| Over my 18 years of work in establishing Lajkonik, it has become clear to me that one of the strongest incentives for Polish youth to learn Polish dance and culture and to be involved in Polish events, through the Performing Arts, is the opportunity which they have to make friends with other Polish youth from other Ensembles in other States.
Lajkonik youth ("mlodziez"), over the years, has travelled a lot. These trips have included Polart Festivals in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, and more recently, Hobart in 2006/2007; the multicultural Festival in Canberra, on many occasions, and the Mound and Mt Kosciuszko Festival in Jindabyne and Cooma in February and April 2007.
Our 4 trips to Rzeszow Poland have been memorable and helped our Ensemble to further grow and develop.
In a few weeks time, on 16-18th November 2007, I am taking a 5-6 pair Lajkonik contingent to perform at the Polish Festival in Melbourne.]/u] The purpose of the trip is twofold - to see how Victorians stage their Polish Festival (apparently they do a great job!), and also to give encouragement to some of our Ensemble's younger members in terms of performance opportunities.
[u]In a few months time, in the spirit of reciprocity, on the weekend of 19-20th April 2008, Ensembles from Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Wollongong and of course Sydney, will be invited to travel to Jindabyne/Cooma to perform at the next Mound and Mt Kosciuszko Festival. This will be another chance for the Polish "mlodziez" to catch up with their interstate friends who share the same passion for everything Polish, but especially Polish dance and music.
I am looking for sponsors to help the "mlodziez" with the costs of the trip in a few weeks time. Is there anyone out there in the Polish Community (ie businesses) or just people who share and understand my ideas for how to encourage Polish youth to participate in Polish events, and who might be willing to help out in this regard?
I can be contacted on 0418 265 271.
Regards
Urszula Lang
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