatre weather working as individual creators or participating in various projects. Artists and professionals teaching at the department also work on commercial projects in different fields of creative industries.