Tarnów is the city of film, musical and theatrical festivals, unusual open air events, plastic arts. Here art can be met on the streets in the form of open air exhibitions and free concerts. The Ludwik Solski theater’s offer is prepared by a professional group of actors, casts and gifted artists. On Sunday mornings in the Tarnów Town Hall there are organized “Poetry Salons”, concerts and meetings with writers. The Theater also takes care of the arrangements of the consecutive National Talia Comedy Festival.
City Gallery BWA is the place where contemporary art, both Polish and foreign, is displayed. Nearly thirty exhibitions, presentations and artistic events are ogranized each year. Tarnów Culture Centre is known for organizing Tarnów Film Award – festival of the best Polish movies. It is second, after the festival in Gdynia, such event in Poland. The best film is awarded the figure of Lelivita, however the audience also gives their own prize – Maszkaron figure.
At the invitation of TCK Jazz Club every month the best jazz players perform in Tarnów. In TCK school of rock music functions as one of the few schools in Poland. In Marzenie cinema within the framework of “The fourth extra movie” good and ambitious films are projected.
Tarnów is often visited by the stars of classical music who perform in the concerts arranged by Paderewski Centre in Kąśna Dolna. Young artists who begin their musical career are granted “ticket to fame” during Talents’ Week.
Every month Tarnów Chamber Orchestra performs. Also two Christian world renown choirs function, these are male Pueri Cantores Tarnovienses and female Puellae Orantes. Both of them achieved numerous prestigious awards. In addition “Świerczkowiacy” Folk Dance Ensemble performs.
MUSIC
Musical meetings at Paderewski’s mansion are arranged in the form of annual cycle of summer concerts held in the manor house and park complex in Kąśna Dolna. The event is widely recognized and promotes classical music performed by the best players. The concerts are organized in the only preserved mansion of the great Polish composer and politician.
Bravo Maestro Chamber Music Festival focuses on the best Polish performers. Happening once in two years, it is numbered among the most prestigious festivals in Poland. Its programme comprises the most outstanding works of chamber music.
National Festival “Talent Week” has been organized by Paderewski Centre from twenty five years. It aims at promoting young artists, the laureates of national and foreign contests. For many a young artist performance in Tarnów is the first step in career. This festival initiated the career of many performers such as Waldemar Malicki, Tomasz Strahl or Rafał Kwiatkowski. Opinion Commission recommending the most promising performers of the festival commit themselves to promoting these artists through the whole year.
International Festival of Rediscovered and Forgotten Music in Tarnów is the only event in the world which presents already forgotten pieces of music composed by both national and foreign artists. It is organized under under auspices of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The idea of Festival is to present forgotten and freshly rediscovered music by well known and forgotten composers, written hundreds years ago and found at present in the castles, churches, museums, private houses.
THEATER AND FILM
National Talia Comedy Festival. Both national and foreign comedies are performed. The whole event spread from the Tarnów theater to pubs and cafeterias leaving the streets full of laughing people. The contest is accompanied by numerous workshops, film festivals and meeting with actors.
Tarnowska Film Award is a festival of the best Polish films which had been presented in cinemas in the year preceding the event. The purpose for which it is organized is to familiarize people with Polish cinema as well as promote Polish film making. For the first time it was launched in 1987.
“Vitae Valor” (value of life) film festival presents and popularizes works emphasizing human existence as a value based on moral, spiritual, ethical and metaphysical foundations. Vitae Valor is not only an opportunity to promote such films but also to popularize their message.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Tarnów Days – Festival of Cultures is organized every two years. It is the festival of Tarnów and is classed as the largest cultural event in the city. It comprises a couple of days’ festival of artistic forms (street theaters’ performances, concerts and presenting the folklore of the neighboring regions).
The Days of Remembrance for Galician Jews are organized to commemorate 10 000 residents of the city of Jewish origin who were slaughtered by Nazis in Buczyna forest in June 1942. The programme of the event encompasses concerts near Bimah, shows, concerts of klezmer music. Furthermore, the guided tour of the Jewish cemetery is allowed.
Painted Cottage is a contest which woman folk painters from Powiśle Dąbrowskie participate in. Its purpose is to maintain the tradition of embellishing the houses with original plant patterns. Every year a few dozen participants compete for prizes. The most numerous representation constitute painters from “painted village” – Zalipie.
The tournament for a golden plait of Tarłówna in the Dębno castle. It is one of the largest open air events in Małopolska. Every year it gathers thousands of spectators from the whole Poland. The main stage of show is the castle moat, which thanks to its vastness and great visibility guarantees proper presentation of armed formations and cavalry.