1. Some background to the Festival:
   
   The first Polish Arts Festival was held in Southend-on-Sea in September 2009. It was developed and produced by Hungry Arts together with 30 Bird Productions, Metal, Focal Point Gallery and the local Polish community. The aim being to celebrate the very best of Polish culture and art, to develop new international artistic collaborations, and to help nurture the special relationship between Southend-on-Sea and Sopot, Southend's Polish twin, on the Baltic Sea.
   
   During the 3-day festival thousands of people had the opportunity to savour some delicious Polish hospitality and live entertainment at the Polski Picnic; to embark on 30 Bird Productions’ inspirational artistic journey ‘Chodzenie’ which took place in venues across town, to participate in art and circus workshops and so on. There was a run on bigos and sauerkraut while hundreds of people joined hands in the field to kick up their heels with some fabulous Polish dance.
   
   This year’s festival is going to be bigger and better boasting an ever expanding programme of events. It includes the very first performance in England of Polish folk band ‘The St Nicholas Orchestra’ at the Polski Picnic; free Polish Film Screenings in TAP, The Old Water Works in Southend-on-Sea; a live football match featuring ‘Iran versus Poland’; art exhibitions, circus & football workshops, 30 Bird Productions performance of POLAND 3 IRAN 2 (fresh from the Edinburgh Festival), and a series of art projects and a jazz concert led by Deconstruction Project. Plus a special appearance of the traditional Polish cossack Lajkonic and Theatre Lalek (giant puppets). And that’s just for starters...
   
   None of this would be possible without the support of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Arts Council England, East, and the Polish Cultural Institute. Hope to see you there.
   
   Douglas Hunter, Gosia Trojanowska-Hobson & Ros Green - Hungry Arts
   
   

   

Romany Diamonds
Acoustic quartet led by fiddle player Marek Czureja.

Poland 3 Iran 2

30 Bird Productions - Direct from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Jolanta Surma

Macrame workshops and display