The Wojtek Seweryn Workshops held as part of the Blues nad Bobrem Festival are the only workshops of their kind in Poland. Their reputation and standard continue to grow. The festival, moved last year to Kliczków Castle and funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, experienced a renaissance. This year, the expected ministry funding will not be available, but the organizers are focusing on making the workshops more professional and increasing their appeal to students.
In 2011, Romek Puchowski will become the festival's artistic director. He is a versatile personality—not only an outstanding artist known for his brilliant performances, enhanced by colorful commentary, but also an excellent coordinator of various stage projects.
The organizers have announced a special event: a recording session will be held. A concert by the band Pi Band, led by Wojtek Pilichowski, will be recorded. Workshop participants will take part in the project. They will join the backing vocals, reinforce the instrumental group and form the core of the audience. For several days, it will be possible to observe preparations for the recording, which will be an interesting experience for aspiring musicians.
Lectures will also be an important part of this year's workshops. Students will learn how to form a band and what working in one involves. There will be talks on the history of popular music and legal issues related to the music market. Speech therapy classes and sessions devoted to sound engineering are also planned.
The Blues nad Bobrem Festival workshops will take place from August 8 to 15 at Kliczków Castle. The organizers invite all lovers of good music. More information and registration are available at: bluesnadbobrem.pl.
(information: Ewa Ołenicz-Bernacka/ii)