This year's "Meetings" cross science, ecology and art under the slogan "What swims in the sea-the maritime stories". Since April the young children from pomeranian schools participated in the workshops aimed at familiarizing them with the sea environment. On October 4 and 5  the project enters the second phase-the presentation of the effects of the workshops-the exhibition of the children's works and screening of the movie. On October 4 we shall see the opening of the exhibition of the illustrations for the Baltic Sea countries " The sea stories" , workshops and meetings with the illustrators from Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland and Germany, as well as the debates about books for children with the participation of art historians, pedagogues and publishers.

Workshops scientific-artistic-filmmaking

From April to July a group of school-children from Pomeranian schools took part in workshops to find out about the organisms living in the Baltic Sea, and particularly to find out about the little known creatures and their roles in the environment( meiofauna ). The workshops providing research classes with the use of the laboratory equipment took place at the Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Science in Sopot and at Gdynia Aquarium. The acquired knowledge and the fabulous colorful live-forms of various shapes and textures observed under the microscope became the inspiration for the children to create their own visions of the species yet to be discovered. The works created at the workshops directed by prof. Jan Marcin Węsławski, PhD Lech Kotwicki and artists Agnieszka Żelewska, Grazyna Rigall and an animator Malgorzata Domanska, will be displayed at the Old Town Hall from 4th to 5 October during the meetings. Both gentlemen from the Institute are also the authors of the story about the live of the sea creature, and the story will be published in the form of a book for children within the project.

The sea and its habitants have become the source of inspiration for the young moviemakers-the school children form Kolbudy directed by Aleksandra and Kamila Chomicz realized modern version of the legend about a seal who leaves the sea and wants to live on the land....The premiere of the movie will take place on October 4 at 11:00.

The Sea Stories exhibition presented at 8th Baltic Meetings of Illustrators at the gallery of the BSCC was prepared by the partners of the project from Estonia: National Library of Estonia, Estonian Association of Graphics and Estonian Center of Children Literature in 2011 when the capital of Estonia - Tallinn took the title of the European Capital of Culture. The organizers of the exhibition left the artists from ten Baltic countries a lot of creative freedom-only some illustrations relate to a specific legend or a literary work. Many of the 79 artists created illustrations to their own fantastic stories and fantasies of the sea. In Gdansk we will welcome 7 artists participating in the project.

The opening of the exhibition-on October 4 will be introduced by a presentation by PhD Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna-an art critic from Art Academy in Wroclaw: "Artists on waves. Maritime inspirations in Polish books illustrations" and a discussion with artists Aljoscha Blau from Germany, Piret Raud and any Anu Kalm from Estonia, Rasa Joni and Lina Dudaite from Lithuania, Anne Vaso from Finland and Angnieszka Żelewska from Poland.

The topic of the debate taking place on saturday-October 5 will be illustration in educational books. The most interesting illustrations popularizing science in Polish children's books will be presented by PhD Jacek Friedrich and a pedagogue-PhD Malgorzata Cackowska. A popular author of the books for children-Piret Raud shall speak about the role of illustrations in the books from guest countries.

And an exceptional publishing house "Dwie Siostry" will share the secret " How to prepare a graphic project that can be successfully published"

During the Baltic Meetings of Illustrators the invited artists will not only discuss the legends, art for children and their own inspirations but they will also conduct workshops for children.

The guest of the exhibition "The maritime stories at 8th Baltic Meetings of Illustrators" are :

Aljoscha Balu, Germany
German-Russian graphic artist and illustrator of the books for children, a laureate of many awards ( aljoschablau.com)

Rosa Joni, Lithuania
A writer, an illustrator, a director, a producer. She speaks through many arts, employing various means of artistic expression. She conducts workshops in animation ( www.rasajoni.com)

Anu Kalm, Estonia
A designer of books. She devotes to graphics, print, scenography and illustrations. She lectures at Fine Arts Academy in Tallinn. She is the chairman of Estonian Artists Association.

Piret Raud-Kalda, Estonia
An illustrator and an author of books for children. Her books have been translated to many languages: German, english, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, Lithuanian and French ( www.piretraud.edicypages.com/en)

Lina Dudaite, Lithuania
She illustrates books and does graphics design. She likes illustrating legends and doing workshops ( www.dudaite.com)

Anne Vasko, Finland
An illustrator and designer of books full of intense, attractive colors and charming happy stories. HEr books have been published in France, United States and Japan ( www.annevasko.com)

Anieszka Żelewska, Poland
An illustrator of books and school-books, cooperating with children's magazines. She saws toys ( żelcats) and does workshops for children. She lives by the sea and would like very much that the waters of the Baltic and its beaches were always beautiful and clean ( www.zelewska.art.pl)

PhD Malgorzata Cackowska-a pedagogue, Phd Jacek Fredrich-an art historian, PhD Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna-an art historian, Joanna Rzymska, Ewa Stiasny ( Dwie Siostry publishing house), Malgorzata Domanska-a cluture animator and an arts teacher, prof. Jan Marcin Weslaski, PhD Lech Kotwicki and artists-Aleksandra Chomicz, Kamial Chomicz, Agata Krolak, Grazyna Rigall