The Open Poland Programme works to tighten the connections between Poland and its eastern neighbours, in particular Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. This is a cultural initiative that draws its strength from bottom-up initiatives, open to collaboration between partner countries, Poland and the world. Contacts with artistic circles and activities in local communities help build relationships between the countries that are engaged, allowing the exchange of knowledge and experiences and collaboration in the field of culture and cultural management in the international area. The programme also supports the presentation of Polish culture at significant events in Central and Eastern European countries.
The East European Performing Arts Platform (EEPAP) operates as part of the programme; its purpose is to support the development of the performing arts in 18 Central and Eastern European countries.
The operations of the Open Poland Programme are made possible by fruitful collaboration with numerous partners, including the Listapad Minsk International Film Festival, Azerbaijan State University of Arts and Culture, the Centre for Contemporary Art Foundation in Kyiv, the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, Odesa/Batumi Photo Days, Tbilisi Royal Theatre, ClassFest International Theatre and Film School Festival, the Local Authorities Information Centre in Moldova, the European Solidarity Centre, the National Center of Dance Bucharest and the IETM International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts.
Numerous projects have already been carried out, including Cinema for Social Change, in Yerevan, Chisinau, Tbilisi and Minsk; a performance of (A)pollonia in Minsk; the exhibition The Power of Abstraction in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Minsk; concerts and the recording of the album The Spirit of the Mountains by Trebunie Tutki (Poland) and Urmuli (Georgia); the Polish-Belarusian co-production Forefathers' Eve: Brest Fortress directed by Paweł Passini; a multi-year relationship with the Brave Kids festival; the Desant, Identity.Move!, Choreographic territories, Maps of fear/Maps of identity projects; educational workshops for artists from Eastern Partnership countries (e.g. workshops on stage movement and improvisation in Baku), artistic residencies (e.g. Grzegorz Kozera’s residency at the Sergei Parajanov Museum in Yerevan) and numerous study visits to Poland (e.g. a visit by representatives of Ukrainian literature, CulTour.Ua).
A key role in the Open Poland Programme will be played by events related to the observances of the centennial of Polish independence (including the Polish and Ukrainian Avant-garde exhibition and the publication of an anthology of Polish contemporary drama in Georgian); further editions of the Cinema for Social Change project in Kyiv and Baku; an exhibition of Polish photography in Ukraine; the continuation of the educational project Culture for Local Development; and many other initiatives.
We invite you to work with the Institute, to participate in the events of the Open Poland Programme and to follow them on the Culture.pl.
