20 milion zloties for the Theatre modernization!
On 21 December we signed an agreement concerning the Powszechny Theatre’s modernization. The project „Powszechny Theatre in Lodz Revitalization – Polish Comedy Centre – Regional Centre of Theatre Education” starts next year. The agreement was signed by the Lodz Province marshal Mr Witold Stępień, deputy mayor of the City of Lodz Mr Krzysztof Piątkowski and Ms Ewa Pilawska, director of Powszechny Theatre. More than 13,4 milion zloties come from the European Regional Fund, the city’s contribution amounts to more than 6,15 milion zloties.
The project is funded by the European Union funds – Regional Operational Programme of the Lodz Province in 2014-2020 and by the City of Lodz.
- We will be able to carry on our long standing and consistent development strategy thanks to the openness and cooperation of Ms Hanna Zdanowska, the mayor of the city of Lodz and Mr Witold Stępień – director Ewa Pilawska said. As e-theatre portal says, „thanks to EU money and long standing theatre’s efforts a few years ago the Small Stage of Powszechny Theatre was opened. It appeared to be a very needed place for the theatre and for the city’s inhabitants. It made the development of many social and educational projects come true. As Ewa Pilawska says, Powszechny Theatre’s motto is „Theatre close to people”. For years we have carried on many social projects such as the Reading theatre for people with poor eyesight and blind, spectacles for pensioners, spectacles for the unemployed, workshops for charges of MONAR [a Polish non-governmentalorganization focused on helping drug addicts, the homeless, those who are HIVpositive or who have AIDS]. During the season we have theatre lessons and workshops. For many years we have carried on the Child in a situation project which is addressed to young viewers. Ewa Pilawska adds that thanks to the modernization the theatre will be able to carry on consecutive items of the long standing development strategy” – the portal says. „The money the theatre gets will make it possible to modernize and extend the Big Stage. According to Ms Pilawska when the project is finished the Big Stage will become one of the most modern theatre stages in Poland. The capacity and technical potential will allow the production of most complicated spectacles. As Ewa Pilawska says it will contribute to the development of Polish Comedy Centre in Powszechny Theatre – the centre which many outstanding theatre creators (to mention Juliusz Machulski, Radosław Paczocha, Maciej Wojtyszko and Krystyna Meissner among others) have cooperated with”, the e-theatre portal says.
The construction works will start next year. The spectacles on the Small Stage will be produced in the theatre, the spectacles from the Big Stage will be moved to a temporary stage in the former Baltyk cinema. In accordance with the project the administration space will be modernized and guest rooms for the artists will be built.
„Polish Comedy Centre has been looking for the new language of the genre. This modernization is necessary for us to continue our artistic development – Ewa Pilawska says. She also says that the modernization will contribute to the development of International Festival of Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant – one of the oldest professional theatre festivals in Poland – which has been organized by Powszechny Theatre” – the e-theatre portal sums up.
