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Author: k.krauze@ce
Little Festival | photo report and recommendation
The Little Łódź of Many Cultures Festival is an artistic and educational programme aimed at children and adults close to them, which addresses the festival’s themes in a way that is accessible to the youngest spectators’ perception. In October, through concerts, performances, workshops and art installations, we encountered the cultures of the Roma, African, youth, folk, ecological and people with disabilities. There was a lot of curiosity, emotion and diversity. We built intergenerational closeness based on contact with art.
A curatorial collective consisting of: Anna Mrozińska-Szmajda, Aleksandra Shaya and Kamila Majchrzycka-Szymańska. From 28 November to 1 December, the creators of the collective invite you to another event created with the young audience in mind – the KROPKA+KRESKA Picture Book Festival. The 4th edition of the Festival takes place at the Art Factory in Łódź under the motto ‘Storytelling in the Clouds’, and the full programme can be found at: https://kropkapluskreska.pl/
We heartily recommend.
OPEN CALL | closing of recruitment
At the end of October, we closed the call for applications for the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival: Research and Artistic Residencies 2024/2025 – The Multiculturalism of Łódź: Expanding the Field. They are currently being verified. We will get back to the creative people qualified for the next stage in the near future. We plan to announce the results of OPEN CALLA by the end of the year.
The Łódź of Many Cultures 2024 Festival has finished.
It was 10 very intense days, 60 events in 22 locations: concerts, exhibitions, performances, meetings, walks. We would like to thank all our guests and hosts, partners and, above all, the audience who attended our events, often despite the inclement weather.
We are about to start work on the next edition of the Festival, so we are counting on your impressions and opinions, which can be expressed in the Festival’s questionnaire. We encourage you and invite you next year!
JUCHO concert in MONOPOLIS | photo report
We ended the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival 2024 with an extraordinary concert by JUCHO (Justyna Chowaniak). We would like to thank our partner Monopolis for co-organising the event.
Photo: HaWa
ROOSEVELT at Łódź Fabryczna Railway Station | photos
Roosevelt, a German electronic music artist, performed at Łódź Fabryczna Station on Sunday 6 October. The unique space of the station was filled with sounds, lights and, above all, people, both fans of the artist and those for whom this was a new musical discovery. In doing so, we fulfilled the request of our audience, who eagerly participate in festival events that take place in non-obvious places. Thank you for your presence!
Photo: HaWa
Partners: Fundacja Współpracy Polsko-Niemieckiej, Ambasada Republiki Federalnej Niemiec, PKP Polskie Koleje Liniowe S.A.
Art at the Festival | photos
Last Saturday we opened the first solo exhibition of Roma painter and writer Ceija Stojka at the Museum of the City of Lodz: ‘Ceija Stojka (1933-2013): I cannot forget’. The vernissage was attended by Minister Hanna Wróblewska, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture of the City of Lodz Marcin Derengowski, President of the Foundation Towards Dialogue Joanna Talewicz, representative of the Lodz Roma community Krystyna Markowska and exhibition curator Noëlig Le Roux.
The weekend also included vernissages at galleries in Lodz: W Y, Galeria Olimpus, Galeria Pop-up Ogrodowa 8, Galeria Wschodnia, Kamienica Hilary Majewski and as part of Galeria Czynna at Klubokawiarnia Ignorantka. There is still to come: the finissage of Agata Zbylut’s drag-queen exhibition at the Academic Design Centre and Krzysztof Gil’s vernissage at the Portrait Gallery. You are welcome!
Photo: HaWa
Festival Centre | photos from the first festival weekend
Thank you all for your presence at the Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre during the first festival weekend. We witnessed meetings with Daniel Rycharski, Eva Meijer, a lecture by Joanna Talewicz, a lecture by Tomasz Poborca and a screening of short films, a concert by Smolik at dawn, a performance lecture by Michał Zadara, the opening of the TO-TEM TO-TU installation, a zero waste cooking workshop with Michalina Kostecka (Plantera), a movement workshop with Anna Osmulska, as well as the Many Cultures Fair and the opening of the Dywilan Relaxation Space. We already invite you to join us for another weekend, equally diverse!
