Polish Festivals/Exhibitions/Events in UK

PD, if you want something in your neck of the woods, why don't you organise something?

I don't know what sort of thing though!

I didn't say I wanted anything up here. I just said it won't be easy for me to get to London that weekend.

Although, I would like something up here similar to Positively Poland. If it were so easy to organise...

I read about this event before - I'm not sure about it, to be honest... it's a bit of everthing... tourism... business... finance.... culture... property...... medical tourism.....

My opinion is that it is trying to be too many things to too many people. If I were a Brit considering a short break in Poland, would I attend? Probably not. Would Poles in the UK attend - I'm not convinced, as I probably wouldn't attend a Brit event if I were an expat somewhere.

I might pop along if there is going to be some decent food and I've got nothing else on that day.

The organiser is really going to have to put some effort into attracting visitors... Earls Court is a drafty old place if you don't fill it with people.

Hm Positively Poland, is that the same as Negatively Norway?

:)

M-G (sorry, couldn't resist)

Yes I wondered about this too. Although, I imagine there will be a chance to try some Polish food and buy Polish jewellery etc. I think there is a lot that could be learned from it.

Although I would say that if you live in the area or would be in the area at the time and considered a holiday to Poland (for exmaple) that you should attend. However, if anyone did go it would be good to hear how opinions on the whole event.


True...so I wonder if they already expect it to be busy...

I looked at the exhibitor list - there didn't to be all that many for such a large venue. I went to a similar event about to China at Earls Court a couple of years ago when I was doing a lot of business there, and it suffered from the same problem of identity crisis.... a mix of business / investment and food and culture and hardly anyone through the door.

PD, are you an event organiser? I think that there could be a niche market for a smaller event or festival, maybe focusing on food and drink etc. Perhaps something to encourage non-Poles to check out the Polish section of their supermarket for instance. At the same time, there is probably also scope to hold an event dedicated to business and investment etc. But that should really be a separate entity.

This is the problem. All the organising in the world won't get people through the door. So what will?


No I'm not (my friend is). I agree with you that there is a gap here in the UK for a good Polish festival. Personally I would have music, food with maybe some stalls with homemade art, jewellery. Taste of Polonia in Chicago is a good example of what I mean but obviously anything here would be on a much smaller scale and probably one day would do it.

I really do think that the music and the food would be the big draw.

A Polish festival would be better in an already established Polish community. There are areas of the UK with such people.
Wouldn't it be an idea to get in touch with one of these communities. I mean there are long standing Polish clubs in, for example, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Someone should make a phone call and maybe get something started for next year.

Usually a freebie... I went to the Vitality Show last year and bloody hell... the women there were like vulchers... all for a sachet of hair removal cream or a tea bag LOL!!


I agree... howabout something for the Summer, like fruitstock with a Polish twist? fruitstock.co.uk


But wouldn't that exclude people like me? I'm not Polish, and my neighbourhood isn't particularly Polish.

Surely a great bit of PR for Poland (if that is the aim of the event other than to generate some revenue) to get non-Poles into Polish food and drink and checking out a few bands etc that they wouldn't usually see.

No. My point is that they are the best people to help [us] because they might have the contacts etc.

I'm actually saying that we or someone on the forum can organize, with help, a new festival.

OK, fair point then. I could be interesting in getting involved - as a non-Pole in central London who travels to Poland fairly regularly and does business there, and just wants to get more into the culture.

I think that it would be better to have it out with a Polish community but I do think that getting in touch with some Polish clubs etc would be a good idea, I can see what I can do up here.


Yeah I agree with that. Of course an entry fee would be unavoidable but some freebies once inside would help ;)



Yes, I could also be interested in setting something up. I quite like the look of the fruit stock festival. It's schedule looks busy and anything that is set up would have to have a full schedule to first make people interested in attending and keeping them going once they get there.

I posted this link in another thread Scottish Festival:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7240483.stm
If they do get Polish bands to play here, the level of interest in it would indicate the partial level of interest in something bigger and more Poland specific.

OK. I will attend the PD Polish Festival for:

Polish music... traditional and modern
Polish beer
Polish food
Polish/British business contacts.
The chance to meet one or two Polish celebs.

