Starting in 2001, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (from October 2001 to October 2005 - the Ministry of Culture) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, working with Polish cultural institutions at home and abroad as well as foreign partners, has been carrying out large promotional projects stemming from the obligations of international contracts and other agreements related to the promotion of Polish culture.

RETROSPECTIVE JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI



The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is delighted to announce that the retrospective of Polish filmmaker, playwright, scriptwriter, painter and actor Jerzy Skolimowski will take place in the Israeli Cinematheques of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa between 1 - 30 April 2009.

The opening ceremonies with the presence of Jerzy Skolimowski will take place in:
- Jerusalem Cinematheque on the 1st of April, 9.00 PM
- Tel Aviv Cinematheque on the 2nd of April, 9.00 PM
- Haifa Cinematheque on 5th of April, 9.30 PM

The program of the retrospective will range from early semi-autobiographical features ( Rysopis, Walkover, Barrier, Hands Up! ) through some hard-to-find features ( Le Depart - awarded with the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 1967 or 30 Door Key - adaptation of a cult novel Ferdydurke from 1937 by Skolimowski's favourite Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz) to Four Nights with Anna - the director's return to cinema after a seventeen years of absence.
Altogether over fifteen films by one of the most important and versatile Polish artist Jerzy Skolimowski.

Below please find the detailed schedule of the screenings. For more information on the venue please visit Polish Year in Israel website:
www.poland-israel.org

Project organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polish Year in Israel 2008/2009.
Project financed from the means of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

POLISH YEAR IN ISRAEL 2008/2009

The Polish Year in Israel is a joint venture launched by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Starting from the spring of 2008 through the spring of 2009, there will be presented various projects connected with different aspects of culture, science as well as tourism and economy. The organization responsible for the project is the Adam Mickiewicz Institute – a governmental institution which aims at promoting Polish culture abroad and cooperates on cultural projects with countries all over the world.

The main objective of the Polish Year in Israel is to bring together Polish and Israeli societies by strengthening cultural and economic contacts as well as contacts on a tourist and scientific level. Moreover, the venture is aimed at starting long-term cooperation between the institutions of both countries.

Another important goal set by the project’s managers is reaching the public who have not been interested in Polish culture so far or associated Poland only with the dramatic events of the Holocaust. With a view to change this attitude, the Institute has invited Israeli managers of culture and journalists. During such visits they could learn that Poland is considered to be an important member of the European Union as a dynamic country with a huge potential in education, tourism, science and technology. Moreover, the country can offer many possibilities in terms of a modern culture which is deeply rooted in a national, multicultural tradition with Polish-Israeli relations as its integral part.
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Abridged film on this project:

Polish version

Hebrew version


POLSKA! YEAR IN THE UK 2009/2010
POLSKA! YEAR comprises over 200 projects introducing the most interesting achievements of Polish culture and works of the most outstanding Polish artists to the British public. We will present extraordinary exhibits from Polish museum collections and works of young contemporary artists and designers, concerts with Polish performers, as well as Polish music performed by British bands and soloists. We plan theatrical performances, reviews of Polish dramatic productions and the promotion of Polish literature at selected British literary festivals. We invite you to galleries, theatres, concert halls and cinemas in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Norwich, Liverpool, Oxford and dozen other cities in Great Britain.

POLSKA! YEAR to commence in spring 2009 and to be continued in 2010 is a joint initiative of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The programme of POLSKA! YEAR covers cultural events prepared in strict cooperation with British partners. The purpose of the Year is to bring communities of Poland and Great Britain closer by strengthening cultural relations, establishing new contacts between Polish and British artistic institutions, artists and organisers of cultural events.
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CLOSER TO POLAND

The aim of the "Closer to Poland" programme is to provide free access to Polish newspapers and literature to foreign centres and persons promoting Polish culture, who receive support for their everyday work from the programme.
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POLISH CULTURE AROUND THE WORLD

The aim of the project is to:

• support the participation of Polish artists and their works during international events (concerts, festivals, exhibitions, tours, competitions, artistic workshops),
• present Polish culture abroad,
• promote Polish artists and their works abroad.

