Polska Tales
Encyclopedia
Polska Tales is a collection of children's stories written by children and families from the Polish Community in Southport
, UK.
Whimsical Arts ran 6 art sessions with the group, using an art therapy
tool called 6 part story method to guide the group in creating their stories in 6 parts. Over the 6 sessions 6 pieces of artwork were produced by the participants to pictorialise each part of their story.
5 stories were created:
The book was printed up and distributed to schools, playgroups and local libraries across Sefton. A pdf version of the book is also available.
with Story tellers who recorded the stories in both Polish and English, along with sound effects to create an audio book.
The images were then animated around the audio track and a dvd was created with 5 films in both English and Polish.
The Journey in Search of Pollen (English) Podróz w Poszukiwaniu Pylku (Polski)
Inside Out (English) Inside Out (Polski)
Maya's Story (English) Historia Maji (Polski)
Golden Friends (English)Zloci przyjaciele (Polski)
funding and Sefton Extended Services.
. The dvd is also set to be included as part of a training programme called "Everyone Can Play" aimed at helping playworkers understand the difficulties children can face as a result of their cultural background, abilities etc.
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, UK.
Who I Am and Where I'm From
Polska Tales was created during a community engagement project called Who I Am and Where I'm From. The project was developed with the aim of working with hard to reach communities to help them tell their story. The project aimed to help families who had relocated from Poland to help them engage within the community, have an opportunity to share their stories, and develop their English language skills through writing stories and creating artwork.Whimsical Arts ran 6 art sessions with the group, using an art therapy
Art therapy
Because of its dual origins in art and psychotherapy, art therapy definitions vary. They commonly either lean more toward the ART art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself, "art as therapy," or focus on the psychotherapeutic transference process between the therapist and the client who...
tool called 6 part story method to guide the group in creating their stories in 6 parts. Over the 6 sessions 6 pieces of artwork were produced by the participants to pictorialise each part of their story.
5 stories were created:
-
- Inside Out by Borys & Jola Kurzeja-Ryan
-
- Maya's Story |Maya's Story by Gosia Skarzynska
-
- The Journey In Search of Pollen |The Journey in Search of Pollen by Milena Niedzwiedzka
-
- The Search by Sebastian Rhys Wall
-
- Golden Friends |Golden Friends by Sylwia Cieleszynska
The book
The 5 stories were compiled into a book called Polska Tales. The artwork created for each story was digitally photographed and used on each page of the book with the corresponding text shown on the left hand page in Polish and the right hand page in English.The book was printed up and distributed to schools, playgroups and local libraries across Sefton. A pdf version of the book is also available.
Library Tour
Whimsical Arts and members of the group, took the published book on a tour of the 13 libraries across Sefton. The dates were pre-agreed and local schools were invited to attend the tour which included a reading of the stories and a short art session during which the participants were able to create the first image for their own story.Films
Following the completion of the art sessions the group spent a day at the Community Learning Centre in AinsdaleAinsdale
Ainsdale-on-Sea is a village in the borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England, situated three miles south of Southport, of which it is a suburb. At the 2001 Census it had a population of 12,723.-Prior to 1600:...
with Story tellers who recorded the stories in both Polish and English, along with sound effects to create an audio book.
The images were then animated around the audio track and a dvd was created with 5 films in both English and Polish.
Screening
The project was completed with a celebration event that took place at the Plaza Community Cinema in Waterloo. The group were treated to a private showing of their Polish films before other guests and dignitaries were invited to a light buffet and a premiere of the films.Films available on Youtube
The Search (English) Wyprawa (Polski)The Journey in Search of Pollen (English) Podróz w Poszukiwaniu Pylku (Polski)
Inside Out (English) Inside Out (Polski)
Maya's Story (English) Historia Maji (Polski)
Golden Friends (English)Zloci przyjaciele (Polski)
Funding
Whimsical Arts and Geni-i submitted a funding bid to Express Sefton 08 in October 2008. The funding was aimed at cultural activities in celebration of Liverpool Capital of Culture year. Initial funding was granted which was then matched by Sefton Equalities Partnership through Children in NeedChildren in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
funding and Sefton Extended Services.
Feedback
The book and dvd were taken to Poland by the Mayor of Sefton and presented to the Mayor of GdanskGdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
. The dvd is also set to be included as part of a training programme called "Everyone Can Play" aimed at helping playworkers understand the difficulties children can face as a result of their cultural background, abilities etc.