Last Sunday, members of the Community Development Team attended Leicester City’s Polish Heritage Day event to learn about and to celebrate Poland’s culture and contributions to UK society.
Project Polska, an organisation that aims to empower and to improve the wellbeing of the Polish community in Leicestershire, prepared an elegant stage setup in the beautifully decorated Victorian Art Gallery inside New Walk Museum.
Seated among the audience, the Community Development Team were able to enjoy an afternoon of gorgeous music, thought-provoking presentations, and delicious Polish cakes!
An informative afternoon, delicious polish cakes to sample and an amazing pianist Mariko, who played piano music composed by Chopin. I enjoyed it all!
Jess Strutt, Youth Homelessness Development Officer, Community Development Team
Following a series of introductory addresses, including from the Lord Mayor of Leicester City George Cole and Polish Vice-Consul Patryk Gowin, event attendees were treated to a fascinating lecture by Professor Kathy Burrell, Reader in Human Geography at the University of Liverpool, regarding the development of Leicester’s Polish community since 1945.
Immediately after, students from the Polish Saturday School EduOwls delivered an insightful presentation on the life and achievements of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, including his 1848 tour of Great Britain. The Community Development Team were able to expand further their knowledge of Chopin’s contributions to music with the “#LikeChopin” exhibition featured at the event.
Finally, the Team had the privilege of experiencing Chopin’s brilliance first-hand, in hearing a set of his solo piano works performed by the brilliant Japanese pianist, Mariko Terashi.
With the presentations concluded, the Community Development Team were able to spend the remainder of the event sampling a spread of mouth-watering Polish cakes and speaking with fellow attendees, including members of the Leicester City Polish community and representatives of several local community groups and businesses.
It was a truly wonderful event! I found it to be a really valuable opportunity to learn more about the ways our Polish communities contribute to culture and society in Leicestershire and the UK. Mariko Terashi’s mini-concert in particular was absolutely breath-taking!
Edgar Roberts, Project Support Officer, Community Development Team
The Community Development Team is committed to empowering and supporting Leicestershire’s Polish community, alongside all its immigrant and ethnic minority communities, in the enormous contributions they make to Britain’s society, culture, and economy. We hope to further deepen our ties with groups such as Project Polska so that, together, we can build a more inclusive Leicestershire that celebrates the diversity of our communities.
#TogetherWeCan
For more information about getting involved in our Community Development Work please contact:
Email: Neetu@Leicestershirecares.co.uk
Tel: 07834 181041
To learn more about Community Development work, please click the links below:
#BagsOfHope | Leicestershire Cares
Bridging the digital divide. | Leicestershire Cares
Leicestershire Cares Eggstravaganza Campaign 2022 | Leicestershire Cares