www.tak.torun.pl www.mojregion.eu
News at a glance
No. 11 路 Mar 2011
KujawskoPomorskie Newsletter
Editorial
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Ladies and Gentlemen, We present you the latest — and sadly, the last — issue of our newsletter. We would like to thank our colleagues and readers for their kindness and interest in Toruń’s efforts in the European Capital of Culture 2016 bidding process, cultural events and the work of great, but not so well-known, artists described on our pages. It was a great pleasure to present to you the history of our region and its tourist and recreation qualities as well as activities undertaken by the Information Office of KujawskoPomorskie Region in Brussels. We do sincerely hope that we managed to make our region closer to you and inspired you to learn more about it.
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre
With many thanks and best wishes for the future,
CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry
The teams of Toruń Cultural Agency and Information Office of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region in Brussels
Better ageing Small steps of men
Meetings with history
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Toruń — meetings with history in the background Combining historical heritage with modern conference facilities, Toruń is an ideal venue for professional conferences with participants sure to enjoy many a relaxing moment in the enchanting atmosphere of the city. With its business tourism offer and organizational support, the Torun Convention Bureau would like to invite and encourage all business meeting planners to situate and implement their project in Toruń.
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre
The potential of Toruń with its variety of well-equipped conference halls and numerous accommodation and catering options provides for good organization of any conference or business meeting. The number and
CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
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prestige of the events held in the city grows by the month. Consistently planning and implementing investments in conference and accommodation facilities, the city is increasing its capacity to host the largest of congresses, corporate meetings and sports and cultural events. The city of Copernicus is the only place where meeting participants can reach the stars or learn the ins and outs and history of the traditional gingerbread baking. Visitors to Toruń have a variety of cultural and entertainment events to choose from. A diversified repertoire of numerous festivals, theatres, galleries and museums creates a rich cultural space, whereas its academic character gives the city a unique atmosphere and dynamism. The advantages and good quality of Toruń have won recognition of organizers and participants of events such as the 7th World Congress of Medical Polonia, the Congress of Polish Culture Creators, the Economic Forum in Toruń (held four times) and the 14th World Polonia Games. On 3–4 February 2011, the 18th Economic Forum was held in
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Toruń focused on the theme of “Trans-European System Ties.” The two days of the conference brought together the total of nearly 1,000 participants. The Toruń Convention Bureau Copernicus has for years provided assistance and support for organizers of conferences of the highest standard. We are professional partners for Polish and international business meeting planners looking for partners in projects concerned with conferences, conventions, business trips, trainings and integration meetings. We are ready to offer consultancy services and specialist support in the sphere of organization. Welcome to the conference city of Toruń! Toruń Convention Bureau Copernicus phone +48 56 652 79 19 convention@convention.torun.pl www.convention.torun.pl .
photo Andrzej Skowroński
Theatrical “Buckle”
photo Mariusz Murawski
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Theatrical “Buckle” Alternative Theatre Festival “Klamra” (“Buckle”) turned Toruń’s students’ club “Od Nowa” into unique theatrical stage. From 12th to 19th March the spectators were able to see the most important performances of alternative theatre. Since 1992 on the stage of “Od Nowa” club recognized theatres have played, among others: Cogitatur, Cinema, Porywacze Ciał. The festival presents young, promising artists and beginning amateur student groups. This year, during eight theatrical nights, Toruń’s audience saw the performances of Cinema, KTO, SOMA and Mouth To Mouth Republic.
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival
An unique creator, Leszek Mądzik presented the spectacle “Transition”. His theatre was established at the Catholic University in Lublin in 1969 and ultimately turned out to
Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
10 Kujawsko-Pomorskie Newsletter. News at a glance photo Mariusz Murawski
be one of the most original proposals in Poland’s post-war theatrical life. Devoid of words, traditional acting, and instead using silence and sound based on stage design, space and the play of light, The Visual Stage of the Catholic University of Lublin is an inspiring venue presenting dreamlike shows that explore human existence. During the festival a performance of the Maat Theatre Project was presented. The main objective of artistic research conducted by this theatrical group was an attempt to find body language clean synthesis of many borderline quality visual and performing arts transplanted to the field of the theatrical work. The theatre chose to experiment with the broad forms of the body using the plurality of contemporary dance techniques as the main means of expression. Thomas Bazan, the founder of the theatre, gained high recognition in the field of experimental art of dance. During the festival Toruń’s audience could also see the spectacle of the Theatre “Węgajty”. The coming into being of the Village Theatre “Węgajty” in 1986 had special
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meaning in the political context of the time. The ensemble’s first achievements were received as a portent of a revival of public life and democratic reform. The multi-ethnic mosaic of the theatrical means used by the “Węgajty” theatre is one of the hallmarks of their unique style. The festival ended the spectacle of Commune/Warsaw, a community action arts group with anarchistic roots. They mostly involve in activities on the border of the theatre, visual arts and performance. They also carried out interdisciplinary activities going beyond the sphere of art.
