Regional Culture Centre in Bielsko-Biała has been running for over 35 years .It is the main organizer and co-organizer of many reviews and festivals, among other Presentations of Carol and Ceremonial Ensembles ‘Żywiec Festivities’, Provincial Review of Children’s Folklore in Wisła, the Regional Review of Rural Artistic Groups in Brenna, International Choir Competition “Gaude Cantem ‘ and The Beskids Highlanders” Culture Week in Wisła, Szczyrk, Żywiec, Maków Podhalański and Oświęcim. The Beskids Highlanders” Culture Week folklore festival is the largest and one of the oldest folk events in Poland. Two competitions are held in the framework of the festival, inter alia, Polish Highlanders” Folklore Festival and the International Folk Meetings. Over a hundred folk groups participate in it, including more than twenty foreign ensembles, instrumentalists and folk artists.
The RCC organized several art competitions of photography, folk art festivals, exhibitions and fairs on an international level and scope. Regional Culture Centre in Bielsko-Biała organized a lot of competitions, art contests of photography, folk art (also on international level and scope). The Culture Centre also organizes fairs and exhibitions of folk art in the country and abroad. The seat for exhibitions has been located in the Culture Center”s Art Gallery since 1990. More than 200 exhibitions has been organized here. There is also a permanent exhibition of contemporary Polish folk toys, prepared as a part of The Beskidian Folk Toy Centre. The Regional Centre of Culture is the organizer of numerous workshops and training, including largely folklore education.
For years The Beskids” Folk School classes of manual training (glass painting, ritual art) have taken place involving children, adolescents and adults.It is also conducted extensive publishing activity, which resulted in numerous exhibition catalogues, folders, events, publications of books and periodicals, including the quarterly ‘Relationships-Interpretations’ and annual named “Cultural Calendar of Silesian Province”. RCC is an administrator of website www.silesiakultura.pl leading portal on culture of Silesia, including regularly updated data base and keeps the edited service information and current affairs. The second site is www.etnofoto.net, a compendium of knowledge about traditional culture of Polish, Czech and Slovak borderland.
The RCC in Bielsko-Biała is a cultural institution of local government of Upper Silesia. Therefore, the activities of the RRC is largely funded by the Executive Board of the Silesian Province. A notable additions to the financial means are collected annually in grant competitions. Many important and valuable projects were realized thanks to means coming from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, the International Visegrad Fund and the European Union cross-border programmes.
Regional Culture Centre in Bielsko-Biala is the organizer and co-organizer of:
Beskidy Highlanders Week of Culture in Wisla, Szczyrk, Zywiec, Makow Podhalański, Auschwitz, Istebna, Ujsoły and Jablunkov (the Czech Republic),
Traditional Carol Ensemble Review called “Gody Żywieckie” in Żywiec and Milowka,
Regional Review of Children’s Folklore in Wisła,
Regional Review of Rural Artistic Groups in Brenna,
Competition on Easter Palms in Gilowice,
Folk Story Tellers Meetings and Unique Folk Music Instruments Performance Competition
International Choir Festival “Cantem Gaude”,
Preliminary of National Recitation Contest ,
National Recitation Contest for high school students’ Awakening to Life,
Young Actor’s Laboratory in Wodzislaw Slaski,
competitions,training, workshops, courses.
The Centre is a publisher of:
periodical “Relationships – Interpretations” (since 2006),
annual “Cultural Calendar of Silesian Province (since 2000),
books, albums, catalogues, folders.
The Centre is the administrator and editor of portals and sites:
www.silesiakultura.pl
www.etnofoto.net
www.naszlakachtradycji.art.pl
www.tkb.art.pl
www.beskidzkitrojkat.art.pl
www.ri.art.pl
In addition the Centre runs:
Art Gallery (since 1990),
Beskidian Centre of Folk Toy (since 1993),
Beskidian School of Folklore.
For its work, Regional Culture Centre in Bielsko-Biala has been honoured with many diplomas and prizes e.g.:
Honorary diplomas of the Minister of Culture and Art (1988, 1993)
Oskar Kolberg Prize (1999),
Golden Honorary Medal for Merit in the Province of Silesia (2009),
Gold Medal of Honour of the Polish Association of Choirs and Orchestras (2008).