ARCHIVE OF PROJECTS

Projects carried out by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in 2001-2008

• Polish Culture Season in Russia 2008
  The opening of the Polish Culture Season in Russia took place on the 3rd of April 2008 in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The Polish Culture Season in Russia 2008 is a continuation of last year’s Russian Culture Season in Poland. The programme is to include a dozen or so concerts, five large film projects, eight exhibitions, as well as educational conferences and theatrical performances. Adam Mickiewicz Institute coordinates the project.
  www.poland-russia.com
  
  
• The Polish Day at EXPO 2008
  The Adam Mickiewicz Institute co-organizes two concerts to take place during the Polish Day. The Day (6th of July) is the most important event in the program of Polish participation in the EXPO 2008 International Exhibition.
  
  The Polish visit will be most probably headed by the President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczynski. Throughout the day numerous artistic events will take place both in the EXPO area and in the Polish Pavilion including: theatrical performances, parades, concerts of cinematic music, animation and film screenings and many others.
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• Polish Days in China 2008
  From 17 to 19 May 2008 The Days of Polish Culture in China took place in Pekin. The program included concerts of outstanding Polish musicians as well as exhibitions.
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• Polish Days in Georgia 2007
  The Adam Mickiewicz Institute co-organized the Polish-Georgian International Scientific Session "Poland and Georgia. The importance of common history for the future in the uniting Europe" (17th - 18th April, 2007, Ivane Javakhishvili Hall of the Tbilisi State University).
  
  
• Days of Polish Culture in Marroco 2007
  
  The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, in cooperation with the Polish Embassy in Morocco, organized the "Days of Polish Culture in Morroco" programme in Rabat (May 25th – 31st 2007). The Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Morocco hosted the project.
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• Polish-German Year (2005-2006)
  
  April 2005 - May 2006
  
  The Polish-German Year was a joint project of the two governments, under the honorary patronage of the Polish President and the German President. The organizers were: the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Polish Ministry of Culture, and the Federal Government Representative for Culture and Media. Collaborating institutions included the Polish Ministry of Education and Science and the Polish Ministry of the Economy and Labour, and in Germany - the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The Polish-German Year symbolically combined the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Polish-German treaty on good-neighbourly relations. The cultural programme of the Polish-German year included approx. 160 music, theatre, visual arts and film events, held in Poland and in about 50 German cities, including Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg, Bremen and Frankfurt. Despite officially having ended, the project is being continued.
  
  
• Polish Year in Ukraine / Ukrainian Year in Poland (2004-2006)
  
  March 2004 - March 2005 - Polish Year in Ukraine (continuation in 2005/2006)
  April 2005 - May 2006 - Ukrainian Year in Poland
  
  This project under the patronage of the Presidents of Poland and Ukraine involved the promotion of Poland in a cultural, social, political and economic aspect. The Polish organizers at the state level were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Economy, and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The project was carried out by the Polish Embassy and the Polish Institute in Kiev, and the consulates general in Kiev, Kharkov, Lviv, Lutsk and Odessa. The central cultural programme was presented in various regions of Ukraine: Kiev, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkov, Kremenets, Donetsk, Lutsk, Vinnitsa. The project coordinators were Grzegorz Mrowczynski and Barbara Wiechno, and the executive director was Elzbieta Dmochowska.
  
  
• 55th Essen Light Weeks (2004-2005)
  
  October 2004 - January 2005
  
  At the invitation of the Mayor of Essen, Wolfgang Reiniger, in 2004 Poland was the guest of honour at the 55th Essener Lichtwochen, and this became Poland's greatest presentation in Germany since Frankfurt 2000 and EXPO 2000. The organizers were: the city of Essen and Essen Marketing GmbH, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Consulate General in Cologne, the Polish Institute in Düsseldorf, and the Book Institute. The patron of the Polish presentation in Essen was Polish Ambassador to Berlin, Dr. Andrzej Byrt. The project coordinator was Dorota Keller.
  