Photo: HaWa
The first day of the festival is behind us…| photos
An art installation by Daniel Rycharski opened the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival yesterday 4.10.2024 at 5 pm. ‘Passion’ combining folk and queer themes can be seen in the Old Town Park until the end of the Festival.
The official inauguration took place at Klub Wytwórnia. Grzech Piotrkowski’s World Orchestra played a concert ‘WE’ for peace. We would like to thank everyone for their presence and invite you to future events.
Photo: HaWa
OPEN CALL
Multiculturalism of Łódź: widening the field.
On 24 June, the call for applications for the new programme of the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival: Research and Artistic Residencies 2024/2025 – The Multiculturalism of Łódź: Expanding the Field is launched. Until 31 October 2024.
To participate in the residency we invite creative people who see in Łódź the potential for creating a narrative of multiculturalism, for which various artistic practices (e.g. performative, visual, musical, social, literary and interdisciplinary) can be the medium.
We are open_to a variety of proposals that can incorporate the following themes, tropes and topics for which the city of Lodz will be the point of reference:
- diversity;
- history-memory-present-future;
- prototyping/fantasising the future;
- rights of human and non-human beings;
- safe space.
The residency involves two stages of work:
- a research and conceptual stage, during which creative people will be able to refine their concept;
- a production stage.
The resident_will be supported_by the festival team at curatorial, research, technical and organisational levels.
Górna Walking tour | photo report
OOn Sunday 22 September, we walked with the Kwela Foundation along the trail of German culture ‘from Steigert to Scheibler’. We would like to thank you for the large attendance (more than 150 people!), the 3 hours we spent together and the thousands of steps along Górna district.
We had the opportunity to learn more about life in Schlesberg, German and Czech beer halls, schools, iron foundries and architectural offices. There were also threads about the remnants of former gardens and orchards in the Upper and Bohemian districts, and we ended our walk at the Fusion – Karl Scheibler’s historic power station.
We would like to thank our partners and sponsors: Kwela Foundation, Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation, Fuzja Echo Investment and Joanna Jędraszczyk for translating into Polish Sign Language.
INDIA DAY in Fuzja
INDIA DAY, a day of Indian culture, took place at Fuzja on Sunday 15 September. This was another of the events announcing the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival. There was music, dance, workshops, henna, a lecture, Indian food and, finally, a film screening!
Mr Satyasheel Lall – second secretary of the Indian Embassy in Poland – was the special guest.
Thank you all for coming and having a great time from start to finish. We would like to thank our Sponsors and Partners: the Embassy of India in Poland, Fuzja Echo Investments and TME Polówka, Curry King, Sneha’s Touch of India, Al-Mashrik Middle East Student-Doctoral Research Group from the Faculty of International and Political Studies at the University of Lodz, and above all the Indian community in Lodz for their help in organising this special event, which was a true celebration of multiculturalism.
Photo: HaWa
The entire festival programme is now available!
Under EVENTS we have published details of all the exhibitions, performances, concerts and meetings that will take place as part of this year’s Festival.
In the CALENDAR tab, on the other hand, events are listed chronologically. What’s more, everyone has the option of creating their own calendar with selected events. Simply mark them with the + symbol and then save or print the schedule.
intergenerational picnic | 08.09.2024 | photos
The inaugural picnic of the Little Festival of Łódź of Many Cultures is behind us. Thank you all for your presence and good fun! We already encourage you to take part in October’s events!
