RUPERT is an independent art centre located in Vilnius, Lithuania. It began operating in 2012 in Valakampiai by the river Neris, and in 2025 moved to Mindaugo 15 in the central district of Naujamiestis, where it continues as a centre for art, residencies and education.

Rupert’s mission is to establish close cooperation between artists, thinkers, researchers and other cultural actors through transdisciplinary programmes and residencies. Rupert is committed to integrating with the social and cultural life of Vilnius and Lithuania, while also maintaining a strong international focus. 

Rupert manifests this mission through three related programmes: the residency programme, the alternative education programme and the public programmes. They are all dedicated to creating platforms for conversation, research and learning. Through these programmes, Rupert supports local international thinkers in realising their projects and establishing their creative practice on an international scale.

Rupert’s Alternative Education Programme (AEP) is a para-academic and interdisciplinary educational platform. It  does not grant an academic degree and seeks to fill the gap between art education and professional work by providing a platform for emerging creators to start or transform their careers on an international level. The programme promotes knowledge exchange and seeks to complement the academic field with self-study practices while bringing individual creators into a community.

Each year, a small group of people is selected to take part in the programme, giving them an opportunity to implement their projects and receive practical and theoretical guidance. During the course of the programme, participants are involved in an activity-based learning process, and they are given the opportunity to present their projects for the wider public.

Rupert’s Residency Programme is suited to local and international practitioners working in the cultural field. This includes artists, writers, curators, cultural managers, and academics. Rupert provides residents an opportunity to live and create in Vilnius while developing their individual projects and immersing themselves in the region’s creative sphere.

Residents have the opportunity to work closely with the participants of Rupert’s Alternative Education Programme, and take part in our public programmes. Rupert’s curators facilitate connections with the local cultural scene, organising studio visits and public presentations of the residents’ work. Residents are selected via an open call or curatorial invitation. Participants are selected by a panel of Rupert’s team members and invited jury members.

Rupert’s Public Programmes are a curated series of lectures, creative workshops, seminars, exhibitions, screenings and online contributions taking place in Lithuania and abroad. The public programmes are developed closely with the residency and alternative education programme participants. Each year the public programmes include Rupert’s residents and local and international contributors from a wide range of fields to offer diverse perspectives on the subjects we collectively explore.  

All of Rupert’s programmes are free of charge.

Rupert’s programmes are financed by Lithuanian Council for Culture and the European Union, and supported by Nordic Culture Point, Vilnius Municipality, INVL, Tech Zity, and other sponsors.

Rupert is an institution initiated by Darius Žakaitis in 2012.