REPORT: Who are we all? The Experience of Cooperation on Theatre Projects between Polish Cultural Organisations and Belarusian Artists

In my opinion, the situation in which we all find ourselves ( immigration) allows my colleagues to express themselves in a new way. A variety of new initiatives emerge, many of them [colleagues] start doing things they have not done before, for example the Team Theatre [art group], Polina Dobrovolskaya [actress, director], and Mikita Ilyinchyk [director]. Perhaps crisis situations stimulate such initiatives, because as this is usually when you realise that either you start acting now and take the initiative [in my profession], or you start working as a taxi driver or in a Biedronka store. Unfortunately, many people have to do both.

Igor Shugaleev, actor

The rigging of the 2020 presidential election sparked a backlash among many Belarusians, which resulted in protests that were brutally suppressed by the authorities. As a result of these events, many Belarusian citizens left the country. Many Belarusian opponents of the war in Ukraine also decided to emigrate. According to data collected by the Office for Foreigners in Poland, Belarusians are the second largest group of foreigners living in Poland after Ukrainians. As of 31 March 2023, the number of Belarusians with valid residence permits was 79,030, or 10.5% of the total number of foreigners in Poland. Among them are many theatre people, i.e. actors, directors and playwrights. Polish theatres and cultural institutions invited Belarusian creators and theatre makers to take part in artistic residencies, which resulted in the production of numerous projects, including shows, performances, stage readings and concerts. Theatre became an effective way of integrating the Belarusian diaspora into Polish society, providing a platform for them to talk about themselves and what was happening in Belarus.

The publication Jacy tacy nowacy? Doświadczenia współpracy polskich organizacji kulturalnych z białuskimi artystami w zakresie projektów teatralnych [Who are we all? The Experience of Cooperation on Theatre Projects between Polish Cultural Organisations and Belarusian Artists] attempts to observe the cooperation of Belarusian artists and artist groups with Warsaw-based cultural institutions on theatre projects. We are primarily interested in the challenges and possibilities of supporting artists. The paper is the result of research, conversations, interviews and surveys conducted with Belarusian artists and artist groups by Sara Tokina, arts manager and producer of independent Belarusian theatre projects, Klaudia Kośmider and Aleksandra Tarka, who edited the material and initiated a survey of cultural organisations operating in Warsaw.

They also developed a Google Maps map based on the data collected during the research. The map shows the locations of Warsaw institutions that collaborate with the Belarusian artistic community. These collaborations were possible as part of the residency project organised by the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute to support Belarusian artists in 2022 and 2023. The map also shows various institutions that took part in our survey and have experience of working with the Belarusian artistic community on theatre projects.