Given a little time: I'd like to see a web-page, press coverage etc before being convinced it would work.

Exactly, it's a massive job which most of us can't commit to. You'd be talking next year or even the year after really...

Me too - Thinking about the Positively event, I guess Earls Court (with the usual format - corportate stands, goodie bags etc) would be a rather stuffy format. but if it was a bit more fun... a bit like a mini Glasto, it would be worth checking out.

Anyone going to this? I'm still thinking about it....

I'd like to say I was but at the moment it's a no. Which is a shame. If you do go though, give a little report back :)

I think it's £7.50 each per day so it's not over-priced (IMHO).

Sure - I'll do a report... I might even post some photos....

Aren't there enough native exhibitionists in the UK ? ;)

Yep it would be nice to have a fair idea of what it is actually about. Photo's would be a good idea too :)


Lucky then, that they won't have anything to do with this :)

yup - and I'm one of them LOL!!

Hi! We just had a great evening at a event called Celebration of Cultures, organised by Polish students fo University of Huddersfield. It was a lovely time for all - British, Irish, French, Slovaks, Czechs and of course Polish who turned up in third generation already. If you are preparing something in London - why not! Good luck.

By the way i would like to ask some Polish guys (no offence to other nations but this is part of my disertation focused on Labour Migration PL - UK) to spend few minutes on following questionare - would be real help for me.

Thanks

Migracja sily roboczej - Polska – Wielka Brytania

Mam na imie Lukas Vanek i jestem studentem trzeciego roku BA European Bussiness na Uniwersytecie w Huddersfield. Obecnie jestem w trakcie pisania koncowej pracy zaliczeniowej i ta ankieta stanowi jej glowna czesc, ktora pomoze mi w zebraniu informacji na temat podejmowania decyzji o migracji i jej ekonomicznych uwarunkowaniach.

Ankieta ta jest anonimowa i wszystkie uzyskane na jej podstawie informacje beda poufne, uzyte jedynie na potrzeby mojej pracy badawczej.
Wypelnienie tego kwestionariusza nie powinno zajac wiecej niz 5-10 minut.
FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=lcwrwug4u1ynhnt426647
Dienky bardzo!

Hey folks, I know this is a long time off but this is one production in Polish (with English supertitles) that will be taking place at the Edinburgh Festival this year. :)

eif.co.uk/event/kr%C3%B3l-roger.html - Krol Roger

If you live in or around London you may be interested in Kinoteka which is currently underway. :)

there is actually all these performances in polish at the edinburgh festival

Krol Roger on the 25th and 27th August 715pm this was originally staged by Opera Wrocławska and this performance is done by the Mariinsky Opera Company

its a staged performance sung in polish with english supertitles

Dybbuk on the 9th and 11th August 730pm at the Kings Theatre is based on a play by szymon anski and a short story by hanna krall performed in polish with english supertitles cast in this includes Magdalena Cielecka and Andrzej Chyra recently seen in oscar nomintaed Katyn

4.48 Psychosis on the 15th and 17th August 8pm at the Kings Theatre performed in polish with english supertitles

This is very true and I had read about the others after I posted Krol Roger. Thanks for adding the others :) Probably out of the three I'll go to 4.48 Psychosis :)

i was interested in that one to be honest lmao

i picked up the magazine on the festival a few weeks ago in town at the tourist info centre to flick through on bus after college :)

They're really advertising a lot already, I've noticed this.


Yes, I might book tickets. I'll take a Polish friend because I'll lose track of the supertitles for sure :)

Anyone else going to Positively Poland this weekend?

i forgot it was on so i wont be making it unfortunately ....

Think I'll pop along later today... I'll report back....

Right, I'm back (didn't make it yesterday, so went along today). My verdict? £10 to pick up some flyers about making cheap calls to Poland (none of which are cheaper than the 0844 number that I use to make landline calls for £0.05 a minute)... somebody's having a laugh!! Really, if you were thinking about going, I'd suggest that you don't waste your time.

So they didn't have any other exhibitions? Just cheap phonecalls?