Already for the 5th time the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre invites for the Baltic Meetings of Illustrators.
Meetings are a great place to promote the most interesting achievements of illustrators from all over the world, mostly focusing  on books for children - the most sensitive readers.

The main subject of this year’s edition will be humor and laughter in children’s books. What kind of humor children like most and is it similar to those of book writers? Is laughter really necessary in the books for kids? If yes, then why? Why humorous books are written so often with such a  pleasure? Are there any limits of humor? Those questions we will address to our guests who will take part in various discussions and presentations.

The special guest of the Meetings will be Bohdan Butenko – great Polish illustrator, graphic artist, author of comics and other books, screenwriter, dolls’ designer and scene-painter, who created many characters, for example Gapiszon and Korniszon or Gucio and Cezar. Everyone will  have a chance to see Butenko’s works during two exhibitions that we've prepared: in the Baltic Sea Culture Centre (Korzenna Street 33/35) and in the Academy of Fine Arts (Chlebicka Street, Galery).

Many famous, talented and acknowledged artists announced their visits, amongst them: Tomasz Broda, Ignacy Czwartkos, Agata Dudek, Marta Ignerska, Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński, Ewa Stiasny, Joanna Rzyska, Salla Savolainen (Finland), Francois Soutif (France). There will also be presented a situation of illustrated books in Russia.

Our guests’ and other well-known artists’ books from Trójmiasto will be available to buy at the special bookstall.

Our meetings with illustrators in October are the second part of the project: during the first part, in springtime, many workshops and competitions took place. As the effect - postcards and posters illustrating the humorous side of Gdansk were printed.

We certainly didn't forget about children! They are invited to participate in workshops both in the Baltic Sea Culture Centre and Cafe Fikcja in Wrzeszcz.


P R O G R A M M E

time: 21 October
place: Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, Korzenna Str. 33/35, Gdansk

• 3.00pm > discussion about humor and limits of absurdity in childrens’ books > debate with participation of illustrators, writers and educators > Małgorzata Cackowska will lead the conversation
• 5.00pm > conversation with Bohdan Butenko > hosts: Iwona Hardej (Bromba portal) and Janusz Górski (Fine Arts Academy)
• 6.00pm > opening of Bohdan Butenko’s exhibitions in the BSCC and Fine Ars Academy

time: 22 October
place: Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, Korzenna Str. 33/35, Gdansk
motto: We draw and draw... Illustrators about themselves

• 9.00am-1.00pm
  
  • Maria Kulik (President of Polish section of IBBY) – What are the subjects on the IBBY Congress?
  • Ewa Stiasny, Joanna Rzyska (Dwie Siostry Publishing House) – How nice it is to ba a publisher
    
  • Marta Ignerska – About humor in illustrations - based on a book Chopin i jego muzyka (Chopin and his music)
    
  • Salla Savolainen (Finland) – In dog's park
    
  • Tomasz Broda – Brodaway

• 3.00pm–6.00pm
  
  • Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy – Hiporoboty
  • Agata Dudek – illustrations
  • Swetlana Sergaczewa, Albert Tainikow (Russia) – Children literature and publishing a literary magazine for children in Kaliningrad
    
  • What's interesting in Gdansk? – presentation of new books of the Gdansk based illustrators

time: 21, 22 October
place: Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, Korzenna Str. 33/35, Gdansk

• a book fair

time: 23 October
WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN

place: Cafe Fikcja, Wrzeszcz, Grunwaldzka Str. 99/101

• 10.00am–2.00pm
  
  • Salla Savolainen
    
  • Ewa Stiasny, Joanna Rzyska
  • Agata Dudek

place: Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, Korzenna Str. 33/35, Gdańsk

• 2.00pm - Francois Soutif (France) – Strange meeting

The project was co-financed by the Polish Misistry of Culture and National Herritage.