The awards were officially granted during a ceremony in Warsaw’s Royal Łazienki Museum on Monday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency PAP reported.
Named Gaude Polonia, the scholarship programme aims to promote Polish culture throughout Central and Eastern Europe. It is overseen by Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński.
Young talent rewarded
This year, scholarships were awarded to 48 promising artists and creatives from Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and Estonia, officials said.
Participants receive a monthly salary, accommodation, and the opportunity to work with some of Poland’s best artists and creative community leaders.
Addressing Monday’s gathering, Gliński said: “Since its creation in 2003, this programme has helped almost a thousand outstanding, highly talented people from the field of culture, and artists, who had the chance to stay in Poland for an extended period, working at Polish art schools or developing their projects, mainly artistic ones, but also research projects, because participants include translators, people from the field of culture and restorers.”
‘The gift of a lifetime’: Award for Ukrainian mezzo-soprano
One of this year’s scholars is Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Solomiya Ivanna Ivanchuk.
She said the programme offered “a big opportunity” for her to practice singing, her passion.
A graduate of the Kyiv Academy of Music, Ivanchuk added: “It wouldn’t be possible in Kyiv at the moment. I’m under the tutorship of the eminent classical soprano singer Olga Pasiecznik and it is the gift of a lifetime.”
Over the years, some 1,000 young artists and creative arts professionals, mostly from Ukraine and Belarus, have taken part in the Gaude Polonia programme, the IAR news agency reported.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, gov.pl