  
• Days of Polish Culture in Algeria / Days of Algerian Culture in Poland (2005)
  
  15 September - 21 September 2005
  10 November - 16 November 2005
  
  The Days of Polish Culture in Algeria was a project commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and carried out by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The host institution was the Algerian Ministry of Culture. The events included in the programme were held in Algiers, Oran and Tizi Ouzou. The coordinator was Bogdan Bernaczyk-Slonski. In response to the Days of Polish Culture in Algeria in September, a presentation of Algerian culture was then held in Poland. The organizer of this project was also the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
  
  
• Days of Polish Culture in China (2005)
  
  9 May - 20 May 2005
  
  The Days of Polish Culture in China were organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, at the initiative of the Ministry of Culture. The project was held on 9 - 20 May 2005, and the project manager was Beata Jankiewicz.
  
  
• Polish Season in Russia / Russian Season in Poland (2004-2005)
  
  January 2004 - December 2004
  March 2004 - December 2005
  
  The aims of this project included a mutual presentation of the 20th- and 21st-century cultural achievements of Poland and Russia, highlighting Polish-Russian artistic relations, and reinvigorating artistic exchange. The Polish presentations were concentrated mainly in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Pskov and Samara; the Russian projects in Poland involved all the main cultural centres, led by Warsaw. The Season's official basis was an agreement signed in November 2005 by the Polish Ministry of Culture and the Russian Federation's Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography. In Poland, the organization and coordination of the Season was the responsibility of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, and in Russia - the ROSIZO State Centre for Museums and Exhibitions and the Elita Profi Line Agency. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute worked closely with Polish institutions in Russia, especially the Polish Embassy in Moscow, the Consulate General and the Polish Institute in St. Petersburg, and the Consulate General in Irkutsk. The project coordinator was Grzegorz Wisniewski, the commissioner of the Exhibition "Warszawa-Moskwa / Москва-Варшава 1900-2000" was Piotr Nowicki, and the curator was Anda Rottenberg.
  
  
• Days of Polish Culture in Vilnius (2004)
  
  April 2004 - May 2004
  
  The Days of Polish Culture in Vilnius were held under the patronage of the Culture Ministers of Poland and Lithuania, to mark the 10th anniversary of the "Treaty on Friendly Relations and Good-neighbourly Cooperation". The organizers of the Days were the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Embassy and the Polish Institute in Vilnius. The honorary patrons of the Days were Polish Culture Minister Waldemar Dabrowski and Lithuanian Culture Minister Roma Žakaitiené. The exhibition "The Space of Jerzy Giedroyc and the Monthly Kultura. Difficult Polish-Lithuanian Dialogue" was prepared by the Society for the Protection of the Literary Institute Archive in Paris. The project coordinator was Maria Karwowska.
  
  
• Nova Polska Polish Season in France (2004)
  
  May 2004 - December 2004
  
  The Nova Polska Polish Season in France organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, as commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was an eight-month project promoting Polish culture. In France, the organizers were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the General Commissariat, and l'Association Française d'Action Artistique. An important role in the structure of the Season was played by existing contacts between regions, cities and institutions in Poland and France. Many of the projects were linked to the cooperation which has been continuing for many years between Toulouse and Bydgoszcz, Krakow and Bordeaux, Lower Silesia and Alsace, to name a few. The Season was held across France, with events in Paris, Toulon, Nancy, Nantes, Chaumont, St-Etienne, Colmar, Tours, Tourcoing, Strasbourg, Lille, Châtelet. The general commissioners of the region were Bogdan Bernaczyk-Slonski, Anda Rottenberg and Ryszard Kubiak, and Guy Amsellem was the French commissioner.
  
  
• Polish cultural presentation during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg (2003-2004)
  
  April 2003 - February 2004
  
  The project "Celebration of the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg", carried out by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in association with Polish and Russian cultural institutions, featured several dozen artistic events in Russia and Poland. The programme referred to the tradition of cultural contacts between Poland and St. Petersburg as well as highlighting the most interesting trends in contemporary Polish art. Another important feature was that many books and periodicals were published as part of the project.
  
