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A look back at another successful edition of the Shakespeare and Poland Festival which took place in Stratford-upon-Avon on the weekend of the 24th-25th June 2023.
Building on last year's unveiling of a statue of Shakespeare contemporary, Jan Kochanowski, a polish poet and playwright, in Anne Hathway's Cottage Garden, the 2023 festival featured three great events, two of which celebrated Kochanowski: the "ShakesPEERS Picnic: Celebrating Jan Kochanowski, Shakespeare, and the Natural World" in Anne Hathaway's Cottage Garden, organised in partnership with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and a staging of an English translation (by Charles Kraszewski), of Jan Kochanowski's play 'The Dismissal of Grecian Envoys" , which was also the first drama ever written in the Polish language in 1578. The play was directed by Jason Morell and the event, which took play at The Bear Pit Theatre, was also supported by the Polish Book Institute (Instytut Ksiazki).
The Closing Gala of this year's festival was a "Fundraising Concert for Ukraine in Support of Ambulance Aid and Medical Aid Ukraine" featuring acclaimed and multi award-winning pianist and Steinway artist Lucas Krupinski playing pieces by Chopin and Ukrainian soprano Inna Husieva signing songs by Ukrainian composers. This event was organised in partnership with community organisation Copernicana CIC.
All proceeds from ticket sales of "The Dismissal of the Grecian Envoys" and the "Charity Gala Concert" went to Ambulance Aid and Medical Aid Ukraine to help them buy their 18th ambulance and medical supplies to send to Ukraine.
Video produced and edited by Marcin Urban (urbanrec.eu)
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