This year’s—already fourth—edition of Gliniada is behind us, including the much-anticipated “Parade Out of Love for Clay.” I am pleased that it was so warmly received by the crowds who watched it—residents of Bolesławiec and tourists. The first conversations—held immediately with viewers and participants—confirmed my conviction that it was worthwhile. Positive opinions appeared in the media. Success.
We organized “Gliniada” 2010 in the format toward which we are heading: a festival of all kinds of art. Artistic variety for everyone. The place where this “cultural energy” was to be concentrated was the “Glinoludów Town.” It is good that it was created. As one participant told me, it established in the city “a zone of joyful creativity and artistic freedom.” I would add: sensible relaxation. Workshops, demonstrations, performances, preparing costumes for the parade, and the electrifying “Sounds of the City”—especially for the festival’s younger participants—meaning rock, electronic music, reggae and hip-hop. On top of that, children playing on a truly… Bolesławiec beach. And entire families helping to create the event’s artistic atmosphere. The most important element—summarizing Gliniada—was and, of course, remains the parade. An exceptionally spectacular and attractive parade, combining what was planned (for example, acrobats and an orchestra from Rzeszów) with what was… improvised and created by the parade participants themselves. Because—as I keep repeating, paraphrasing a cult dialogue from “The Cruise”—a participant in the clay parade is simultaneously the material, the tool and the artist. The reactions of those watching the procession proved that the artistic potential lying dormant in the participants of the international parade is enormous. In short—success!
Writing about Gliniada, however, I want to emphasize another of its elements—a quality I have been talking about for a long time: the value of partnership and cooperation. Gliniada is organized by the Bolesławiec Center for Local Initiatives “Via Sudetica” (along with dozens of fantastic young people—volunteers and others supporting the association) and Bolesławiec County. An association and local government; active residents and officials open to the “new.” On the one hand, inventiveness and creativity; on the other—organizational, logistical and financial support. Our common denominator is the partners’ converging statutory tasks: the desire we share to work for cultural development and the promotion of the city (county). There are projects, ideas and concepts that only… artists and enthusiasts can devise and lead. There are matters whose resolution is “a piece of cake” for officials, while meeting them would be a genuine road through torment for artists. That is why we divided the roles among ourselves in solidarity. That is why the sum of their skills (those of cultural animators) and ours (those of officials) created a quality that we could not have created separately—even with the greatest willingness. Synergy. Added value. The result was so many wonderful experiences and warm emotions. It is truly worthwhile to cooperate.
Local government (a municipality or county) exists for residents. Mutual respect and cooperation can only benefit everyone. Giving residents shared responsibility for the city’s development, involving them in activities supporting, among other things, sport and culture, and promoting the city through interesting people and their initiatives create an opportunity for further successes—for residents and for the city. Because… together, quite simply, we can achieve more. Gliniada is proof of this.
P.S. Two memories from the parade:
County officials in the parade
An official with an artist’s soul!
Dariusz Kwaśniewski