Polish Theatre Foundation was established in 2013 by Paweł Szkotak. Initially, its activity was connected with Polish Theatre in Poznań. Since 2015, the Foundation has operated independently, engaging in the organisation and promotion of cultural and educational events. Its main goals are the promotion and support of culture and the arts in the country and abroad, as well as the popularisation of Polish cultural and intellectual achievements. These goals are pursued through the organisation of festivals and reviews, artistic workshops, meetings with practitioners and theorists, and impresario activities.
The Foundation collaborates with institutions representing various fields of the arts. Its flagship event for four consecutive years (2015-2018) was the International Festival of University Theatres in French - the largest festival of its kind in Europe and the only one of its kind in Poland. The mission of the festival was to create a European platform for the exchange of thoughts, experiences, building social connections, and pro-European attitudes. Its foundations, its space, and channels of communication were the City of Poznań, the French language, and theatre. The festival was also an impulse for the local community’s cultural and linguistic development, and became an important element of the worldwide promotion of the City of Poznań.
Karolina Wensierska
Executive Director
A Kashubian, theatre scholar, actress, choreographer, founder of Buried Dance Theatre, dance therapy instructor, and body & mind specialist. She is a guest lecturer at the Eugeniusz Piasecki University School of Physical Education in Poznań, in the Dance in Physical Culture program. A recipient of numerous scientific and artistic scholarships.
She completed the Virtual Graham Teacher Workshop at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York. For years, she has been actively promoting dance theatre not only in the artistic field but also through social, educational, and academic initiatives. She uses dance and movement as tools for identity development, nurturing creativity and decision-making, expanding body awareness, and deepening our relationship with the world and with others.
In her academic work, she researches the use of butoh dance in dance and movement therapy for individuals on the autism spectrum. A constant experimenter, she works with "wholeness" and seeks to help others through dance. A devoted admirer of Gombrowicz – and cats.
Marta Strzałko
Vice-executive Director
An actress, producer, and organizer of theatre and socially engaged art projects in dozens of countries across several continents. In 2008, she was awarded the Gloria Artis Medal by the Polish Minister of Culture.
Together with Teatr Biuro Podróży, she has taken part in some of the world’s most renowned theatre festivals and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Herald Archangel Award in 2018 – the highest distinction granted at the Edinburgh Fringe festivals.