A highlight of the programme, which runs through October, was a research junket by Song of the Goat Theatre. It culminated with a short presentation of their Scottish Project at Summerhall on the 29th of September. The Wrocław-based theatre’s project kicked off in 2012 and will conclude with a premiere during the Fringe Festival in August 2014. It combines musicological and ethnographical exploration with artistic creativity, offering a new take on returning to one’s roots.
Another project in the series is the staging of The Hagiography of Estate Saints, directed by and starring Agata Kucińska. A compelling work of puppet theatre, the piece portrays a group of high-rise estate residents. Kucińska turns a sincere eye on the human condition, mixing the commonplace with the mystical and ordinary life with sainthood.
The showings take place between the 10th and 12th of October, at 7 pm. In the piece The Lives of the High-Rise Saints, his review of the play, Krzysztof Kucharski commented:
Kucińska creates her own puppets and she does it with great skill. [...] She is wholly conscious of both the form and execution of her work. Observe the meticulousness with which she builds her story. She gives each and every one of her “saints” their own shape, soul, character, respect... as well as grandeur in all their saintliness until we begin to see them with a more understanding eye. From then on, we feel surprised, infatuated, touched and full of awe. This is puppet theatre of the highest order, and a one-woman show at that.
A mesmerising activity is in store for young audiences, created by the WRO Art Centre. The Interactive Platform, a colourful surface which registers motion and converts it into sound allows anyone to compose music simply by running. This installation is open from the 4th of October through the 15th of November.
The Head of Education and Children’s Programme at Summerhall, Anu Selva-Thompson, comments that the installation cleverly and playfully investigates technology and its relationship to the senses as well as its growing role in supporting the creative process. Selva-Thompson underscores the way WRO Art Centre’s project engages with Summerhall’s desire to celebrate symbiotic relations between the arts and sciences.
Play Poland Film Festival, the largest mobile film event promoting contemporary Polish cinema, spans four months and travels to Canada, Norway, China, and the U.K. It also enjoys its special showcase in Edinburgh this fall.
From the 3rd of October till the 12th of December, the rich programme of events will include poster making workshops led by Andrzej Pągowski, graphic art exhibitions, as well as screenings of short films and feature films such as Manhunt by Marcin Krzyształowicz and In the Name of... by Małgorzata Szumowska. The festival is co-organised by Polish Art Europe (PAE). (For more, check: www.polisharteurope.org.)
PAE is a non-profit organisation founded in 2007. PAE promotes Polish art and culture, as well as drawing attentionto Polish artists living in or visiting the U.K. Through its efforts PAE contributes in creating a positive image of Poland. Polish Art Europe is the chief organiser of the Play Poland Film Festival, which has been granted the honorary patronage of the Polish Consulate General in Edinburgh.
The Polska Arts in Edinburgh is a cultural programme powered by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
Editor: Paulina Schlosser, 9.10.2013
Source: press release