MENŲ SPAUSTUVĖ/Arts Printing House, in collaboration with 13 other European partners, implements the extensive 4-year collaborative project "Babel – or The Art of Listening in TYA" through the EU's Creative Europe pool.

BABEL originates from a long-term internationally anchored reflection on the language's potential and barriers in the network Assitej International  (Association of Theater for Children and Young People). The Babel project's main focus is therefore on communication processes, intercultural dialogue and common understanding within performing arts for children and young people.

BABEL is formed by 14 European partners who all want to pursue the dream of cultural citizenship among children and young people. In BABEL, children and young people - in collaboration with performers, artistic facilitators and researchers - get the opportunity to unfold and explore the potential of artistic language in the hope of creating high-quality performances for children and young people.

The idea is also that through this they will have the opportunity to overcome the language barriers and potential misunderstandings that may arise along the way, in order to develop intercultural and intergenerational dialogue within TYA.

The project is structured as a 4-year development and learning platform, where performing artists, artistic directors, festival organizers, researchers and other industry professionals meet and develop, exchange and build new knowledge by integrating a sea of activities at performing arts festivals across Europe.

During the next four years there will be performing arts exchange at national festivals, Assitej Gatherings and in international forums in e.g., Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cuba, Brazil and South Africa.

BABEL also undertakes responsibility for facilitating an in-depth study of the development, visibility and promotion of the industry as well as dissemination of the project results, so that the international industry can in future benefit from the relationships and intergenerational ties that are established during the process.

The 14 partners are: ASSITEJ International; La Baracca (IT); Agora Theater (BE); Bronx Youth Theater (BE); Théâtre La Montagne Magique (BE), Stichting De Stilte (NL); Baboro International Children's Festival (IE); Lutkovno Gledalisce Ljubljana (SI); Menu Spastuve (LT); Rialles Espectacles Infantils I Juvenils (ES); Scènes d'enfance – Assitej France (FR); Assitej Serbia (SB); Assitej Sweden (SE) and Teatercentrum (DK).