PRESS RELEASE For immediate release Polish Cultural Festival Association announces line up of the very first ‘KITE AND TRUMPET’ Festival of Polish Art for Children in Edinburgh. Over one tonne of Polish Art and Design for Children is coming to Scotland! ‘KITE AND TRUMPET’ Festival of Polish Art for Children Edinburgh, 12-22 October 2017 www.kiteandtrumpet.com #kiteandtrumpet @PolesLoveScots Brand new to the festival scene for 2017 comes ‘KITE AND TRUMPET’ Festival of Polish Art for Children, an eleven day long celebration of the finest Polish art, design and theatre dedicated to the younger viewers. ‘KITE AND TRUMPET’ encourages a sense of freedom and adventure in the ways young people encounter art. Kids and adults alike will take part in series of interactive workshops, see beautiful theatrical plays and have an opportunity to play in an artist designed ‘BAWIALNIA/ PLAYROOM- Polish Design For Kids’ full of beautifully illustrated books, creative educational games and eco-friendly toys designed and produced in Poland. The festival is produced by Edinburgh based non-for-profit organisation Polish Cultural Festival Association, The Art Factory and Chorea Theatre Association from Łódź in Poland. The festival programme was designed in collaboration with two leading Polish theatres, 29 artists: illustrators and designers, 22 publishing companies and 11 creative companies. Most of the festival events will take place at Summerhall some of them will be held at The Scottish Storytelling Centre (in collaboration with The Scottish International Storytelling Festival) and North Edinburgh Arts. The event will be officially opened on the 12th of October 2017 by Bailie Alex Staniford of the City of Edinburgh Council and Dariusz Adler Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Edinburgh. The Festival lineup is jampacked with lots of things to see and do and will offer families a rewarding experience through a combination of imagination, creativity and adventure, alongside a number of exciting live performances, storytelling and workshops led by Polish artists that offer mind-opening experiences and celebrate diversity across cultures. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland Edinburgh, The Warsaw City Council, Polish Cultural Institute, ScotRail, Foundation Scotland, Bemis, The Scottish Government, The City of Edinburgh Council. Pola Amber - Kite and Trumpet artistic director says: The inspiration for the festival came from my daughter and her curiosity to explore different forms of creativity and also the wonderful work of Polish artists, illustrators, performers and educators. I believe that the dialogue with children through art it’s all about encouraging what comes to them naturally: curiosity. I think that in a way you don’t instil an appreciation of art in children, they already have it, therefore they should be treated as equal art viewers. It is very important that the youngest viewers to have an opportunity and space to discover different forms of creativity and cultural diversity with some of the finest Polish artists. Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said: “Celebrating diversity across cultures, the Kite and Trumpet Festival is a fantastic way for families to sample Polish heritage. The event promises to deliver a packed programme of theatre, art and literature for little ones of all backgrounds. “I am glad to provide this important community event with the Council’s support. The relationship between Scotland and Poland has thrived for more than 500 years and this Festival supports our shared cultural links.” Lidia Krzynowek - Polish Cultural Festival Association director says: We would like to encourage the youngest audience to discover the link between art and the world around them. I hope that the Festival will stimulate children and help them to learn to appreciate the beauty of creativity, design, theatre and books. Festival will also be a great opportunity for Polish and Scottish families to come together and share an amazing adventure with art that they’ll be talking about for weeks and months afterwards.
Lorna Duguid, Multi-Artform Manager at Creative Scotland said: “Kite and Trumpet will provide an important opportunity for children and communities across Edinburgh to discover, explore and be inspired by the best of Polish modern art, design and theatre. The festival will celebrate the strong cultural links between Scotland and Poland and will showcase the breadth of artistic talent both from Poland and from Polish artists living in Scotland.” The programme, which features over 20 events, includes an extensive selection of fun educational activities, theatre plays and interactive exhibition-playroom ‘BAWIALNIA/ PLAYROOM- Polish Design for Kids’. The Festival will feature 4 theatrical performances by two Polish theatres Pinokio Theatre from Lodz- known for their innovative activities in the field of cultural education and Figure Theatre from Krakow - specialising in the technique of shadow theatre. • • • •
The Storytelling Machine (Pinokio Theatre / show in English) in which stories told by actors, emerge thanks to the mysterious machine and are accompanied by music and live sounds. Tuliluli (Pinokio Theatre / no spoken word) is a fantastic theatrical installation for babies and small children. Soft, fluffy space, the play of lights, and oval shapes aid the child’s sense of security, stimulate their creativity and their desire to explore the world Billy Fog (Figure Theatre/show in Polish) a touching and bold encounter with the topic of death, humorous narrative in the shadow theatre theme, and also for outstanding performance. King Matt the First (Figure Theatre/show in Polish) tells a tale about a complicated world of many meanings, contexts and points of view. This world is so diverse, that even adults find it difficult to adapt.
