How to strengthen culture in local and regional perspective | Debate begins

In our opinion, most of the culture is created in smaller centers and small towns. At the same time, this local activity is less visible from the perspective of Warsaw. That’s why we want to start a debate, during which we will consider what we can do to make sure that the voices, needs and opinions of animators, creators and cultural managers are equally important no matter where they are from.

We want to believe that one way to recognize these needs could be to create a permanent, well-thought-out structure, linking national cultural institutions with regional institutions, and these in turn with urban, municipal, rural units,” say Katarzyna Pągowska and Łukasz Wudarski, WOAK’s director duo. – This would be a network of permanent cooperation, allowing central institutions to learn the perspective of small units, they add. – Thanks to this structure and cooperation with regional institutions, they have equal access to centrally allocated money, equal opportunities to develop their competencies and equal influence on the changes taking place in culture.

We would like to start the debate at the Co-Congress of Culture 2024 this November.

Together with Alicja Jelińska from the Baltic Sea Cultural Center, we have submitted the topic “What can’t be seen from Warsaw, or how to combine the central development perspective” as a proposal for a panel debate in the “Local and regional culture” area.

Relevant issues in our opinion include: Is it possible to make the voice of people and institutions from small towns heard? Is there a way to make this local perspective heard in Warsaw?

Answers will be sought together:

• Łukasz Wudarski (Provincial Center for Cultural Animation in Toruń),
• Alicja Jelińska (Baltic Sea Cultural Center in Gdansk),
• Prof. Cezary Olbracht-Prądzyński (University of Gdansk, Kashubian-Pomeranian Association), Natalia Gromow (Municipal Public Library in Gdynia, LABIB Association),
• Monika Januszewska (Library – Center for Culture and Promotion of Lubiewo Commune).

If, in your opinion, the topic “What can’t be seen from Warsaw, or how to combine the central perspective of development” is worth taking up within the framework of the Co-Congress of Culture 2024, vote on the website of the National Cultural Center on the Co-Congress website