Listen to the discussion we organized at the Culture 2024 Co-Congress

Warsaw should learn the perspective of small cities so as not to circulate in a fog – such a controversial thesis was put forward by Prof. Cezary Obracht-Prondzyński, a sociologist from the University of Gdansk and president of the Kashubian Institute) during a debate we organized as part of the November 2024 Co-Congress on Culture.

We also invited to the discussion Alicja Jelińska (Baltic Sea Cultural Center in Gdansk), Natalia Gromow (City Public Library in Gdynia, LABIB Association) and Monika Januszewska (Library – Cultural and Promotion Center of Lubiewo Municipality); WOAK was represented by Director Lukasz Wudarski. The moderator of the discussion was Katarzyna Pągowska.

During the discussion, under the motto “What can’t be seen from Warsaw”, many ideas emerged for changing the relationship between Warsaw – the legislative center – and cultural institutions from small towns. As Lukasz Wudarski noted: 70% of community centers are located in villages in small towns and they are invisible from Warsaw’s perspective.

The transcript of the discussion can be read on the YouTube channel of the National Cultural Center. The debate is an attempt to initiate a permanent and well-thought-out structure, linking national cultural institutions with regional institutions, and these in turn with urban, municipal, rural units. We want this to be a network of permanent cooperation, through which central institutions will get to know and understand the perspective of small units.