Michal Malinowski - a storyteller, writer, folklorist and visual artist and the creator and director of The Storyteller Museum will introduce the audience to a rich brew of Polish tales and folklore, traversing local Polish legends, animal fables, religious tales, fairy tales and ghost stories. Creative kids can join in the many craft workshops led by amazing Polish artists and illustrators: Katarzyna Bogucka, Małgorzata Gurowska, Iwona Chmielewska and many more. Children will have an opportunity to create their own Loch Ness inspired monster, build a boat from nutshells for whale hunting, create a hat ideal for a tea with the Queen or learn how to master the art of writing letters. The programme also features a lecture about modern Polish illustration dedicated to students, illustrators, publishers and all of those who love a good illustrated book. For almost ten years now Polish illustration has been enjoying a boom period. Come along to listen about best modern Polish illustrators and meet Iwona Chmielewska who is a globally famous illustrator and writer. Her picture books have received numerous awards and have been published in South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, and Germany. Her book Eyes received the Oscar of the children's book world – the Bologna Ragazzi Award. For kids who love to play a collective of artists and designers created the BAWIALNIA/PLAYROOM-Polish Design For Kids, interactive space for children to discover some of the best Polish design and develop multiple talents. The space will be filled with beautiful, eco-friendly educational games and toys (Wooden Story, Dzikie Dzieci), fluffy friends, building blocks, interesting furniture, textiles and many more. All items are designed by artists and educators to benefit child’s development in all areas and all of them are produced in Poland from sustainable materials. Bawialnia is open every day throughout the festival and is free of charge. Those tired with playing will be able to immerse themselves in a world of beautifully designed and illustrated books that light the fire of reading in children, engaging their imagination, nourishing their hearts and minds. In the cosy reading corner kids will find some of the works of great Polish illustrators. Such as Maps by the duo Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińskis, which, apart from being one of the most frequently published Polish books abroad, has generated a worldwide interest in the art of cartography, and has been published in a combined total of over 3,000,000 copies. It has also received numerous awards and distinctions for their book and Internet designs, including the prestigious international Bologna Ragazzi Award (2010), the French Prix Sorcières (2013) and the Italian Premio Andersen (2013). The Festival will also be featuring Polish artists living in Scotland. Kasia Matyjaszek will show some of her unique illustrations and will entertain the children with a story about a very clever cat. Small children will have a chance to play in the Polymeric Cave- a sensory room created from recycled materials by Joanna Lubonska and enjoy an installation by emerging artist Wiktoria Bendiuk. Viewers are also invited to visit a PopUp shop where some of the books and toys will be available for purchase. All events are in English unless otherwise specified. Kite and Trumpet is aimed at families with children of all ages. Tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets and for more information visit kiteandtrumpet.com or follow on facebook. Ends
For further press information, including interviews and hi res images: Joanna Zawadzka - joanna@polishculturalfestival.org.uk, 07963434441 Notes to editors: Kite and Trumpet Festival is organised by the Polish Cultural Festival Association in collaboration with Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz and Teatr Chorea. Polish Cultural Festival Association (PCFA) is a non-for-profit (social enterprise) community organisation incorporated in 2008 with the aim of supporting Polish-Scottish integration and to promote Polish culture and heritage. More information @ www.pcfa.org.uk The Art Factory in Łódź is a cultural institution situated on the premises of the 19th-century factory in the Priest’s Mill (Księży Młyn). It was created jointly by Łódź Art Center, Chorea Theatre Association and The City of Łódź Office in January 2007. The activities of the Art Factory are mostly focused on theatre, modern art and art education. The Factory regularly organizes educational projects which are now a permanent part of the cultural events calendar in Łódź. More information @ www.fabrykasztuki.org/eng/ Media Partners: Emito.net, Ladnebebe.com About Creative Scotland Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland Funded by BEMIS Scotland via the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. This is a partnership between BEMIS Scotland and the Scottish Government to facilitate diverse, multicultural celebrations.