During 7 days of the festival, there will be 7 thematic festival projects implemented.
The programme of the 13th FOLK INSPIRATIONS will consist of:
FOLK FILM STUDIO
Production of a film reportage “In the city of folk”. 5 days of film sets with the participation of artistic groups: dance, music, theatre from culturally diverse countries. The places will refer to the 600-year history of Łódź. The participants of the festival will be the actors. They will present their native folklore in courtyards, streets and other spaces confirming the existence of urban folklore. POLTEX Song and Dance Ensemble will be involved in the production of the film as the main acting group present on all film sets. Film shooting and film editing will be carried out with specialists and students cooperating with the Central Office of Film Education operating in our Youth Centre. The “GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – video” competition will also be implemented. The awarded film works will be presented during the festival event organized in the auditorium of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź.
FOLK MUSIC STUDIO
Realization of recitals of young singers and musicians-instrumentalists and music groups, presenting characteristic melodies of world cultures and contemporary musical arrangements. Vocal and music workshops will be organized for the participants of the festival. They will be combined with learning a traditional Polish song or a piece of music taken from urban folklore. There will also be a choir concert presenting Polish traditional folk song based on the works of the Polish ethnographer and composer Oskar Kolberg, who composed polonaises, mazurkas, waltzes, polkas, obertasy, kujawiaki etc. The competitions: GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – vocal and GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – music will be held in the auditorium of the Youth Centre. The audience will get to know the winners of the competitions during the final concert in the concert hall of the Academy of Music.
FOLK DANCE STAGE
Presentations of traditional and contemporary choreography groups inspired by folklore on various festival stages presenting dances of various nations of the world. Implementation of a dance flashmob during a concert at the Manufaktura market square. The project will include a dance theatre performance. There will be a competition “GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – choreography” for all foreign and Polish groups participating in the festival. There will be choreography workshops concerning Polish and Latin dances and traditional dance from the country of the participants selected during the festival. In the green space of the city there will be a folk dance party for the residents of the city and festival participants. The participants of the festival will present short improvised dance activities on the streets of the city through social media.
FOLK THEATRE STREET
Theatre festival project dealing with both short theatre forms, street theatre performance and other alternative theatre forms. A parade along Piotrkowska Street will be its main element- young artists together with the inhabitants in a colorful procession will create a unique performance of street theatre. During the parade, the participants will carry Zuzia the Doll, which will be several metres long, in an outfit inspired by Opoczno folklore. The doll will be prepared by the participants of the Sculpture and Crafts Studio from our Youth Centre. A 100-metre-long braid will be the element connecting all participants of the parade. There will be performances prepared by participants gathered in amateur theatre groups with the participation of professional actors on the stage of the IMPRO Comedy Theatre. The competition “GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – theatre” will also be held, the presentations of the winners of the competition will take place on the stage of the IMPRO theatre.
FOLK DESIGN FACTORY
The project is intended for young creators of fashion and utility items inspired by design and details taken from the cultures of the nations of the world. A project group consisting of students of art schools in Łódź will prepare another folk art installation in the space of the Factory Museum. Young fashion designers will present their collections inspired by folklore and ethnic culture of selected nations of the world during a show at the Fashion Promotion Centre of the Academy of Fine Arts. This project also aims at presenting traditional Polish crafts to foreign participants and residents of the city during organized folk craft workshops. The competition “GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – design” will be held, the works of the winners will be presented at the Factory Museum and during a fashion show combined with a folk concert at the Academy of Fine Arts.
FOLK IMAGE ATELIER
The project involves organizing an open-air painting for talented young artists as well as open-air photography for young artists-photographers. The outdoors will be organized in spaces referring to elements of urban folklore and in green places in an improvised atelier using elements of Polish regional costumes, characteristic folk costumes of cultures of various nations participating in the festival. The project also consists of the competitions GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – drawing and painting, GOLDEN BOAT 2023 – photo. An outdoor exhibition of photos by authors from various countries – festival participants will also be organized in Manufaktura. It will present images taken from landscapes and presenting the cultural heritage of nations related to the folklore of the world and the groups participating in the festival.
FOLK TV STUDIO
Outdoor and regular studios reporting each festival day in a different location of the main event. Youth TV groups invited to the festival will broadcast live from the studio, as well as interviews and street reports. Youth TV operating in our Youth Centre will implement this project.