  
• Listen to Poland - To Europe Through Music (2003)
  
  2003
  
  In 2003, the year before Poland's accession to the European Union, the Adam Mickiewicz Institute ran a cycle of concerts called "Listen to Poland - To Europe Through Music". This project stemmed from the "Framework Programme for Foreign Promotion of Poland's European Accession", and its implementation involved Polish foreign diplomatic posts and the IAM. The concerts targeted not only opinion-forming circles, politicians, parliamentarians, journalists, but also general audiences in Brussels, Luxembourg, Dublin, Copenhagen, Paris, Rome and Helsinki. The project coordinator was Maria Karwowska.
  
  
• Polish Year in Sweden (2003)
  
  February 2003 - November 2003
  
  The Adam Mickiewicz Institute, commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in collaboration with many cultural institutions in Poland and Sweden, organized the Polish Year in Sweden (Polen.Nu). One of the aims of the Polen.Nu project was to present Polish culture to the broadest possible audience and to stimulate an interest in Poland among Swedish society. To help with the programme and organization of the Polish Year in Sweden, former Polish Ambassador to Sweden, Prof. Ryszard M. Czarny, was appointed a special proxy. The project coordinator was Lena Dabkowska-Cichocka, and her deputy was Agata Wolska.
  
  
• Polish Year in Austria (2002-2003)
  
  April 2002 - March 2003
  
  The Polish Year in Austria was the result of an agreement between the Foreign Ministers of Poland and Austria, and carried out by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in association with the Polish Institute in Vienna, the Polish Embassy in Vienna, the National Museum in Warsaw, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, and many other partners. The project was part of the governmental "Framework Programme for Foreign Promotion of Poland's European Accession". The honorary patrons of the Polish Year in Austria were Austrian President Thomas Klestil and Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski. This was the greatest promotion of Polish culture abroad in 2002, featuring more than 120 cultural events presented at museums, galleries and concert halls in Vienna, Linz, Graz, Salzburg and Innsbruck. The project was managed by Agnieszka Kubicka-Dzieduszycka and Leszek Jodlinski.
  
  
• Polish Year in Spain (2001-2002)
  
  July 2001 - December 2002
  
  The Polish Year in Spain was organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the Polish Embassy in Madrid, and the Polish Consulate General in Barcelona, in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture. Thanks to this project, people in Spain could get a taste of Polish culture, which was presented in places including Madrid and Barcelona, Valencia and Valladolid, Saragossa and Murcia, Santiago de Compostela and Seville, the Balearic Islands and the Basque Country, Salamanca, Valdemosa and Vittoria. The programme featured several dozen events from all areas of culture. Some were separate events, while in other cases Poland took part in major projects in the Spanish cultural calendar. The coordinators of the Polish Year in Spain were Magdalena Potok-Nycz and Wladyslaw Serwatowski.
  
  
• Europalia 2001 Poland Festival (2001-2002)
  
  October 2001 - January 2002
  
  The Festival was one of the most important promotional projects in the EU accession process. Consolidating Poland's position on its road to integration with the European Union was accomplished, among other things, by presenting the greatest achievements of Polish culture, providing information about Poland, and creating the country's positive image. The programme of Europalia 2001 Poland was based on the primacy of art over the Festival's political aspects - presenting artists and artistic trends, emphasizing Poland's contribution to European culture, highlighting Poland's multicultural traditions, pointing to Poland's historical links to Belgium. It is the custom that the patrons of the Festival are the King of the Belgians and the head of state of the guest country. The Polish General Commissioner of Europalia 2001 was Robert Kostro, and his Belgian counterpart was Baron Georges Jacobs, while the executive directors were Piotr M.A. Cywinski and Lena Dabkowska-Cichocka.
  
  
• Days of Polish Culture in Russia (2001)
  
  14 May - 20 May 2001
  
  The Days of Polish Culture in Russia were the first such broad presentation of Polish culture in the Russian Federation in many years, and involved Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladimir. The programme was designed and carried out by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, under the patronage of the Culture Ministers of Poland and the Russian Federation.