Polish Cultural Week for the first time in Albania

11.04.2025

The first Polish Cultural Week in Albania, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Tirana with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, begins this Monday (14 April). This year, Polish Week will be the first in a series of International Cultural Weeks, held annually in the capital of Albania. The rich program of the Week includes various cultural events: a performance by a folk dance group, film screenings with the participation of a Polish director, a meeting with Polish children's literature, art workshops for children, jazz concerts, volleyball matches under the supervision of Polish coaches and workshops for students of the Albanian University of Arts.

The Polish Cultural Week 2025 will begin on April 14 at the “Cloud” (Reja) installation in the center of Tirana. The Polish Song and Dance Ensemble “Silesianie” will perform traditional Polish dances and invite the audience to dance the “Polonaise” together - a dance inscribed on the UNESCO World Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. They will be accompanied on stage by the Albanian folk dance ensemble (Ansambli i Këngëve e Valleve Popullore). The next day, workshops for students from the Dance Department of the University of Arts, who will learn traditional Polish dances, will be conducted.

Monika Filipina - an award-winning Polish author and illustrator of children's books will lead art workshops for children at the Puppet Theater. Monika Filipina has written and illustrated over 50 books published worldwide in over 20 languages. She will also meet with children, parents and educators at Europe House to talk about how stories are born and present a selection of her work.

The screenings of two Polish films at the University of Arts will be an opportunity to talk with director Joanna Kos-Krauze about the topics discussed in her films. "Papusza" tells the unique story of a Roma poet whose work, discovered by accident, shows the cultural diversity of Poland. "Birds are singing in Kigali" tells the story of the experience of trauma and its transmission. After the screenings, Joanna Kos-Krazue will lead workshops for students from the Faculty of Theater and Film at the University of Arts.

Two professional coaches from the Polish Volleyball Association will lead training sessions with a group of Albanian youth from the Ismail Qemali High School. During the training sessions, teams will be selected to play the final match against teams trained by the Albanian Volleyball Association at the Vasil Shanto Primary School.

Concerts by the Polish jazz band JAH Trio, performing as part of the International Jazz Festival in Albania, will conclude the Polish Cultural Week. The band will play in Tirana and Shkodra in its original line-up: Jan Jarecki - piano, Michał Aftyka - double bass, Marcin Sojka - drums. Michał Aftyka is the winner of this year's "Fryderyk", the most important award of the Polish music industry.

Details of the events in the attached program.

We cordially invite you!