Relief, well-being, and inner peace are rooted in good relationships – both with ourselves and others. To emphasize the multidimensional nature of needs and experiences, we would like to invite you into two spaces: to a place of introspection, mindfulness and creativity in our courtyard and to the joyful Foksal Street.
We have scheduled an open-air dance, teeming with energy and blending various musical and ethnic realms (Hajda Banda, Sw@da x Niczos), an escape room for the whole family, challenges in the atmospheric Tower of Riddles, a concert of the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II Choir, which will engage in a musical dialogue between the cultures of Eastern and Western Europe, and workshops to help you unwind and catch your breath on this eventful day.
EVENT PROGRAM
- 13:00-22:00 – Escape room „The Secret of Happiness” (requires prior registration on the website, registration form will be available from May 7 at 12:00)
- 13:00-22:00 – „Creatio” – exhibition of posters by Marek Maciejczyk
- 16:00-20:00 – Calligraphy workshop (requires prior registration, registration form will be available from May 7 at 12:00)
- 16:00-22:00 – Tower of Puzzles and Contemplation
- 17:00-19:00 – Threading the Moment – open performative activity
- 19:00-20:30 – Dance party with the band Hajda Banda / Гайда Банда
- 21:00-22:00 – Concert by Sw@da x Niczos
- 22:15-23:00 – Concert by the Choir of The Centre for the Thought of John Paul II
WHAT DO WE INVITE YOU TO?
ESCAPE ROOM – ‘THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS’
Who among us wouldn’t want to find the secret to happiness? A simple recipe, a set of tips, a universal message to push troubles and hardships away.
Would you like to experience happiness and ponder on how important it is to you? Is it at arm’s reach or do you have to work to achieve it?
A letter written by a famous art collector and retrieved by chance will allow you to unravel that mystery. You don’t have to search far, just take a look around the art collector’s old office. If you need a clue as to what to do in order to be happy – go exploring.
EXHIBITION OF DESIGN POSTERS
A display of the very best original posters created by Marek Maciejczyk, a graphic artist who has been working with the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II since 2019. His works can be found in museums, galleries and private collections. He has shown his craft at numerous exhibitions and art reviews all over the world.
A CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Calligraphy, or the art of meticulous and beautiful writing, allows you to wind down in the rush of everyday life, and it can serve as a means to exercise mindfulness and personal development. During the workshop, participants will learn about the history of calligraphy, and how to use the tools (nibs, holders and inks). They will also practice writing, starting with simple lines and progressing to entire words.
The effect of the joint work – a quote related to the Night of Museums at the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II, will adorn the courtyard later during this special day.
Conducted by Sister Beata Zawiślak
THREADING THE MOMENT
An open-ended performative activity that will engage you in the collaborative creation of a unique light art installation. Participants will work with various materials, such as LED lights and transparent fabrics, to create a symbolic representation of being ‘here and now’ woven out of fleeting moments. The collective action will also be an opportunity to put down your phones and practice mindfulness through reflection and creating a shared space of encounter.
Conducted by Julia Andruszko
TOWER OF RIDDLES AND CONTEMPLATION
Solve a cypher hidden in the mysterious tower reminiscent of a staircase to a medieval scriptorium, located in the courtyard of the 19th-century Art House. You only have 15 minutes to solve three task stages, find the keyword and claim your prize. The main theme is little-known quotations by Karol Wojtyła on contemplative life: how do we find what is crucial and uplifting for us in a hectic world, how do we look for answers to questions about meaning? Historical memorabilia will aid your search: a fragment of an audio recording, a scan of an old document, a historical photograph. You will need a smartphone with internet access.
A DANCE WITH HAJDA BANDA / ГАЙДА БАНДА
Hajda Banda / Гайда Банда is a Belarusian-Polish group performing traditional dance and songs from Podlasie, Western Belarus and Polesie. Old polkas, obereks, hymns and songs are performed with youthful energy and artistic finesse drawn from archival recordings and from meetings with masters of rural music. The ensemble features acoustic regional instruments: violin, three-row button accordion, cimbalom and frame drum. The world’s only ‘Podlasie big band’ draws its inspiration from artists such as Vera Grygoruk, Edmund Brożek, Stanislav V. Malenczyk, or the ‘Żemerwa’ Studio of Traditional Folklore of Podlasie Belarusians.
SW@DA X NICZOS CONCERT
#indawoods is a unique, bass-driven story by two artists: Sw@da – a Polish-Colombian producer nominated for a Fryderyk Award in 2023 for his album Sad, and Niczos – an extremely talented singer and rapper from Podlasie, who co-creates club arrangements enriching them with elements of traditional singing and rap in Podlachian and Belarusian. Originating from Podlasie, the duo refers strongly to the magic of their region but juxtaposes the traditional elements with a modern, electronic sound.
CONCERT OF THE CENTRE FOR THE THOUGHT OF JOHN PAUL II CHOIR
During a short concert, the Choir will present a dialogue between the cultures of Eastern and Western Europe. Attendees of the Night of Museums will be able to hear works from different periods and regions: from medieval Frankish and Byzantine monodies, through Baroque and Romantic polyphonic works, all the way to contemporary choral literature. Western (Roman Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) repertoires will be performed in pairs, to show points of commonality and correspondence as well as differences. The finale will be a piece called 'Hallelujah’ (‘Alliłuja’) by Romuald Twardowski combining the two repertoires.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE CENTRE FOR THE THOUGHT OF JOHN PAUL II
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE CAPITAL CITY OF WARSAW JOHN PAUL II SCHOLARSHIPS
We are the administrator of the Capital City of Warsaw John Paul II scholarships intended for Warsaw’s school and university students who, despite difficult economic conditions, achieve academic, artistic and sporting successes or are involved in community activities and simultaneously maintain high academic results. Scholarship beneficiaries can also participate in the scholarship programme which, for example, helped create today’s escape room. This year, the call for applications will take place in the following days:
– for school students: 21 June – 31 July 2024
– for university students: 1 September – 10 October 2024
III SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL UNDER A SHARED SKY
In the summer, on Wednesday evenings, you are welcome to our courtyard for the third edition of the Summer Film Festival Under a Shared Sky. We will set up loungers and watch films from the countries that keep bringing us more and more visitors. The schedule also includes conversations with experts: film specialists, cultural studies specialists, travellers and social activists. We start on July 10th!
ORTHODOX MUSIC CONCERT
We are active in Warsaw’s music scene. The core of our choir’s repertoire consists of works by contemporary Polish composers, but this year we are also drawing on the Orthodox tradition. If you enjoyed the choir’s performance today, join us for an Orthodox music concert, where we will join forces with the Varslavia Orthodox Music Ensemble and the Warsaw University Academic Choir.
The concert will take place on May 26th at 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary Magdalene, al. Solidarności 52.
PREMIERE OF THE ‘MYŚL W CENTRUM’ MAGAZINE
We encourage you to subscribe to our new magazine 'Myśl w Centrum’ (‘Thought in the Centre’), dedicated to socio-scientific topics. The theme of the first issue: ‘Europe – unity or disintegration?’. Special guest: Chantal Delsol.
Read more at: centrumjp2.pl