Photo: HaWa
Łódź of Many Cultures Festival press conference
A press conference was held today, 5 September, at the Marek Edelman Centre for Dialogue in Łódź, with the participation of Vice-president Małgorzata Moskwa-Wodnicka. The entire programme of this year’s edition and co-organisers of some of the events were presented there. Curators: Agata Siwiak, Kamila Majchrzycka-Szymańska, Aleksandra Shaya, music curator Marcin Tercjak and Dialogue Centre director Joanna Podolska talked about selected concerts, exhibitions, performances and meetings that will take place as part of the Festival. We would like to thank all the Partners and media representatives for their presence!
Photo: HaWa
FESTIVAL PAPER Miej Miejsce
From today, in the Marek Edelman Dialogue Centre, and in a short while also in our Partners and selected locations in Łódź, you can find the Festival newspaper Miej Miejsce. It includes interviews with curators, artists, co-organisers, a detailed Festival programme (the only one in print!) and a map of all locations where Festival events will be held in October. We encourage you to read it!
Concert at the Łódź Fabryczna Railway Station
On 6 October, for the first time, the monumental space of the Łódź Fabryczna Railway Station will be filled with MUSIC. Details will be announced at the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival conference this Thursday, 5 September. Stay tuned!
Krzysztof Wodiczko in Łódź!
We are pleased to announce that the project
Daniel Rycharski’s new project at the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival
Another artist whose premiere project will be presented at this year’s Festival is Daniel Rycharski, an avant-garde, conceptual installation artist working on themes of provinciality, religiosity, christianity, LGBTQ+ identity.
Rycharski’s art manifests his personal search for a space where non-heteronormativity and Christian faith can function together. The artist works with activists from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as religious and agricultural associations, to express their problems and experiences and to contribute to building understanding between the inhabitants of Polish towns and villages.
More information coming soon.
Photo by Katarzyna Legendź. Courtesy of Gunia Nowik Gallery.
Performance at the Collegium Anatomicum
The Łódź of Many Cultures Festival includes dozens of cultural events that will take place in various locations in Łódź, including those that are normally inaccessible. This year, our audience will be invited to the amazing, legendary building of the Collegium Anatomicum of the Medical University of Łódź, at st. Narutowicza 60. The building will host the premiere of “The clinic of broken heart” directed by Ukrainian artist Victoria Myronyuk. The festival’s performance is inspired by medical research, a.o. Takotsubo Syndrome, commonly known as ‘broken heart’, which is the result of severe stress associated with loss. The venue for the performance is special – the Collegium Anatomicum originally housed a charitable institution, reminiscent of contemporary social activism based on care and empathy.
Tickets are on sale now. Limited number of places!
SMOLIK at the Łódź of Many Cultures Festival 2024
We are honoured to announce that Andrzej Smolik joins the group of musicians you will be able to hear at this year’s festival! The artist will perform with his band as part of Michał Zadara’s “400 m2 of hope” project. The first concert will take place at dawn (!!!) and the second at dusk in the Survivors’ Park. You are cordially invited!
Urszula Dudziak Ambassador of the Concert for Peace!
“WE” Grzech Piotrowski’s World Orchestra is a series of concerts dedicated to world peace. The voice of artists from different parts of the world will inaugurate this year’s Łódź of Many Cultures Festival.
“Grzech Piotrowski has created an extraordinary musical project that will have global appeal and reach and will be musical therapy for us all. I am proud and happy to be an ambassador of this gigantic and much-needed endeavour – the ‘WE’ concert performed by the World Orchestra.” (Urszula Dudziak)
Urszula Dudziak – a wonderful, unconventional personality whose artistic path shows that passion and collaboration with others is the key that opens many doors. The ambassador of the project will also be one of the main soloists at the premiere concert, which will take place as part of the ‘Łódź of Many Cultures Festival’ on 4th of October at Klub Wytwórnia. The next performance of this work will take place on 17 December 2024 in Wrocław at the National Music Forum and on 18th of December 2024 at the Adam Mickiewicz University Auditorium in Poznań. On stage we will see musicians representing many cultures, including from regions affected by conflict and warfare. This will be a unique meeting that will build bridges between people and cultures!
