This colourful weekend celebrating Polish Midsummer traditions and held as a part of Liverpool Polish Midsummer Festival will turn Liverpool for two days, 19th and 20th July, into city of Polish folk music and arts and crafts. The old Slavic celebration, very much rooted in old pagan rituals, is a feast associated with the summer, water, fire and light. Inspired by reach Midsummer traditions, Liverpool will host Polish folk musicians, fire artists as well as the workshop in flower garland making.
On Saturday, 19th of July Liverpool audience will have an opportunity to listen to live Polish band and experience an atmospheric night fire show. The Kraków based Magic Carpathians influenced by musical traditions of Eastern and Central Europe (most notably the multicultural region of Carpathians mountains, spanning through Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia) been considered to be one of the most exciting music projects in Poland exploring ethnic music.
Bring the Fire Project is a new bright spot on entertainment map of Liverpool. Created by a couple of dedicated fire dancers Szymon & Kalina, not only give you a chance to see modern fire performance at its best but also spread the idea of flow arts in Liverpool by organising workshops. Enjoy the beauty of fire in motion. Artists from Bring the Fire Project (Liverpool) represent exceptional level of competency in use of fire equipment like poi, staff, double staff, palms, fans, torches and levitation stick. The magical atmosphere intensifies carefully selected music, costumes and stage arrangements.
MIDSUMMER ARTS AND CRAFTS
A popular Polish Arts and Crafts Workshops will be held on Sunday, 20th of July at the Museum of Liverpool. This free event is hosted by Merseyside Polonia as a part of the Polish Folklore Weekend and summer long Liverpool Polish Midsummer Festival. This time the workshops will bring a various activities for both children and adults inspired by Polish Midsummer traditions in particular flower garland making.
The celebration of the Polish Folklore Weekend is connected with the Kupala Night, also named as Midsummer Night – the shortest night of the Year. Kupala, in pagan beliefs, was the deity of fertility. That is why in Poland, the Midsummer night is also a night of love. Every year, young girls make floral garlands and throw them into the water, hoping that the true love will find them.
Participants of midsummer workshops will be able to make their own garlands from various materials. In Poland the most popular are garlands made from the fresh flowers, herbs and paper. Merseyside Polonia will bring to the Museum of Liverpool invites for fresh and paper garland making workshops and a chance to find out more about Polish Midsummer traditions. Children will be able to make own paper flowers and swishy swooshy sticks with ribbons inspired by folk colourful costumes.
During the day there will be live shows of Polish Dance group presenting traditional folk dances such as Polkas and Mazurkas performed in colorful traditional costumes and for anybody interested, an opportunity to learn one of them. After the workshops everybody will gather by the Museum by the Canal to let the flower headdresses to the water.
Come and make your own wreath and let it float: Who knows who’s going to catch it!
More information on: Merseyside Polonia
