In the UNESCO-protected Old Town of Vilnius, the Bendrystės ir socialinių inovacijų centras (hereafter the Centre for Community and Social Innovation) is set up in the St. Virgin Mary the Comforter Church, a historic baroque church. The Ministry of the Interior has set up the Centre for Community and Social Innovation, which, together with partner organisations and a vast network of volunteers, are turning the former church into a place for cultural, artistic, religious, social and spiritual events.
The St. Virgin Mary the Comforter Church is located within the UNESCO-enlisted historical centre of Vilnius. On the site, first mentions of a wooden church are made as early as 1503. The church as it is known today was built between 1746–1768 in a baroque style. The church reflects the conflict-laden past of the city of Vilnius. It has changed hands between Catholic and Orthodox owners throughout the centuries multiple times. Around 1812, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule over Vilnius, the church’s basement was used to store ammunition. During the communist regime, the whole building is turned into a three-story food warehouse. During the period of independence, the church changed ownership between various institutions and was closed for over 20 years. Nowadays, the church is owned by the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior. The church enjoys monumental status and is part of the larger Augustinian monastery complex. In the other buildings of this complex, the European Humanities University and Vytautas Magnus Gymnasium are housed. [1;2]
Since 2017, the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior has ownership over the church. In 2019, the ministry entrusted the Centre for Community and Social Innovation with the management and exploitation of the site. The mission of the Centre for Community and Social Innovation is to transform the former church into a place for the benefit of the local community. Nowadays, many concerts, exhibitions, lectures, workshops, religious and spiritual events are being organised there. [1;4]
On the one hand, the centre focuses on organising cultural, social and support events for (former) police officials. This takes place in cooperation with the Lithuanian Police Veterans Association. [1;3] Events (co-)organised include, among others, Depression Support Group meetings and daily training of police chaplains and police psychologists. Next to that, the centre wants to create favourable conditions for non-governmental organisations and other groups to host events focused on reducing social exclusion, crime and/or domestic violence, and the promotion of volunteering. [1;3;4] The centre itself also actively (co-)organises events in these areas. It has developed a multilingual online platform to stimulate inter-cultural exchange and assist immigrants and national minorities living in Lithuania with their integration. A ‘Volunteering Promotion Laboratory’ is set up to promote volunteering in the public sector. [3] Artistic exhibitions and innovation events are also hosted on-site. For instance, a traffic safety hackathon was organised through the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program from ChangeMakers’ON. Historical guided tours are also organised on the premises. Moreover, there is a restaurant on site. [1;3]
During restriction due to the covid-19 pandemic, the centre had to change many of its activities online. It has remained active in organising, among others, virtual exhibitions and online educational activities. [1;3]
A large group of volunteers has assisted in making minor improvements to the building’s structure. Yet, there is a need for more elaborate renovation and improvements to the heating system. Together with the Department of Property Management and Economy (part of the Ministry of the Interior), a successful submission has been made to the State Investment Program to finance the renovation of the building. To come to a masterplan that will cover different uses, open creative workshops have been organised with interdisciplinary teams to prepare for an architectural competition. [2;3;5]
The Centre for Community and Social Innovation is a non-profit public entity that serves the public interest. The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior has established it to manage the church, which is owned by this ministry. The Centre’s governance is arranged through the general meeting of shareholders and the director of the Centre (as a sole proprietor). The Centre has two employees, the director and an accountant. [1;3]
Many activities are organised in cooperation with other (governmental and non-governmental) organisations, including, for instance, the Lithuanian Police Veterans Association, The Science and Innovation Agency and the global social innovation support organisation ChangeMakers’ON. [1;3] The Centre also draws on an active group of volunteers who assist in renovations and the organisation of activities. [5]
Operating income is generated through exhibitions and historical guided tours. In addition to that, the Centre depends on public funding. When the Centre was erected in 2019, €20.000 was received from the Ministry of the Interior. The Centre does not receive any structural governmental funds but is dependent on project applications to local national, European Union and other international programmes, including, for example, applications to the Lithuanian Cultural Support Fund and the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [3]
The Ministry of the Interior has funded structural reinforcement works and improvements to, among others, electrical, heating and water facilities. Some repairs to the church’s roof and salvation of artworks in the church have been funded through donations from a crowdfunding campaign. This money is also utilised to host cultural events and discussions on heritage. [5]
In 2021, a successful application was made to the State Investment Program for the reconstruction and adaptation of the building. Approximately €6.600.000 has been allocated to this initiative through this programme. The application was made in cooperation with volunteers and the Department of Property Management and Economy (part of the Ministry of the Interior). [1;5]
Bendrystės ir socialinių inovacijų centras, organisational website, bendryste.lt/, accessed on 24/01/2022
Mash Studio, creative architectural workshop, information available on www.mashstudio.eu/ramintojos-dirbtuves, accessed on 24/01/2022
Public Institution: Center for Community and Social Innovation (2020) Activity Report of The Community and Social Innovation Centre for 2020, available at bendryste.lt/veikla/veiklos-strategija-ataskaitos/, accessed on 24/01/2022
Public Institution: Center for Community and Social Innovation (2021) Operational Strategy of the Centre for Community and Social Innovation for 2021-2023, available at bendryste.lt/veikla/veiklos-strategija-ataskaitos/, accessed on 24/01/2022
Council of Europe (n.d.), The power of collaboration: church restoration involving state and community, available at www.coe.int/en/web/culture-and-heritage/-/the-power-of-collaboration-church-restoration-involving-state-and-community, accessed on 24/01/2022