The Polish Arts Festival (PAF) has been celebrating 14 years in Limerick. We are very proud to have been selected as one of the Made in Limerick Projects by the Limerick City of Culture 2014.
In 2007, Justyna Cwojdzinska, member of the Irish-Polish Cultural and Business Association in Limerick, was inspired to arrange an exhibition of the work of local Polish artists. Collaborating with fellow-Poles Magdalena Wronska-Sudol and Natalia Czarnecka-Diling, the ladies undertook the project with great passion and enthusiasm. Synergising their experience in events, art, sculpture, professional translation and cultural animation, the Polish Art Festival was founded.
Operating in the capacity of Artistic Director, Justyna undertook the running of the festival in 2011. Aided by her project team, the festival has evolved over time to include exciting lectures and events as well as exhibitions.
As year go on, the festival attracts visitors from Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Ennis, Galway and all around Ireland.
Sponsors
Sponsorship plays a major role in the success of our festival.
Support
The process of planning the festival takes a full year, and Justyna and the team embrace the help and ideas of the artists and the local community. The Polish Arts Festival’s International Living Statues Night project is kindly funded by The Arts Council. The festival also receives great support from the Hunt Museum and Naomi Nolan, Belltable and Marketa Dowling, Polish Embassy in Dublin.
Justyna works closely with the Polish Embassy in Dublin and is a very active advocate of social inclusion and promotion of indigenous arts. For the work on PAF in 2016, Justyna received An Outstanding Pole in Culture award from the Polish Government, Polish Promotional Emblem Foundation TERAZ POLSKA under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland. Former Chairperson of the Irish Polish Cultural & Business Association, a Board Member of The Hunt Museum, and an ordinary member of Forum Polonia. Justyna’s energy brings people together and makes them believe “Yes, You CAN“.
As part of Riverbank Arts Centre team, she has been involved in developing, coordinating and producing art projects in various areas since and delivering high quality and volume of programmes for young audiences alongside core programme for general audiences.
As a practising artist and facilitator, she has devised and produced her own projects and productions, including a series of performances based on poetry for An Táin Theatre in Dundalk where she led an ensemble of actors, musicians and visual artists.
She is currently the artistic director of Laois Youth Theatre and co-director of Tobar Productions. She studied English Literature, Cultural Studies, and Arts Management in Poland and Community Arts and Conflict Resolution in Ireland.
Anna has been the choral director for the award-winning Cantate Deo Choir based in Limerick for the last number of years. The choir, whose repertoire covers a wide range of Latin, English and Polish choral music, won first place in the Limerick Choral Festival in 2017 and recently held a successful concert in aid of Enable Ireland.
Anna has been a voice trainer of PAF’s in “In Search of Identity” Project that has received funding of Limerick City and County Council as part of Creative Ireland “Made in Limerick 2019”. Anna performs live piano and violin music during “Julia” theatre show as part of PAF 2019.
She designs posters and graphic design for advertising materials.
Currently filming local events and small businesses. She’s been working with PAF since 2018 and is currently working on art film projects.
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