Vilnius University Intern from Ukraine Veronika Kozhura: A Professional in the Field of Socio-Cultural Activities Should Be Able to Do Everything

“As soon as I was offered this opportunity at Vilnius University, I gladly accepted to travel. This is my first experience abroad and I’m excited about everything,” gladly says Veronika. She is a 20-year-old student in her 3rd year of studies for a bachelor's degree in Management of Socio-Cultural Activities, at the National Academy of Culture and Art Management, which is located on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. This summer she resides in Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty based on the Research Council of Lithuania summer student scientific practice project with support of Dr. Skaistė Jurėnė.
As an active student of the community that participates in the activities organized by the Academy and beyond, Veronica Kozhura is constantly developing and finding new hobbies and believes that a professional in the field of Socio-Cultural Activities should be able to do everything. For 3 years in University she was engaged in career guidance work in schools, held open days and excursions around the Academy. “I'm very easy to get interested in something and a quick learner, so I do everything with great pleasure and enjoy sharing my experiences,” explains Veronika Kozhura referring to her natural dedication to education and science.
“In 2020, during my first year at the University, we organized an Eco-quest for 10-11th graders. Interesting interactive mini-games reminded students of how important it is to take care of the environment,” she says. In October 2021 the Department of Art Management and Event Technologies was a participant in the Erasmus+ project "Academic Response to Hybrid Threats - WARN". As part of the project, the department participated in Erasmus Days, for which an interactive game "Erasmus+ Personal Motivation - to build your future" was developed. “I was the project manager of this project, distributed responsibilities and coordinated the actions of a group of applicants in the process of preparing and implementing the event,” states the young scientist about her growing interest in the field of tourism as an important part of exploiting and fostering the environment.

Upon arrival to Lithuania, she was met by Assistant Professor Virginija Jurėnienė and had a short tour around Kaunas. “Kaunas is a very small but cozy city for me. I'm excited about everything that's happening here,” says Veronica, “I am not yet used to how quickly the weather can change here. And also, it gets dark very late here, so I can't get my sleeping schedule right.” However, she would gladly take the opportunity to stay longer if there was one.
At the Kaunas Faculty she was personally greeted by her project supervisor Dr. Skaistė Jurėnė to discuss the stages and all the nuances of work. “She is a very active and knowledgeable person. I am very lucky to work and do research with her.”

Summer internship supervisor Dr. Skaistė Jurėnė, together with student Veronika Kozhura, is researching the topic of audience engagement in cultural organisations in order to identify the audience segments of cultural organisations, based on the theory of use and reward and the concept of prior knowledge. “It is crucial for cultural organisations to understand what kind of pre-knowledge the individuals who visit their organisations have, what kind of rewards they might seek and what kind of tools can be offered to them in order to enhance audience engagement,” she says. The summer study analyses theatre audiences.
“In my opinion, such cooperation between Ukraine and Lithuania is very important. First of all, it’s the sharing of different cultures, experiences and insights, which is important not only for the student but also for the supervisor. Furthermore, knowing different languages gives the opportunity to delve deeper into a topic by using a wider and more diverse scope of scientific sources. And thirdly, these collaborations and the arrival of students for summer research also highlight the gaps in our system, providing an opportunity to look for and improve processes in the future,” concludes the researcher.

“Working with students from abroad has its own specificities and challenges. We communicate in a language that is not our mother tongue, thus limiting the possibilities of in-depth discussions. The supervisor becomes not only the supervisor in the research, but also the main contact person, a mentor who helps the student to settle in a foreign country, solve everyday problems, etc. However, I see it as a very rewarding personal experience, with new friendships made and opportunities for continued cooperation in the future,” says Dr. Skaistė Jurėnė.

“I am currently studying, working, and plan to continue working in the cultural sector, so a deeper understanding of audience segmentation in cultural organizations belongs in the field of my interests. I’m willing to encourage modernization and popularization of cultural sphere, so that people come to museums, theaters and other cultural institutions not because they have to, but because they really want to. It’s almost vital to know how our ancestors used to live if it’s a historical museum; it’s interesting to feel all the emotions of the characters if it’s a theater performance or play; it’s interesting to know what is the idea behind all these photos or paintings is if it’s a gallery. I want to see desire in people's eyes, interest,” says intern and states it as her goal.

 “Modern cultural organizations are facing challenges from ever-increasing competition and rapidly changing relationships between audiences and cultural products. Attracting and retaining audiences is becoming an extremely important topic that is constantly relevant,” explains V. Kozhura. She has no doubt that knowledge of the target audience will help to competently draw up a plan for the promotion and development of the organization. Therefore, the research of the audience might involve dividing it into groups, analyzing their behavior, and creating personalized offers. In general, audience engagement is a process that allows to attract and maintain the interest and participation of the audience in cultural events, programs and services.
“Cultural organizations can engage each segment more effectively by providing content and services that are more closely aligned with their needs. Audiences become part of the creation process, which increases their engagement and sense of belonging. This development and implementation of strategies and activities is aimed at attracting, retaining, and engaging different audience groups. For example, workshops, educational events, digital devices, intercultural approaches, active public participation, etc. Greater audience engagement determines long-term cooperation between the audience and the cultural organization,” says Veronika Kozhura.