First, they performed in Prnjavor at the “Little Europe” Festival of National Minorities. Later, at the special invitation of Lieutenant Colonel Paweł Jędryczka, commander of the Polish EUFOR Military Contingent, the young artists performed for soldiers stationed at the Butmir base.
“I would like to sincerely thank the entire ensemble, the band, the instructors, the ensemble’s manager, Ms Ania Idkowiak, and, of course, the parents for making the trip possible, for managing all the logistics and persuading sponsors,” said county head Tomasz Gabrysiak. “It was certainly a great experience for the residents of Prnjavor, our soldiers and the young people.”
“The children went to one of the poorest countries in Europe,” said mayor Piotr Roman. “To a country where the wounds left by the most terrible war in Europe in the second half of the 20th century are still open. People there are sad; tension can still be felt. They are trying to forget what happened. And it is often dance and singing that help them forget. Our ensemble went to a city that is very close to the hearts of many residents of Bolesławiec. They brought kindness, joy and peace.”
The trips are made possible by the ensemble’s friends—people who provide organizational and financial support to “Mały Bolesławiec.” Among the patrons and sponsors of the trip were the Bolesławiec County and the Municipality of Bolesławiec. The ensemble’s mentor was Halina Waniak, president of the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends.
The ensemble was accompanied by Jacek Myjkowski, who filmed the young artists’ adventures in Bosnia and edited a film entitled “Bosnia in Three Steps”—a work filled with the artists’ emotions and showing the impression they made on the audience.