Looking for our roots
‘We want to know our identity. To understand why we are the way we are and not different. And our Polish roots are deeply rooted in the countryside, where the words that make up our language were born, where the customs, traditions and attitudes that differentiate the people of this land from their neighbours were formed. It is in the countryside, where generations have been attached to the land and landscape, hard work, the rhythm of nature and dependence on the seasons, that the source of our identity beats,’ writes Edward Wojtaszek in his book ‘Treasures of the Tarnogród scene’.
It is good to know that there is something that sets us apart from other societies and cultures. And although part of this ‘stream’ flows through noble manors, the main current flows through peasant cottages. This is where our heart beats, this is where we come from and these are the values we want to guard.

Village assemblies and the amateur theatre movement preserve this heritage, cultivate it and ensure that it is not forgotten. Is there a place that binds together the desire to search for identity and the love of theatre that comes from the people? It is Tarnogród. A town that has a history, a rich tradition and where the inhabitants treat their culture in a special way. Here, for many years, Wladyslaw Dubaj created and worked here, who did a great deal for folk culture, rituals, songs and the preservation of intangible heritage. The good climate of the town made it possible to recreate an amateur theatre, then the Senior Citizens’ Club, the Fire Brigade Brass Band. A dance group, a vocal circle and an art circle were also created. The Tarnogród Cultural Centre was recognised as a national model institution. Władysław Dubaj started the machine and went further. He looked after folklore groups and folk artists. And so it began. His new passion became intangible cultural heritage, and basically making sure it lasts.
Origins
The assemblies have been safeguarding intangible cultural heritage since their inception, but since 2012, on the initiative of Professor Katarzyna Smyk, research and educational activities related to the recognition of the function of reviews (including theatre reviews) in terms of the provisions of the 2003 UNESCO Convention safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage have been launched on a larger scale. In 2012, Professor Smyk organised the first workshop in the country for experts from non-governmental organisations and cultural institutions on the 2003 UNESCO Convention on public consultation and application for inscription. One of the participants was the director of the Tarnogród Cultural Centre, Renata Ćwik. In 2017, a groundbreaking conference ‘Festivals, competitions, reviews and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage’ was held in Lublin, where, for the first time, activities safeguarding heritage within the framework of rural theatre groups were presented in such a broad forum.

Assemblies (Sejmikowanie) entered in the Register of Good Practices
Following Poland’s ratification of the Convention, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage entrusted the National Heritage Institute with maintaining the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the National Register of Good Practices in Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In June 2018 – by a decision of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage – the Assemblies of Rural Theatre Groups and the nationwide movement of rural amateur theatre groups were included in the National Register of Good Practices in Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in accordance with the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This unique event – assemblies (sejmikowanie} is the first entry in the Polish Register of Good Practices.

Caring for our identity
The assembly and movement of rural amateur theatres safeguarding of all expressions of intangible cultural heritage listed in the UNESCO 2003 Convention. The performances feature the local language (dialect, vernacular), songs, songs and legends, as well as fairy tales, riddles or proverbs. The groups perform songs, bands are heard, games and dances are shown. The performances feature traditional ways of greeting and saying goodbye, welcoming guests and making wishes. We watch celebrations in the family, home and community; practices concerning ‘planting’ or ‘moving in’ to a new home. Scenarios for theatrical productions abound with practices relating to nature, e.g. weather and harvest predictions, stories about how to grow and process flax, for example.
Knowledge and skills related to traditional crafts are also brought to life on stage. Traditional crafts, handicrafts (carpentry, shoe repair, roofing, cooker repair, flax spinning) and arts (embroidery, lace, tissue paper, painting, Easter eggs) are presented. The audience can observe ancient household chores (making and repairing brooms, threshing with flails, making butter, sharpening a scythe, hacking feathers, sweeping, baking bread, etc.).
The theatrical performance is already the final result of many months of work, which perpetuates the forms of manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. The theatre performance safeguards this heritage from the dangers of the modern world. This is why the amateur rural theatre movement, together with the national assemblage, has proven itself as a form of cultivating local heritage, while the performance of folk theatre seals the assemblage community.






Bearers’ work
Work on the performances takes place: in village halls, community centres, Voluntary Fire Brigade halls, among the bearers themselves, focusing on those elements of tradition that they themselves consider important and worthy of passing on to future generations. The bearers also take care of documentation and educational work. During the Assemblies, on the other hand, the artists participate in open meetings and workshops, where conversation and the exchange of views are of the utmost importance.
The Assemblies of Polish Rural Theatres have rebuilt and transformed theatre in the Polish countryside for over 40 years. The uniqueness of this theatre lies in the fact that everything that happens on stage is not only a performance, but also preserves indigenous culture and restores its presence in the culture. The effectiveness of this endeavour is best illustrated by its longevity and the number of ensembles that have performed on the stages over this period.




The results are impressive
Since 1984, nearly 1,500 groups have presented themselves at regional assemblies, and audiences have had the opportunity to see almost 1,700 diverse performances. A total of 500 performances have taken place during the All-Poland Assemblies of Polish Rural Theatres.

All-Poland events are a showcase for the rural theatre movement, thanks to which they also have a promotional function – they attract numerous observers: journalists, cultural animators, representatives of academic centres. This translates into a strengthening of the association of the ensemble members with their local heritage. The Sejmik movement was born thanks to the involvement of – folk culture animators, academics, local government officials, non-profit organisations and public institutions, at local, regional and national levels. Its cornerstones are village theatre groups, whose members pass on traditions to younger generations in the form of a performance. They are supported in this by municipal authorities, instructors, local cultural institutions, schools, NGOs, teachers and parishes.



