Among those who signed Łętowski’s letter were Maciej Małkowski (Ziemia Bolesławiecka), who ran for city president in the most recent election, Bogusław Nowak and Bogusław Nowak (Piwnica Paryska), as well as 17 other people (entrepreneurs, artists, creators and musicians).

Ewa Lijewska-Małachowska responded to the letter concerning her work and achievements. She was supported by 55 people. These included Jan Cołokidzi, an entrepreneur and president of the Ziemia Bolesławiecka Association, Zdzisław Oszczęda, an entrepreneur, innovator and creator of nanowater, Karol Stasik, president of Zakłady Ceramiczne „Bolesławiec”, Jan Filipek, honorary citizen of Bolesławiec and Solidarity activist, Ryszard Łoś, president of the Gazeta Polska Club, as well as members of the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood, artists and creators.

Open letter concerning the management of BOK-MCC
Dear Sir or Madam,
Following the publication of the open letter, I feel obliged to respond to the information contained in it.

I began working at BOK-MCC in April 2009. I manage an institution consisting of three facilities: the MCC building, Forum Cinema and CIK “Orzeł”. Our primary objective is to organize cultural activities in the city of Bolesławiec.

Over these several years, together with the staff, we have managed to carry out many significant projects and tasks. The construction of the International Ceramics Centre created enormous opportunities for developing a modern programme within the amateur arts movement. Recognized artists work there: Mateusz Grobelny, Edyta Orlińska, Czesław Matyjewicz, Stanisława Wojda-Pytlińska and Teresa Bancewicz.

Today, around 50 different activity groups operate throughout the centre, with approximately 1,000 regular participants. Our wide-ranging programme is aimed at children aged four and over, young people and adults. Under the supervision of qualified staff, residents develop their skills in dance, music, vocal, visual arts, ceramics, stained glass, artistic textiles, theatre and film workshops. The city orchestra, choir, folk band and Mirosław Kuc’s guitar workshop operate here.

Purchasing a digital projector in 2010 was a very good investment. Thanks to this purchase, attendance at our cinema increased several times compared with the years before 2009. To improve our services, we adapted the space under the stairs into the “Filmowa Cafe”.

Our institution received the prestigious “Best Film Discussion Club” award for its film activities, as well as a nomination for the title of “Best Cinema of 2011”. We were also awarded the “Lower Silesian Key to Success for the Best Cultural Institution”. Our participants win prizes in international visual arts competitions, as well as dance and film competitions.

Over six years, we organized more than approximately 90 exhibitions preceded by opening receptions. The most important included exhibitions of ceramic sculpture by Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter, which opened the new MCC building, Bronisław Wolanin, ceramic sculpture by Marek Zyga, Mateusz Grobelny, Edyta Orlińska, Stanisław Kalkowski, Janina Bany-Kozłowska and Czesław Matyjewicz. In two galleries, photographers, graphic artists and painters exhibit alongside ceramic artists. As part of the promotion of ceramic artists, an avenue was created in front of BOK-MCC, where we placed ceramic tiles bearing the handprints of recognized Bolesławiec ceramic artists. For several years, we have maintained very good cooperation with II General Secondary School, where we present the works of ceramic artists. Each year we organize approximately 50 concerts and performances, several competitions and workshops, and several special events.

We are the main organizers of outdoor events, the largest of which are Bolesławiec Days, including the South Slavic Culture Festival, the Bolesławiec Ceramics Festival and the Bolesławiec Star of Kindness. We organize these projects with the support of schools, associations and organizations operating in our city. These include the Senior Citizens’ Council, the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends, the University of the Third Age, Carpe Diem, the Polish Red Cross, the Commando Association and Amazonki.

We are proud to have established the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood, which co-organizes our Ceramics Festival. We are also very proud of the Bolesławiec Song and Dance Ensemble, which currently has 56 members—children and young people. The ensemble was successfully led by Elżbieta Tor. After her resignation, it has been successfully led by Agnieszka Podłaszczyk. For various reasons (high costs and low attendance), we abandoned some events, such as “Rock Blok w Bok”. The event cost approximately PLN 10,000, while in recent years no more than 20 people were interested in attending the concerts. This event was replaced by many other initiatives proposed by residents. At their request, we established Mirosław Kuc’s guitar workshop, a choir and Teresa Bancewicz’s artistic textile workshop.

