On March 21–22, 2026, the sixth meeting of the Kultur-Lige network took place in Kraków, bringing together individuals working at the intersection of art, education, and activism.
The event program combined space for exchanging experiences with reflection on the role of art in the contemporary world. The meeting began with an introductory session and World Café discussions, which enabled participants to share their artistic practices and build new connections.
One of the key elements of Saturday’s program was a walk through the site of the former Baulager 15/XIV in Mogiła (now part of Nowa Huta), led by local resident, activist, and history enthusiast Dariusz Grochal. The walk became a starting point for conversations about the memory of place and working with difficult heritage.
These themes were further explored at Dom Utopii – the International Centre of Empathy. The institution generously hosted us in its space, and its team members, Tomasz Talerzak and Małgorzata Szymczyk-Karnasiewicz, introduced the centre’s mission and residency opportunities. During a conversation with artist Ludomir Franczak, we reflected on artistic models of working with history and space in the context of sound walks, including the project “In This Place,” available via the Echoes app and developed at the site of the former KL Plaszow camp.
In the evening, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of FestivALT together, inaugurating a new space — HOIZ — which is set to become an important hub for artistic activities, gatherings, and relationship-building. More about this space coming soon.
Sunday focused on participant project presentations and a hackathon workshop led by Anna Mirzyńska from the Department of Public Management at the Kraków University of Economics. The workshop was dedicated to developing future collaborations and initiatives, and also included network members joining remotely in a hybrid format.
The program concluded with a conversation with Prof. Bryan Reynolds, dedicated to strategies of political art and the role of performance as a tool for social change in times of tension and division. The meeting created space for deeper reflection and exchange on creating socially engaged art.
Inclusivity and the network’s openness to people with diverse experiences, identities, and needs remain key aspects of Kultur-Lige’s work. That is why we dedicated the 6th convention to testing new models of inclusive collaboration and event organization (a meeting at Dom Utopii, a walk, and a hackathon) as well as to developing the network’s existing activities in 2026—we will return to these topics later.
The 6th Kultur-Lige Conference confirmed how important meetings based on dialogue, cooperation, and shared reflection on the role of art in a changing world are.
The gathering was organized by FestivALT in cooperation with the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews and the Zapomniane Foundation. The event was co-funded by the City of Kraków and EUJS as part of the “Embracing Jewish Diversity” programme.
The meeting took place within the framework of the project “Rescue Memory – Activism, Arts and Public Remembrance (ReActMem)”, funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme.
