EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST DISCIPLINE OVERVIEW
FOLKLORIC PERFORMANCE
PolArt Sydney 2022 invites individual artists and ensembles that specialise in Polish folkloric performance (music, song and dance) to submit their interest in participation. Opportunities to perform at both larger and intimate venues will be provided for traditional full ensemble cast, and for smaller groups of performers or individuals. Performance opportunities will be provided for children’s groups through to adolescent and adult ensembles.
Expressions of interest for Folkloric Performance close 31 March 2021. Late submissions may not be accepted and if accepted may limit the participant’s opportunities in the festival.
LITERATURE
PolArt Sydney 2022 invites authors, publishers, linguists and other related specialists to submit their interest in participation. Event opportunities include talks, presentations and interactive workshops surrounding the written word and Polish culture for adults and children alike. Focus will be brought upon the richness and beauty of the Polish language and its evolution through time.
Expressions of interest for Literature close 30 November 2021, though earlier applications are encouraged as they may enable participation in pre-festival opportunities. Late submissions may not be accepted and if accepted may limit the participant’s opportunities in the festival.
MUSIC
PolArt Sydney 2022 invites musicians, orchestras, bands, choirs, singers and individual artists to submit their interest in participation. Festival events may include performances, masterclasses and workshops for audiences of all ages. Folk, contemporary, traditional, classical, jazz and other genres will be considered.
Expressions of interest for Music close 30 June 2021. Late submissions may not be accepted and if accepted may limit the participant’s opportunities in the festival.
THEATRE
PolArt Sydney 2022 invites theatre practitioners to submit their interest in participation. Opportunities exist for performances, workshops and masterclasses for audiences of all ages. Short-form and longer shows, solo artists through to ensembles are invited to participate. Wide ranging theatre styles e.g drama, comedy, musical, cabaret or other are invited to be submitted. Specialists in theatrical areas not directly involved with the performative are also invited to apply.
Expressions of interest for Theatre close 30 April 2021. Late submissions may not be accepted and if accepted may limit the participant’s opportunities in the festival.
VISUAL ARTS
PolArt Sydney 2022 invites individual artists and collectives to submit their interest in participation, with opportunities for exhibiting works, presenting artist talks and masterclasses, and online art sales. The art forms that will be considered for display may include architecture, ceramics, decorative art, design, drawing, ephemeral, fashion design, glass, graphic design, illustrations, jewellery, mixed media, painting, photography, posters, printed digital art, printmaking, public art / street art, sculpture, textile art, watercolour and work on paper.
Expressions of interest for the Visual Arts close 30 November 2021, though earlier applications are encouraged as they may enable participation in pre-festival opportunities. Applications for inclusion in PolArt Sydney 2022 Visual Arts festival events will commence in December 2021.
OTHER DISCIPLINES
1. PolArt will host a film festival and interested organisations with a previous history of facilitating festivals of the moving image are invited to apply. Please submit your application under “Other”.
2. Artists who feel that their particular discipline is not adequately represented by the above categories are highly encouraged to submit an application with a clear description of their specialty in the relevant section of the form under “Other”. This may include, but is not restricted to, such areas as performance art, contemporary dance, physical theatre, video art, multimedia or other hybrid art.
Expressions of interest for other disciplines have closure dates corresponding to the art disciplines outlined above, based on the types of festival events that the other discipline’s art is suited to. Specifically:
- participation in the folkloric performance events will require submission by 31 March 2021,
- participation in non-dance stage events will require submission by 30 April 2021,
- while participation in live music events will require submission by 30 June 2021.
POLART SYDNEY 2022 EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Please complete the linked Expression of Interest form to express interest to participate in PolArt Sydney 2022. PolArt festivals are for artists resident in Australia or New Zealand.
PolArt Sydney 2022 festival dates are 27 December 2022 – 6 January 2023, inclusive. Some festival events will commence earlier and continue further into January 2023.
Once submitted, you will be shown the information received. Submissions will be assessed by the artistic team. Art Coordinators may request additional information. Artists will be advised of the assessment outcome no later than 4 weeks after the due date.
Submission of an Expression of Interest does not constitute any agreement by PolArt Sydney 2022 Inc to include you in the Festival.
All Expressions of Interest must be in English.
MEET THE TEAM
FOLKLORIC COORDINATOR | BASIA GADD
Basia Gadd is the choreographer and co-artistic director of Polish Folklore Ensemble Podhale Sydney, a position she has held since 2009.
