School at the Crossroads
Kolberg’s path in the Ethnographic Museum
During the ”Kolberg Year”, Ethnographic Museum in Krakow and CROSSROADS Festival 2014, invite you to visit the permanent exhibition ”Polish folk culture” with kolberg’s commentary. It’s a delight for those who would like to look through Kolberg’s eyes at the traces of lives of our ancestors: their ways of coping with the reality of daily hardships and festive fantasies. Presented objects gain additional context, inferred directly from kolberg’s field notes and extracts. A special path leads visitors along traces of interest of one of the first ethnographers: beginning with the description of the cottage near Krakow, through the mysteries of breeding and cultivation in Pokucie and Polesie or sexual life of highlanders to the written in different regions beliefs, fairy tales and superstitions - sometimes causing a smile, and sometimes... shivers. The methods for removing stains from berries, oil, watermelon and what two bottles have to do with protection against lightning, are only a few things we learn from various volumes of „Complete Works by Oskar Kolberg.” Each visitor has his own guide, so that you can read, watch and listen (it is also the music!) at your own pace. A separate path has been prepared for the children. It is a set of several tasks, leading through the story of a tireless ethnographies and the people he encountered on his way - an encouragement to explore the world on your own, even after leaving the museum. Both guides will be available at the Museum box office when purchasing a ticket for the permanent exhibition.
Oberek on the dance floor
Museum of Ethnography / Kraków, Plac Wolnica 1
14 -15 VII at 6.30-8.30 PM / 16 VII at 7.00-9.00 PM
During the oberek workshops we teach the basics the most twisted dance of Europe. Obertas, mazurek, rotunda, owijok, torn out, or simply oberek, were danced everywhere in Poland. Over the years, absent on the dancefloors, now returns with redoubled energy, grabbing its trance character. The meetings will focus on the traditional oberek, three regular meter, the dancers’ interaction with the music and each other. Participants will also get acquainted with melodies, learning to sing them and getting to know the most interesting lyrics sung to the tune of the mazurka. Classes will be conducted by musicians who had learnt music and dance from the masters living the rural areas of the northern Malopolska ('kajocki' microregion). Live music will be performed during the workshops. It is recommended to wear shoes with a slightly slippery soles. Having a dance partner is not required. The workshops will be lead by Katarzyna Chodoń and Krystian Pisowicz.
OBEREK sessions will be held during the festival CROSSROADS 2014.
Rooted music
photographs by Piotr Baczewski
Alchemia / Kraków / ul. Estery 5 / from 13.07.2014
Piotr Baczewski - by profession: biologist, by passion: a photographer. His activities primarily focused on documenting and popularizing traditional music of the Polish countryside - in various shapes and contexts.
ŻyWa Pracownia [Living Lab]
crafts workshops with the Living Lab
ŻyWa Pracownia, Kraków, ul. Bartosza 1 (100m from the Old Synagogue, at the back of ul. Szeroka)
Moroccan ceramic tiles
Sunday 13.07, 10.00-11.30 AM / Monday 14.07, 5.00-6.30 PM
Egyptian dolls
Sunday 13.07, 12.00-1.30 PM / Tuesday 15.07, 5.00-6.30 PM
African baskets sewn with grass
Sunday 13.07, 2.00-3.30 PM / Wednesday 16.07, 5.00-6.30 PM
batik fabric painted with wax
Sunday 13.07, 4.00-5.30 PM / Thursday 17.07, 5.00-6.30 PM
dolls in traditional Krakow’s clothes
Friday: Kolberg’s Day at the CROSSROADS!, 4.00-5.30 PM