Backyard wars

Magdalena Kreis – creative leader, educator and animator; initiator of the project. Her work is based on a following concept: let’s go from an idea to the implementation of it. She creates, coordinates and supports the delivery of various cultural initiatives. For over 9 years she has been creating her own projects in the field of contemporary art and design involving audiences of all ages, but most often she works with young audiences and their relatives – parents, care takers, teachers. She co-created, among others, the following projects: „3D czyli Dizajn Dla Dzieci” (BWA Wrocław Dizajn Gallery – a part of the BWA Wrocław Conteporaru Art Galleries network), „Sunday Matinées at WRO” and „Signals / The Interactive Playground” (the WRO Art Center), „The Little WRO” (The WRO Media Art Biennale), exhibition „Aż nuda się uda” (BWA Wrocław Dizajn Gallery), „BAZA” (Art Biennial for Children) and the online educational website dodizajnu.pl.

Agnieszka Kozak – psychologist, a graduate of the University of Wrocław. On a daily basis, she provides psychological support to parents and staff of the Wrocław School Complex. In 2017-2018, she co-created the project „Uwolnij Emocje” („Unleash the emotions”), leading year-round workshops in Wrocław primary schools to shape emotional intelligence in children. She completed the first degree of Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Covenant (NVC) training, which she uses in her everyday work.

Natalia Gołubowska – a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Wrocław in the faculties: Art mediation, Artistic education, Glass design. Founder of OZArt, i.e. the Open Art Department. She cooperates with many cultural institutions all over Poland. She is the author of numerous educational, artistic and social projects, including „Wołów – New York”, „Aktywny alfabet nie tylko dla najmłodszych”, „Akademia Młodego Artysty”, „Stuk puk otwórz drzwi, czyli otwarci w zamknięciu”. Innovator in the Generator of Innovation programme. Support networks with the „Po sąsiedzku – kieszeń wsparcia” project. Currently, she is a manager of the Komuny Paryskiej 45 Workshop.

Tomasz Opania – artist active in the filed of sculpture, installation, performance, public space and design. In 1994 he graduated from the State Higher School of Visual Arts in Wrocław (currently the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Wrocław – where he has been working since 1996). In 1994-1996 he also studied at Ecole Superieure / Arts Visuels in Geneva. His primar activity is creating tools for art: objects and interventions. He cooperates with experts from many fields, using various techniques in his projects, often only for the needs of one project. He treats his works as a commentary to current events and surrounding reality.

Karolina Balcer (http://karolinabalcer.com/) – a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Wrocław in the painting studio of Piotr Błażejewski and multimedia of Paweł Jarodzki (2014), as well as the inter-faculty doctoral studies at the same university (2017). She deals with painting, video, creates painting objects and installations in public space. Her activities include a high sensitivity to architecture as a tool for organizing social life. She balances on the border of what disturbs privacy and what gives us security, both in the sphere of recording someone’s personal image, interpersonal relations or shelter. Since 2015 he has been a co-creator of the Wykwit gallery. Since 2017 he has been a member of the management board of Wytwórnia Wykwitex.

Kuba Drzastwa (www.kubadrzastwa.pl) – cultural animator, pedagogue of theatre, designer, producer, coordinator and curator of cultural and theatre projects, as well as author of stage set design and accompanying music. He is interested in designing creative situations, activities on the border of arts and designing processes introducing innovative solutions. He cooperates with theatres, community centres, museums, foundations, private entities, schools and festivals. The main areas of interest are: design, education, temporary architecture and set design. This year, he is implementing the scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, developing a project in the field of cultural animation. He graduated from the History Faculty of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (2013) and postgraduate studies in Innovation Management – Design Management at the School of Form in Poznań (2015).

Marcin Koziński – cultural animator, historian and a curator of the Museum of Military in Białystok, author of temporary exhibitions, cultural and social programmes. Co-created by him „Wyrwa w pamięci” (2013) received the Sybil award and „Ścieżki 3Dostępu”  (2014) were nominated for the Historical Event of the Year 2015 award. His „Słowo historii. Fotoeseje” project was a winner of the Artistic Award of the President of the City of Białystok (2016). Scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage (2017).