photo Ewa Turowska
Wicza Theatre
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Wicza Theatre is looking for a partner in Brussels Wicza Theatre from Toruń — an alternative group with punk origins. The Wicza Theatre was established 20 years ago. A close observation of everyday life has become the principal aim of the Company who create their own performances using improvisation and performance techniques issuing from the collaborative effort of the whole group. The theatre collaborates with creators from different fields of art: mimes, poets, musicians, painters. It also co-operates with both professional and amateur actors. The only limitations accepted by the artists involved are those imposed by the word “theatre”. The theatre also prepares meetings, debates, presentations and trainings thus enriching the cultural life in Toruń. The Wicza Theatre is considered a living
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
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legend of alternative theatre in Poland; their shows are eagerly awaited and broadly discussed. The Company has been rewarded at a number of festivals, inter alia: The Malta International Theatre Festival in Poznań (Offeusz) and, repeatedly, at the Lodz Theatre Meetings. This year Wicza Theatre will represent Poland at the European Union Presidency from July to December 2011 in 10 cities in Europe (including Brussels — in September) and Asia. Two projects will be implemented: Tournee shows and Polish ABC (Art Becomes Closer) happenings action. The project is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Now the theatre is looking for a partner in Brussels for their project in September. For details contact: joanna@wicza.com +48 691 916 848
Wicza Theatre
photo Piotr Małecki
CoCArt Music Festival
II CoCArt Music Festival (2009) photos W. Szabelski, courtesy of CoCA in Toruń
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CoCArt Music Festival The third edition of a unique festival CoCArt Music Festival presenting new trends in contemporary experimental music, was held on March 25th–26th at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń. CoCArt presents the work of artists who combine music, video and performance art. The events of the festival are audio-visual concerts in the underground garage of the building Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń.
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle”
The organizers of CoCart Music Festival are the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń and musicians Rafał Iwański and Rafał Kołacki. Exceptional artists: Asmus Tietchens (German artist who uses all forms of music, ranging from music concrete to radical noise, in his activities), Raymond
Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
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Salvatore Harmon (filmmaker, video and audio artist and painter) Todd Carter (American artist pursuing projects related to music production, editing and sound engineering) and Dave Philips (specifying his art as humanimalism) played at this year’s edition of the festival.
photo W. Szabelski
Ove Volquartz & Ray Kaczynski duet presented an unique combination of deep acoustic sounds of clarinet in the statement of electroacoustic devices hand-built environment with unlimited possibilities. Toruń also welcomed PAS — Post Abortion Stress, a music group from Brookline, New York. PAS’ compositions are rather sound planes than songs in the traditional sense. Antonie Chessex, Swiss saxophonist, improviser and composer, played as well. The experimental music of artist is based on the physical exploration space and sound. Musical works in harmony with the ambient spaces, ethereal and dreamy, based on a deep bass added, broken or synthetic rhythms of jazz percussion parties were presented by the Polish group Nemezis. Michael Vofeld (German
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musician and visual artist), Philippe Petit (French musician, using turntables and computers, telling stories being psychedelic movie for the ears) were also guests of CoCArt Music Festival 2011.
photo W. Szabelski
The stage also hosted KAMORA A and co-organizers of the festival, Hati musical group. Toruń’s musicians base on the sounds of acoustic instruments and recycled objects. The musicians combine the experiments in the field of musicritual meditation and improvisation. Since 2007 the band performs as a duet of Rafał Iwański and Rafał Kołacki with guest appearance of Dariusz Brzostek and other musicians.
