With support from ArtPower Belarus, Belarusian musician Aliaksei Sialenka resumed his creative career after political imprisonment and forced relocation to Lithuania.
Before his arrest, he played in Belarusian bands, taught music and helped develop a recording studio in Minsk. After two years in prison, he had lost the opportunity to make music and had to rebuild his professional life in exile.
The grant enabled him to purchase a drum kit and essential equipment, return to regular rehearsals and begin developing a street performance programme in Vilnius. Performing helped him establish contacts with local musicians, join a new band and gradually integrate into Lithuania’s cultural scene.
The project was an important step in his professional recovery and laid the groundwork for further musical activities, including plans to establish a drumming school for children in Vilnius.
