The Erasmus+ Programme Opens Up New Partnerships for LMTA in Africa
From 8 to 14 September, faculty members of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) visited the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, where they established new contacts with the country’s higher education and arts institutions. The visit took place under the Erasmus+ KA171 programme, which supports cooperation with countries outside the European Union. Côte d’Ivoire expands the geographical scope of LMTA’s partnerships in Africa – until now, the Academy has cooperated with higher education and professional institutions in Senegal.
During the visit, LMTA faculty members – Assoc. Prof. Gabrielius Simas Sapiega of the Department of Musicology, contemporary dance choreographer Prof. Aira Naginevičiūtė-Adomaitienė and accompanist and composer Valdas Dieninis of the Department of Dance and Movement – together with Erasmus+ KA171 Programme Coordinator Giedrė Kabašinskienė, visited Côte d’Ivoire’s National Higher Institute of Arts and Cultural Action, INSAAC (Institut National Supérieur des Arts et de l’Action Culturelle).
The visit included meetings with Lina Aka Enopkolé, Head of the Music Department at INSAAC’s Higher School of Music and Dance (ESMD), and Dance Department lecturers Charles Kemetin and Moussa Sidibé, as well as with Dr Kacout Parfait, Head of INSAAC’s Higher School of Theatre, Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (ESTCA), and Kouamé Patrice N’Dri Loman, administrator of its Cinema Department. The LMTA delegation also visited several dance residencies collaborating with INSAAC and took part in the programme of the UPVA International Festival of Dance and Education in Lauzoua and Abidjan.
The aim of the visit was to introduce LMTA and its study programmes, present Lithuania as a safe European country open to international cooperation, learn about Côte d’Ivoire’s system of higher education in the arts and its broader arts ecosystem, discuss opportunities for further partnership, and present the opportunities and key principles of the Erasmus+ mobility programme.
The Erasmus+ KA171 programme provides mobility opportunities for LMTA doctoral students and faculty members through study, training and teaching visits. Students at all levels of study from LMTA’s partner institution INSAAC may come to Lithuania, while faculty members may participate in teaching and training visits.
During the visit, Erasmus+ KA171 International Relations Coordinator Giedrė Kabašinskienė took part in a round-table discussion on international mobility opportunities, bringing together representatives of INSAAC, the Côte d’Ivoire Dance Federation, the Ministry of Culture, the audiovisual sector and other cultural institutions. LMTA Department of Dance and Movement lecturers Aira Naginevičiūtė-Adomaitienė and Valdas Dieninis led dance improvisation workshops, while Gabrielius Simas Sapiega of the LMTA Department of Musicology delivered public lectures.
Cooperation with distant African countries sometimes raises the question: why does it matter? At a time of growing geopolitical tensions and societal polarisation, relations between Europe and Africa require not only political and economic agreements, but also mutual understanding and trust. Cooperation in culture, education and higher education can make a significant contribution to building these connections.
In higher arts education, such partnerships provide opportunities to explore different creative and pedagogical practices, develop student and staff exchanges, foster artistic research, and initiate joint projects. Direct dialogue makes it possible not only to introduce ourselves to one another, but also to learn from each other – and, over time, such encounters can develop into sustainable professional and creative relationships.
The faculty members of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre would like to express their gratitude to Attuoman Florent, Coordinator of the UPVA International Dance Festival, and Ange Aoussou-Dettmann Kodro, the festival’s Artistic Director, for their assistance in organising important meetings.
2026 09 22
