7:50pm Monday 14th September 2009
By Sophie Edwards
A THREE-DAY celebration of Polish culture, art, and food was wrapped up in style with a big picnic in Priory Park.
Over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Southend held its first Polish festival to promote and celebrate all things Polish.
Southend is twinned with the coastal spa town of Sopot, near Gdansk in Poland, and with an estimated 3,000 Polish people living in the district, it is hoped the event will become an annual tradition.
The event was organised by the arts group Hungry Arts and Southend Council.
Visitors could chill out, munch on Polish sausages, eat sauerkraut, and wash it all down with a selection of Polish beer, while enjoying a variety of entertainment, from traditional Polish dancers, to young Polish bands, youth theatre groups, and art and circus skills workshops.
There were also craft stalls selling Polish ceramics and jewellery.
Another highlight was an outdoor theatre performance by 30 Bird Productions, called Chodzenie-Siberia, exploring the relationship between Polish and Iranian cultures after Stalin released 1.5 million Polish prisoners from Siberia in 1941, and told them to travel 3,500 miles to Iran.
Ros Green, from Hungry Arts, said: “It’s been very, very busy all weekend. The main idea is to have a big celebration that brings everyone together in a fun and creative environment.
“It’s about bringing artists together and making Southend a hotbed of creativity.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.echo-news.co.uk