Golden Mills went to good hands

On Wednesday evening, during the Second Kuyavian-Pomeranian Congress of Culture, the Golden Mills – Kuyavian-Pomeranian Cultural Animation Awards were presented. The ceremony was hosted by Łukasz Wudarski and Katarzyna Pągowska, i.e. the director duo of WOAK, and the musical setting was provided by the band Nicponie. By awarding this prize, we want to appreciate people and entities who, acting in the field of cultural animation or supporting these activities, contribute to social change.

Referring to the award ceremony for one of the film awards, Lukasz Wudarski said:

– Instead of saying that someone won, I prefer the formula: Golden Grinder goes to… and I am convinced that it will go to good hands every time today.

This year, the awards were given by a chapter consisting of: Zbigniew Ostrowski – Deputy Marshall of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship, Monika Januszewska – Director of the Library – Cultural and Promotion Center of the Lubiewo Commune, Justyna Prajs – winner of last year’s Golden Mills in the Animator/Animator of the Year category – awards named after Agnieszka Dabrowska, and Łukasz Wudarski – Director of the Provincial Center for Cultural Animation in Toruń.

Unique statuettes for the winners were made by Katarzyna “Łyszka” Łyszkowska, a Toruń-based visual artist affiliated with the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Nicolaus Copernicus University, and they went to:

• Renata Gaj-Kowalska (Klara Prillowa Communal Cultural and Library Center in Kcynia) – award in the Animator/Animator of the Year category named after Agnieszka Dąbrowska for continuously popularizing Pałuki culture, educating the next generation and ensuring that tradition never goes out of fashion.
• Team of the Municipal Cultural Center in Dobrczu, composed of Honorata Zielińska-Szuster, Marta Szulc, Lidia Pastuszak, and Dariusz Karbowski – award in the Team category for reaching the farthest corners of the municipality with culture, listening to the needs of residents and creating space for joint activities in Dobrczu.
• Tymon Cichocki (Chelmzyn Cultural Center) – award in the Hope of Cultural Animation category for his fresh approach to culture, bringing people and ideas together and bringing new energy to the cultural life of Chelmzyn.
• Mondi Świecie Sp. z o.o. – award in the Patron of the Year category for supporting local cultural initiatives, creating conditions for sustainable development, strengthening social ties and supporting the extraordinary 9 Hills Festival.

In addition to the statuettes, the award also has a financial dimension and, as Justyna Prajs, last year’s winner and this time a member of the chapter, admitted, this is an important aspect of the award. The award in the Animator/Animator of the Year category – the Agnieszka Dabrowska Award – was funded and under the Honorary Patronage of Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Piotr Całbecki.

The award in the category of Hope of Cultural Animation was founded and assumed under Honorary Patronage by Chairwoman of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Assembly Elżbieta Piniewska.

Honorary Patronage:

The partners of the 2nd Kuyavian-Pomeranian Cultural Congress are: Gallery and Center for Children’s Artistic Creation, Książnica Kopernikańska in Toruń and Toruń Fonte Coffee Roastery.

The media patrons of the 2nd Kuyavian-Pomeranian Cultural Congress are: TVP3 Bydgoszcz and Polish Radio PiK.