The czAR(T) Krzywogońca foundation, founded in 2017, is run in a traditional rural Polish style complex. It provides a space for meetings and creative activities of representatives of various cultures, nationalities and spheres of interest.
The Foundation is a member of the ENCC European Network of Cultural Centres, a network that was founded in 1994 to promote dialogue and cooperation between social-oriented cultural centres in Europe.
The foundation hosts many exciting events throughout the year, which includes a robust calendar of activities and events that are geared towards poetry writing, granting financial support for books publishing, and hosting a writer-in-residence program and residential translation workshops. It is a place where writers, artists, and the public come together.
The foundation hosts also events that are geared towards promotion of local and regional cultures. This include maintaining tradition and the development of national, civic and cultural awareness; the development and propagation of traditional products from Bory Tucholskie;
the running of activities assisting the development and integration of local communities.
Since its creation, the foundation has hosted many cultural events that are held regularly. The description of these events is available in the “projects” and “news” menu.
The foundation is chaired by a very experienced project manager, Ms Grazyna Wojcieszko. She is a graduate of Literary-Artistic Studies at the Jagiellonian University in Poland. With an MA in computer sciences from the prestigious French universities Paris-Sud and Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, (France), she was employed by the European Commission in Brussels managing scientific research projects.
The aims of the foundation are:
- To initiate international artistic exchanges and inter-cultural dialogue;
- The development and propagation of artistic and literary creativity, the spreading and promotion of art;
- Integration of creative, academic and rural communities;
- Maintaining tradition and the development of national, civic and cultural awareness;
- The development and propagation of traditional products from Bory Tucholskie;
- The running of activities assisting the development and integration of local communities;
- The spreading and promotion of ecological values;
- The equalising of educational chances and access to culture and art in rural areas;
- Building an open civil society and supporting democratic ideals.
Working with us:
dr hab. Marlena Pecyna, Jagiellonian University, Cracow
dr hab. Beata Morzyńska-Wrzosek, Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz
mgr. Beata – Anna Symołon, Cracow
dr. Karol Maliszewski, Wroclaw University
Contact:
info@cz-art.org
Tel.: +48 52 324 73 73
Board:
Grażyna Wojcieszko – president
Advisory Council:
Beata Morzyńska-Wrzosek
Dorota Gromowska
Seat
The seat of the foundation is the village of Krzywogoniec, lying at the heart of Bory Tucholskie, an extraordinary natural setting of which belongs to the protected area of the European Union program ‘Natura 2000’. The aim of the program is to preserve defined types of natural habitat and species that are considered precious and endangered.
Bory Tucholskie is a region known above all for the quality of its natural environment. These lands are well known for their pristine air, crystal-clear waters, vast forests and rare species of animals and plants. The woods are full of lichens, whose presence bears witness to the cleanliness of the air. A distinctive culture and tradition has evolved, drawing on the richness of the forests, thanks to which we can meet many creators here: embroiderers, painters, sculptors and producers of mushroom, forest blueberry and other berry products.
The seat is made up of two buildings designed by the architect Jan Sabiniarz, with elements of bas-relief by Zygmunt Kędzierski, drawing upon the traditional Bory Tucholskie building style and connecting contemporary solutions with ancient, traditional building techniques. The use of thatch from the nearby lakes, fieldstones and wood cause the buildings to fit seamlessly into the character of the place and become a visiting card for the region.
‘The Guest House’ includes on the ground floor: a kitchen with a terrace, a lounge with a fireplace, a dining room with access to the terrace, and a toilet. On the first floor we find four single/double ensuite rooms. Each room has its own terrace with a view over either the lake or the forest. The interior decoration draws upon the style of the building.
‘The Art Gallery’ is a space used not only as an art gallery, but for cultural events, film screenings, theatrical shows, exhibitions, workshops and readings. The interior decoration draws upon the style of the building. The building is decorated with a mural created by two artists: Anna Waluś and Anna Kluza (both Anna in the photo).
The name czAR(T) Krzywogońca burst forth spontaneously and comes from the experience of the owner, on whom someone cast a spell, causing Krzywogoniec to become her place on earth. It is hard to leave, and when it is far, it is missed like a loved one. Guests who visit the place confirm its incredible charm, and they often also, literally and metaphorically, fall in love with it.