We are open to initiatives from our residents. At their suggestion, participants in dance classes at BOK-MCC presented themselves in a major show ranging from Spain to the Orient. At the request of two tango dance groups, our employee Dariusz Uściński wrote two international projects, which we organized with partners from the Czech Republic and Germany.

We completed 18 projects. The most important included the two-year “Arginet” project (France, Italy, Spain, Austria and Poland), the “International Ceramic and Sculpture Symposium” (this year, 37 artists from around the world submitted applications), and “Images of Sound” with Germany.
We obtained more than PLN 600,000 in external funding for cultural events and investments.
The new infrastructure has had a major impact on the development and popularity of BOK-MCC, which is thanks to the city councillors and authorities, who have not spared—and continue not to spare—funds for the development of culture in Bolesławiec.

I would also like to add that all these activities and forms of engagement at BOK-MCC, as well as the way BOK-MCC is managed, would make no sense without public acceptance and support. To date, the following people have expressed their acceptance and support for my management approach:

  1. Jan Cołokidzi – entrepreneur, president of the Ziemia Bolesławiecka Association
  2. Karol Stasik – president of Zakłady Ceramiczne Bolesławiec Sp. z o.o.
  3. Leszek Żyzny – director of the State Music School, first degree
  4. Antonina Kopała-Wdowiak – entrepreneur
  5. Dorota Pińczuk – musician
  6. Marlena Zazula – president of the “Razem” Association Against Violence
  7. Jan Filipek – honorary citizen of Bolesławiec, Solidarity activist
  8. Michał Wojdyła – president of the Bolesławiec Branch of the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the Southeastern Borderlands
  9. Jan Sysak – vice-president of the Bolesławiec Branch of the Society of Lovers of Lviv and the Southeastern Borderlands
  10. Mirosław Kuc – musician
  11. Mirosław Sakowski – director of II General Secondary School
  12. Zdzisław Oszczęda – entrepreneur
  13. Maria Szpak – president of the Association of People with Disabilities
  14. Tadeusz Zarembecki – entrepreneur
  15. Halina Waniak – president of the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends
  16. Wiesława Olczyk – University of the Third Age
  17. Andrzej Kowalczyk – member of the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood
  18. Anita Tofil – member of the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood
  19. Eugenia Wolska – president of the Carpe Diem Teachers’ Association
  20. Józef Rutyna – member of the Bolesławiec Ceramic Brotherhood
  21. Paweł Saja – makeup artist, entrepreneur
  22. Monika Wiśniewska – entrepreneur
  23. Barbara Stupiec – entrepreneur
  24. Wioletta Kołsut – entrepreneur
  25. Magdalena Zientara – teacher, originator of the From Spain to the Orient project
  26. Katarzyna Maksymowicz – entrepreneur
  27. Maciej Kołodziejski – hair salon representative
  28. Jan Doktor – president of the Polish Association of Pensioners, Retirees and the Disabled – Bolesławiec branch
  29. Grażyna Hanaf – art historian, writer, journalist
    30. Krzysztof Gwizdała – istotne.pl, journalist
  30. Jarosław Stupiec – entrepreneur
    31. Krzysztof Burdzy – entrepreneur
  31. Stanisława Wojda-Pytlińska – visual artist
    32. Magdalena Konieczna – visual artist
  32. Edyta Orlińska – ceramic artist
    33. Janina Piestrak – Babijczuk – physician
  33. Andrzej Żuk – physician
    34. Lucyna Łasica – legal adviser
  34. Wiesław Gruszka – attorney
    35. Ewa Suchecka – Bolesławiec County councillor
  35. Ryszard Łoś – president of the Gazeta Polska Club
    36. Urszula Choma – physician
  36. Stanisław Cebulski – entrepreneur
    37. Marianna Doktor – member of the Senior Citizens’ Council
  37. Sławomir Zimniak – teacher, musician
    38. Danuta Zielińska
  38. Mateusz Grobelny – artist
    39. Wojciech Łabudzki – musician
  39. Piotr Gnyszka – musician
    40. Stanisława Jarmakowicz – poet
  40. Jacek Oszczęda – entrepreneur
    41. Leszek Pióro – entrepreneur
  41. Zdzisław Czyżowicz – director of II Private Lower Secondary School
    42. Bogdan Fiałkowski – president of the Commando Association
  42. Jacek Subik – representative of Zakłady Ceramiczne Bolesławiec
    43. Yours sincerely
  43. Ewa Lijewska-Małachowska, Director of BOK-MCC