THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS OF POLISH CHILDREN FOLK ENSEMBLES

Abstract

The result of Poles' emigration was a constant homesick of a family country. It caused the formation of Polonia communities cultivating national traditions. Through the cooperation of the Polonia with organizations and social communities in Poland, it was possible to maintain the Polonia communication with the home country. The best way to maintain the national identity was the presence of Polonia in the homeland. The folklore festivals organized in Podkarpacie served this purpose perfectly. The aim of this work is to present the history as well as the organization and process of Festivals of Polish Children Folk Ensembles. The research material consists of source documents collected in the Documentation Center of the Polish Art Movement of the “Wspolnota Polska” Association (branch in Rzeszow). The “Wspolnota Polska” Association sought to cooperate with Polish and Polish-American organizations in order to create Polish community festivals in Poland. An example of such a festival was the Festival of Children's Polish Folklore Groups. These festivals were organized in Iwonicz-Zdroj due to the infrastructure of the spa. Concerts were held in many cities of the Podkarpacie region. The organizers of the festival were: the Provincial Office in Krosno, the Municipal Office in Krosno, the City and Commune Office in Iwonicz-Zdroj and the Provincial Culture Center in Krosno. Local authorities, as well as private and individual companies, were also involved in its organizations. Individual tasks were dealt with by committees set up by the Festival's organizing office. The festival program consisted of contests, gala concerts and a number of accompanying events. Every year, 6-17 children's ensembles participated in the festivals. The Festivals of Polish Children Folk Ensembles was a chance for Polish children to get to know and cultivate the traditions of their ancestors. Children also had the opportunity to interact with their peers from Poland and exchange experiences, as well as practice Polish.