Folk jewelry
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Folk jewelry —
European cultural heritage The Maria Znamierowska-Prűfferowa Ethnographical Museum in Toruń is looking for partners (museums, collectors, the creative associations) to realize an international project called: “Folk jewelry — European cultural heritage.” The project is to: • organize a folk jewelry’s international exhibition based on museum collections from varied parts of Europe that would show cultural, ethnic, religious and regional diversity of this type of ornamentation — wealth of European heritage; • allow inhabitants of Europe to access museum objects from other parts of European continent that are seldom seen in their mother institutions; • organize series of workshops with folk artists that mastered traditional crafts aimed at varied age groups
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
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(children, youth, seniors) and workshops with professional artists based on folk inspirations in folk design (laces, embroidery, folk paintings, amber jewelry); • associate the exhibition with international conference and publication that would document variety of European folk jewelry. Applications deadline: 15.04.2011 dr Justyna Słomska-Nowak wydawnictwo@etnomuzeum.pl www.etnomuzeum.pl
Better ageing
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Kujawsko-Pomorskie — a region friendly for the elderly people Our region at the end of the year 2010 finished an interesting project co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund. “Better ageing in Europe — local governments exchange their visions” was a transnational project realized by the European Cooperation Bureau from the Marshal’s Office of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship with the substantive supervision of the Regional Centre of Social Policy in Toruń.
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry
International partner of the venture was Departament du Nord from France. Other regions involved in project’s
Better ageing Small steps of men
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activities were: Steiermark (Austria), comitatus Baranya (Hungary), the city of Varna (Bulgary), Łódzkie Voivodship (Poland), Suceava County (Romania). The project’s activities included study visits in regions involved in the project, which became base of the workshops for employees of the social assistance and social integration units in our region. The added value of the project was an involvement of external experts from different regional institutions (i.e. universities, social assistance house, University of the Third Age, Voivodship’s Centre of Culture Animation), who are interested in different issues of elderly people’s lives. On 5th of November 2010 the Kujawsko-Pomorskie was granted a title of the “Region friendly for the elderly”. The prize was awarded by the Parliamentary Group for Elderly in the cooperation with the Union of the Regions, Union of the Polish Poviats, Union of the Polish Cities, Union of the Rural Communities and territorial self-government’s magazine “Community”, under patronage of the European Parliament Deputy Mr Filip Kaczmarek.
Better ageing
Small steps of men
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Small steps of small men… “Small steps of small men are giant leaps for mankind. Yuri Gagarin, 157 cm tall” — this is the motto of an unconventional promotional campaign that begun on the 16th of March in Toruń. To take part in it one simply needs to enter his or her height using a special Facebook application and — just like Gagarin — cross borders that haven’t been crossed before! The campaign promotes a multimedia spectacle taking place in Toruń on the 12th of April in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of human’s first space flight. The spectacle, directed by Jarosław Szoda, awarded with a Golden Palm in Cannes for his camera work for the “With Raised Hands” film, tells a story of man’s willingness and passion for flying. It covers not only the Gagarin’s flight, but also the
Meetings with history Theatrical “Buckle” Wicza Theatre CoCArt Music Festival Folk jewelry Better ageing Small steps of men
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flight of STS-1 Space Shuttle Columbia that took place at the very same day thirty years later marking the 12th of April as the International Day of Aircraft and Astronautics. Everything will take place in the scenery of the Nicolaus Copernicus University. Its buildings will be used as screens for a 3D mapping projection that — together with its accompanying concert — will last for one hour and forty eight minutes — the exact time that the first human being spent on Earth’s orbit. The outdoor campaign of this spectacular anniversary was created together with the artists from Toruń: the Galeria Rusz duet of Joanna Górska and Rafał Góralski. They have designed an art-billboard referring to Gagarin’s height and the importance of his flight — thus the quotation of Neil Armstrong’s famous words “This is one small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind”. Based on Galeria Rusz’s billboard the campaign includes multimedia spot and a Facebook application available at: www. godzinaczterdziesciosiem.pl (“onehourfortyeight”).
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The data gathered through this Internet platform will be rewritten in the binary form and sent to space on the 12th of April during the multimedia show. “Our aim is to send the binary signal to a specific destination towards a star that fifty years ago first sent its light our way. Now we can see it and answer it with our own” — says Jerzy Rafalski, the astronomer working on this project. The whole event and its campaign is organized by Toruń Cultural Agency (Toruńska Agenda Kulturalna).
Toruń Cultural Agency ul. Pod Krzywą Wieżą 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland phone: +48 56 621 0 333 fax: +48 56 651 02 37 e-mail: info@tak.torun.pl www.tak.torun.pl Information Office of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region Avenue de Tervuren 84, 1040 Brussels, Belgium phone: +32 2 734 12 17 fax: +32 2 734 29 96 e-mail: brussels@kujawsko-pomorskie.pl www.mojregion.eu