Basia holds a Diploma in Polish folk dance instruction and choreography from Rzeszow, Poland, and her choreographies have been performed at various festivals and events, including the 2011 International Polish Folk Festival in Rzeszow and all PolArt Festivals since Sydney 2003, inclusive.
Basia has over 25 years experience in performing arts, including 6 years in a Children’s Polish Choir, 5 years as an artistic gymnast and over 23 years in Polish Dancing.
Basia holds a Diploma in Events Management and has been organising events and concerts since 2001, including co-organising two folkloric concerts at Sydney PolArt 2003. She also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance) and works as a Technical Business Analyst.
LITERATURE COORDINATOR | EWELINA ELLSMORE
Ewelina is the School Principal and Polish Language Educator at the Liverpool Polish School. There she shares the knowledge and beauty of the Polish language, traditions and history with new generations of children.
In 2018 Ewelina was awarded a Silver Cross of Merit by the President of Poland Andrzej Duda during his historic visit to Australia for her Polish language education achievements in Australia and promotion of Polish culture. She is an initiator and organiser of many events and projects promoting Polish language and Polish culture in Sydney. In 2018 she introduced the first online interactive learning experience in NSW as a path for new learning opportunities for Polish school students in collaboration with Uniwersytet Ciekawej Historii DUCH Warsaw at the State Library of NSW.
Being a passionate reader, Ewelina has experience bringing Polish literature into the multicultural library collections and working within the library and information services in NSW.
MUSIC COORDINATOR | JERZY SCISLOWSKI
Jerzy is a passionate musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist, music teacher and promoter of Polish classical, folk and modern music. He has helped many artists in their careers, including soloists, singers and musicians.
Graduating in 1970 from the Academy of Music in Wroclaw with a Master of Arts, Jerzy worked as music teacher with multiple institutions. He was also Artistic Manager of the Podlasie Folk Group “Trzy Pokolenia” in Domanice, leading through successes to the Oskar Kolberg Award from Poland’s Ministry of Culture and Art for the group and for Jerzy the “Zasluzony Dzialacz Kultury” medal.
After immigrating to Sydney in 1980, Jerzy became the Music Director of the Polish Folkloric Ensemble “Syrenka”, writing and composing the ensemble’s music for over 40 years and working with other Sydney ensembles – “Kujawy” and “Lajkonik”.
Jerzy has attended many PolArt Festivals with Syrenka starting in 1981, and with “Bialo Czerwoni” as Music Director in 1984. At PolArt Sydney 1991 Jerzy was the Festival Compere and Music Director. For PolArt Sydney 2003 Jerzy served as Festival Music Director.
THEATRE COORDINATOR | MARIA KOTER-ROSIAK
Maria has been actively involved in community work in the Polish community in Australia for about thirty years. She founded the Association of Polish Culture in NSW. It collaborates with the Association of Polish Culture in Victoria. Together they organise performances of various artistic groups in Polish centres across Australia.
She has been a co-organiser of Polish Christmas Festival in Sydney and Plumpton. Maria is a committee member of the Polish Foundation in NSW. She was the Theatre Coordinator for PolArt 2003 in Sydney. For over 10 years Maria has provided gardening advice on SBS Radio. She worked in the preparations for the World Youth Day in Sydney.
Maria completed her studies at the UMCS in Lublin and gained the title of Magister. While working at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin she gained the title of Doctor of Natural Sciences. She worked for Academic Choirs in Poland. From 1980 she worked in Solidarity trade unions.
VISUAL ARTS COORDINATOR | RENATA BRAK
Renata has over 20 years community volunteer experience, including fundraising, choreography, and dance teaching. She was a committee member and graphic designer for the inaugural Hobart PolArt in 2006, and is currently a committee member of “Syrenka” Sydney. Renata was a dancer for more than 25 years with multiple ensembles – “Oberek” Hobart, “Polanie” Calgary, and “Syrenka” Sydney – and has attended 5 PolArt Festivals, the 2008 Rzeszow Festival, and was dance instructor and choreographer for “Krakusy” Calgary in Iwonicz Zdroj 2009.
Over the past decade, Renata has worked for a variety of commercial galleries, ARI’s, auction houses and Institutions, most notably the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. She has facilitated and curated over 100 exhibitions nationally and internationally. Renata has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tasmania, and a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Sydney. Currently, Renata works with Australia’s oldest Indigenous Fine Art Gallery Cooee Art as their Digital Curator and Events Coordinator.
Her goal for PolArt Sydney 2022 is to showcase a dynamic range of Polish-Australian artists that explore their heritage through artistic disciplines unique to Poland.
All photos supplied by PolArt 2022 Sydney
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