On Saturday, August 16, a procession of approximately 160 people painted with clay passed through the market square and several streets. BOK – MCC undertook to cover the costs of performances by actors and artistic groups participating in the parade. The parade’s organizer, Bogdan Nowak, is sponsored by two development companies.
This year, Nowak’s parade looked more modest than last year. There was also no wedding ceremony involving a pair of clay figures. Nevertheless, the entire procession attracted interest as a tourist attraction.
Controversy surrounding the funding of the clay-figure event
Kornel Filipowicz, the organizer of the Ceramics Festival, surprised everyone by announcing in the media that he had signed a new agreement with restaurateur Bogusław Nowak to lead a parade of people painted with clay. However, it was not artistic scope that became the subject of discussion, but money!
Filipowicz reassured everyone:
One of the points in this agreement defines our obligations. I assure you that the organizational financing of this event will take place outside the budget of the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre.
It was precisely this statement that triggered a flood of speculation, especially after the city spent nearly PLN 100,000 on this several-hour event in 2024.
This year, Mayor Piotr Roman did not intend to risk taking on the financial burden again for a few hours of clay-fuelled madness. No wonder—the atmosphere surrounding the money is always tense, and residents watch with interest every zloty spent from the municipal coffers.
The solution proved to be an unusual business coalition. Two development companies took over the financing of Nowak’s participation. Financial support for the parade could prove to be an investment in good relations with the city—and, as is well known, that does not have to, but may, pay off when future projects are carried out.
Controversy surrounding Nowak’s appearance
The city authorities are silently ignoring the controversy surrounding Bogusław Nowak. His social media profile is full of shocking content. Nowak publishes videos laced with antisemitism, hatred towards LGBT+ people, and anti-Ukrainian statements by anonymous figures. That is not all—there are also pseudo-lectures completely challenging the purpose of European integration.
The paradox of the situation is heightened by the fact that, despite the rhetoric spread by Nowak, his company Ambasada Nowak is boldly applying for funds from the National Recovery Plan—we are talking about an impressive amount of more than PLN 391,000.