18.10.2012 - 12.11.2012

The Baltic meetings of illustrators. Korczak 2012

The Baltic meetings of illustrators. Korczak 2012

How to talk about Korczak today ?

Announcing the year 2012 Korczak's Year has been a perfect opportunity to popularize the person of this outstanding pedagogue, doctor and writer, popularize his ideas and books, and to discuss the conception of childhood in the modern world and childhood's picture in literature.

Korczak is often perceived as a tutor and writer whose pedagogical thought constitutes the basis of modern Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Such thoughts as: the child has the right to be oneself, the child has the right to respect, the right to make mistakes and the right to have his own opinion, formulated nearly a hundred years ago by Korczak, seem to be topical in the country of Astrid Lindgren and to Swedish conceptions of upbringing considered as the most forward.

The actions of the project serve the promotion of equally breakthrough Korczak ideas and the confrontation of the modern upbringing conceptions and the picture of childhood in children's books with the ideas and experiences of the author of Prawidła Życia (Rules of life).

The discussions are meant to consider if the thoughts and practices of The Doctor are still practical in the modern world. The project promotes thoughts and works of Janusz Korczak through the actions inspired by the books about life and activities of this outstanding pedagogue, addressed to children. Within the frameworks of the project there are the authors meetings, exhibitions and workshops with authors of three books :

1. Pamiętniki Blumki by Iwona Chmielewska. Multi-awarded book written in the form of illustrated memoir of the one of Janusz Korczak pupils, presenting children living in the orphanage lead by Korczak, and it speaks about the rules of the Old Doctor. (Blumkas Tagebuch, Gimpel Verlag 2011, Pamiętnik Blumki, Media Rodzina 2011)

2. Fräulein Esthers letzte Vorstellung  - written on the basis of quotations from Memoir and other works by Janusz Korczak by Adam Jaromir and illustrated by Gabriela Cichowska, presenting this difficult period in the life of Korczak and his pupils - last months of Dom Sierot in the ghetto and despair and hopelessness overcome everyday through daily rituals : planting flowers, learning hebrew, praying, contacts with arts.  (Fräulein Esthers letzte Vorstellung, Gimpel Verlag 2012)

3. Po drugiej stronie okna. Opowieść o Januszu Korczaku Anny Czerwińskiej-Rydel, illustrated by  Dorota Łoskot-Cichocka.
It is the very first story for young readers. It warmly tells about a man who loved children and was teaching others to love and respect them. (Po drugiej stronie okna. Opowieść o Januszu Korczaku, wydawnictwo Muchomor 2012)

The exhibition, meetings and workshops with authors of the books: Iwona Chmielewska, Adam Jaromir, Gabriela Cichowska, Anna Czerwińska-Rydel, Dorota Łoskot-Cichocka and the invited pedagogues will take place at :
Polish Institute in Leipzig (13 - 14.09.2012)
The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk ( 18 -20.10.2012 )
and Polish Institute in Vilnius and Żuławski Ośrodek Kultury in Nowy Dwór Gdański.

The presentations and meetings with authors are meant to reflect on pedagogical thought of Janusz Korczak ( author of  How to love a child) , but also as a tip for the adults showing the tools for speaking on difficult subjects with children: on war, tolerance, child rights. Each book shows The Old Doctor from different perspective and with different means of expression, giving wide opportunities for analysis and interpretation.

The project within the Korczak Year is financed by Instytut Książki.