Almost 30,000 people took part in the 9th ‘Seniors’ Weekend with Culture’ event. From 30 September to 2 October, 590 cultural institutions in 190 locations in Poland offered participation for free or for a symbolic fee in performances, concerts, workshops, museum visits and other unique events.

The largest number of institutions joined the campaign in the Lesser Poland (Małopolskie) voivodeship, where as many as 113 venues were open to visitors, and in the Mazovia and Silesia voivodeships. Among cities, Krakow, Warsaw and Lublin offered the largest selection of attractions, reports the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

Among museums, the National Museum in Krakow attracted the largest number of visitors – almost 900 people visited it over the weekend. Second and third place were taken by the National Museum in Kielce and the Museum – Castle in Łańcut with over 500 visitors.

Among artistic institutions, a record attendance was recorded by the Baltic Dramatic Theatre, where the performance “Kora. Waving and Falling” attracted as many as 400 seniors. The concert of the Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, organised by the Krystyna Bochenek Katowice City of Gardens Cultural Institution, was attended by 300 people, while the performance of “Dinner for a Fool” at the Wanda Siemaszkowa Theatre in Rzeszów was watched by almost 250 spectators.

Many music lovers attended events at the Grand Theatre – National Opera in Warsaw, as well as at the Paderewski Centre in Kąśna Dolna, which prepared the concert ‘Sinatra. Greatest Hits”.

Meetings organised by the Grand Theatre in Łódź, during which participants were able to sit in the orchestra rehearsal room, stand on stage, and visit the decoration warehouses and paint shop, were also very popular.

Seniors were also keen to take part in events prepared by libraries, houses and cultural centres, such as concerts, lectures, workshops, dances and exhibitions.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński