Second Edition

The second edition of the competition of the "Wena" Grant Program of the Starak Family Foundation was organized in the school year 2020/2021 - a competition for an educational-artistic project entitled "Closeness and interpersonal relations".

 

We invited high school students to express themselves through art. The questions posed by the organizers were helpful: What constitutes closeness in today's world? Is it possible to change the quality of relationships in the face of the disappearing bond between man and man and the world around him? What do I need to be close to myself and others? The intensity of life creates little space for asking such personal questions.

 

When we announced the Competition at the beginning of March 2020, we did not realize the constraints we would all face in the wake of the pandemic and how timely and important the theme of intimacy and human relations would be at a time of widespread isolation and the challenges we would face every day. Under difficult circumstances and with great determination from teachers and students, we received 30 applications.

 

The implementation of the projects began in October 2020. However, the subsequent closure of schools due to the pandemic reduced learning to remote mode, and under these conditions, students developed concepts and preparation plans. The necessary equipment and materials were purchased, and expert lectures were organized, having great educational value for individual projects.

We are encouraged by the fact that in spite of the limitations, our Beneficiaries implemented all the projects with postponed schedules for the next school year.

 

We highlight three of the completed projects.

"Culture doesn't hurt. Me+You=We!" - a project carried out as a social campaign by the Jacek Malczewski School of Visual Arts in Częstochowa. The title of the campaign, touching upon the subject of tolerance and closeness, accurately reflected the theme of the Competition "Closeness and interpersonal relations''. The form of the campaign - a happening and accompanying performative activities, conducted outside of the school area, on the main square in Częstochowa had a broad social impact. The "Me+You=We" activity is not a single event, but the eighth event of this type organized by the youth of the Częstochowa school of visual arts. Thus the project is distinguished by such features as durability and continuity. The activities undertaken by the students are of great educational importance, propagating slogans of proper forms of behavior in public space, which is paradoxically considered to belong to no one. The students combined educational activities with art presented, among others, in a mobile gallery of students' works - posters rich in their message. The project of the Częstochowa high School is in its essence a complete, exemplary project. 

Two other projects:

Panoramic maritime happening "Dancing with the waves” - a project carried out by the students of the Władysław Hasior Visual Arts School Complex in Koszalin and "Mirrors"  - a project carried out by the youth of the Józef Szermentowski  Visual Arts School Complex in Kielce, are wonderful projects of great educational and artistic value. In these projects, the essence and value of co-creation were shown. We admired the outstanding artistic talent of the youth.