Agnieszka Glińska

With the permission of a participant in the WOK residency programme: Process-ing Change. An Artistic and Research Accompaniment, we take a look at her notes — documentation of her personal process of experiencing change.

In my theatrical biography, so closely tied to state cultural institutions, I never had the opportunity to experience a form of artistic presence other than the factory-like, time-boundwork. Rehearsals, premieres, rehearsals, premieres — practically without a break. I couldn’t afford a break. I stumbled across the residency announcement by chance. The theme: change, impulse — that’s me. Within fifteen minutes, I had written and sent in the application, based on intuition, as I had no clue what a residency actually was and what it was for; I had never used this type of support before. The first pleasantly surprising experience was the online qualifying interview. The WOK team listened attentively, were genuinely interested and asked questions that conveyed real concern and a desire for authentic dialogue. It’s hard to describe how radically different this meeting was from the hundreds of job interviews I’ve had in my career. Here I felt a different way of conversing — collaborative, focused on the artist. The financial aspect also became important to me — objectively a small amount, it allowed me to let go of worries about financial security for a moment and use this time to focus on myself.

I completely underestimated how important it would be for me to meet the other residents. In these few months together, we have been able to accompany each other, see each other, listen — both in our diversity and in the shared aspect of going through change. Being in this group, collectively experiencing the hardship of change, I think strengthened our convictions. The residency at WOK gave me space and a place to integrate change within myself and myself within that change, to connect different vectors of my life.

During a conversation with the residency leader, the idea emerged that I would take advantage of the opportunity to finance focusing workshops at the Intra Centre for Psychological Assistance and Education. I had dreamed of doing this for a long time, but couldn’t afford it. The dream came true in express mode and was an opportunity for me to learn new tools and ways of working with myself and others. As part of the residency I also ran a workshop for actors on being together in a group and looking after their creative potential. It was an attempt to merge two worlds: theatre and psychotherapy. I also had time for a holiday, where I could rest peacefully, without stress and tension, without fear for income, and examine myself in the process of change.

Firstly, it’s been three years already — the process of leaving behind, moving away from the old, and at the same time absorbing, learning, and slowly moving into the new. I didn’t know where it would lead me when I made the decision to change. I just felt it was necessary. Riding on such enthusiasm, I applied for the residency at WOK. Simultaneously, another stage of this change began. A very difficult one, which hit close to home. A stage marked by the awareness of being “in between” worlds, with all the typical emotions of this state: loneliness or a sense of not belonging. It’s a moment of crisis, but necessary to see myself in this “in-between” with full conviction the next time.

1. The first conversation with the residency leader after receiving the letter of acceptance. Clarifying the rules and fulfilling intuitions. I understood that I was being looked after.
2. The first meeting with the other participants — a revelation of how many fields the process of change can occur in and how consciously one can go through such a time. I felt close to people who, similarly but in different ways, are seeking a new place for themselves.
3. The idea and implementation of the workshop on being together in a group and taking care of one’s creative potential for actors — an attempt to merge the worlds of theatre and psychotherapy.
4. A time in the summer when I could rest peacefully, without stress and tension, without fear for income, and examine myself in the process of change.
5. Publishing my personal process on the WOK forum — an important moment of putting my own experience into words.
6. Final meeting – listening to fellow residents, their stories of the journey, reflecting together on the essence of the residency.
7. Focusing workshops at Intra — complementing my stage of the journey and an opportunity to learn new tools and ways of working with myself and others.