First photography workshop behind us!
On Saturday, July 20, as part of the Festival, we launched a photographic adventure for young people! And it all took place at the Dialogue Center!
Contrary to appearances, the photo project does not focus only on photography, but on love for Lodz and the surrounding world, international friendship. All thanks to the creative and talented young people from Lodz who are participants in the project. And most importantly, the project allows us to find beauty in our everyday life!
Participants learned about basic compositional principles, taking photos, and getting to know each other! The finale of the workshop will be an opening in September!
We wish the participants good luck and only good photos! Together we will get to know Lodz anew!
NIGHT OF THE SENSES | Summer Solstice Picnic | photo report
A picnic to celebrate the summer solstice was held at Survivor Park on 23rd of June. Nature, which was the theme of the evening, has an extremely unifying power. It attracted human people of all ages and non-human people – dogs and cats – beautiful in their diversity, as can be seen in the photographs.
Thank you for a beautiful dive into the sounds of DJ Kat:ya, Cossus Cossus and Sutari. For the sensual dancing of Ederlezi FCBD and the wonderful playing with fire of Patrycja Hajdys and Wiktoria Borkowska forming the duo Spirit of Fire. Thank you to NIEPLAC ZABAW for the wonderful unorthodox backyard fun provided for the kids. Special thanks to the students of the SKNB Invertebrate Zoology Section of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Lodz for their stories about rivers – the last “highways of wildness in the city” and the rich life of non-human creatures in the park, which often escapes our busy attention. For beautiful floral garlands to Ewa Maruszewska, bracelets-amulets to Jarosławianka, lanterns to Jolanta Królicka, fragrant incense sticks and a huge portion of knowledge about local herbs to Bottanicum and wonderful tattoos to the girls from Łódź Henna Artists. To NieWinni for the delicious light wine and lemonades. And remember: Łódź water is the best.
You are already invited to the next pre-festival picnic on the 8th of September. Stay tuned!
OBJECTIVELY – creative photography project for young people | July – September 2024
The long-awaited summer has finally arrived, and thus the holidays have also begun! The long-awaited summer has finally arrived, and thus the holidays have also begun! The Łódź of Many Cultures Festival cordially invites all young people to take part in the creative photo project OBJECTIVELY. It will be an extraordinary adventure!
The photo-project “Objectively” is aimed at integrating young Lodz residents, developing their creativity and a positive approach to life. All with the help of photography games, team-building, networking, creative workshops and games. Together we will look for beauty in our everyday life in Lodz. We will use our mobile phones to take the photographs.
The project will result in a photo exhibition and the opening will take place during the Lodz of Many Cultures Picnic on Sunday 8th of September. The exhibition will show what delights young people in Lodz, what inspires and attracts them. By participating in the project, young people will be able to show how they see the world around them. And such a vision really is OBJECTIVE!
The project starts on Saturday 20th of July! It will comprise a series of three meetings, aimed at a multicultural group of young people from Łódź aged between 14 and 18.
If you are interested, please apply at the indicated link: https://forms.gle/AbQTeiWxtshomevT6.
Participation in the workshop is free of charge. Places are limited. Please wait for a return email with acceptance of your application – this will include further information.
SCHEDULE:
– 20th of July on Saturday at 13:00-15:30
– 27th of July on Saturday at 13:00-15:30
– 03th of August on Saturday at 13:00-15:30
– 08th of September, Sunday – exhibition opening
Venue: workshop: The Marek Edelman Dialogue Center, st. Wojska Polskiego 83 // opening: Survivors’ Park
We look forward to receiving applications by Tuesday 16th of July!
The workshops will be conducted in Polish.
Yulia Aurelia – photographer and organiser of inclusive projects, author of 5 photo exhibitions in Lodz, co-author of an inspiring and educational photo blog.
Information partner: Łódź Multicultural Centre.
If you have any questions, please write to: p.rembowski@centrumdialogu.com.
