Town… which stands out from many other towns in Poland thanks to its centuries-long tradition of making ceramic pottery. Place… where earthenware existed in the fourteenth century. It is here where the most famous decorated products that are recognized around the world are created. Bolesławiec – “town of ceramics,” “town of clay.” The symbol of appreciation for this tradition is an annual celebration of Polish Pottery Festival, which is held always in the second half of August. It is the largest and the most colourful outdoor event in the region. This year it will be held for the 19th time.
The ceramics fair will take place from 21st to 25th August and the town’s centre will be full of wooden stalls where the pottery-makers will present their wares. During the fair you will be able to purchase usable and decorative pottery and jewellery. It does not matter if you want to buy a necklace, a cup or a pot, we are sure that during this largest ceramics fair in Poland each of the products will be very original. A wide selection of wares is guaranteed by over 20 pottery-makers from Bolesławiec and by others who come to Bolesławiec from other Polish regions and other countries including: Czech Republic, Hungary and Lithuania. The number of exhibitors increases regularly. The first fair was attended by several exhibitors, and now there are nearly 100 of them.
From 23rd to 25th August, the Ceramic Animation Town will open and there will be a series of shows of turning on the pottery’s wheel and of painting ceramic moulds. Each of the participants, regardless of age, will have a chance to try their strengths in hand-making clay wares. As usual, a spectacular ceramic stove will be built and lighted. The championship of turning on the potter’s wheel will be held for the first time.
On Friday, the official opening will start with a spectacular Ceramic Parade, with ceramic leitmotiv. On that day, an exhibition of 49th International Ceramics-Sculpture Open Air Workshop will open. The exhibition will present the effects of one month’s work of sixteen pottery-maker artists from Mexico, Austria, France, Belarus, Ukraine, Italy, Spain and Poland who were forming their wares throughout June in ceramic factories in Bolesławiec.
The festival will be accompanied by a rich and attractive artistic program. For music fans, we have invited to Bolesławiec several artists leading in Poland and Europe. On Friday, the audience will be captivated by the rock sounds of ethnic music, a Polish-Lemkos-Ukrainian band LemON will perform on the main stage, the winner of the third edition of Must Be The Music. Later, the band Haydamaky, Ukrainian export product, will perform. This is a brilliantly balanced compilation of Ukrainian melodies with Balkan, Jewish and Gypsy influences and a powerful dose of rock, punk, ska and reggae. At the end there will be a spectacular show “Śpiew Bugajów” with dancing and acrobatic elements and the use of UV light, performed by actors of the AVATAR THEATRE. We also recommend the Saturday’s concert of music of the 60’s, that is, “Gdzie się podziały tamte prywatki”, during which you will feel the atmosphere of those times. We will hear all the songs which used to entertain us and which still remain in us. We will listen to the live performance of the hits of Czesław Niemen, Karin Stanek, Kasia Sobczyk, Czerwono Czarni, Anna Jantar, Krzysztof Klenczon and many other Great Artists that are gone. The concert will be honoured by the presence of Piotr Szczepanik. The evening’s main star will be The UK Legends and Alan Silson (ex Smokie). At the end of the day there will be an open-air cinema. Everybody, both adults and youngsters who will be in Bolesławiec on Sunday, will be able to watch the concert of the band ARKA NOEGO and then Hania Stach with the program in memory of Whitney Houston. The festival will end with the show of Paweł Kukiz with the new musicians under the name “Kukiz.”
More information at: BOK – Polish Pottery Festival in Bolesławiec
Photos © Bolesławiecki Ośrodek Kultury