Arts & International Affairs: Vol. 4, No. 2, Autumn 2019 | Page 19

ARTS & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
still be hollow if it is not based on a true sense of identity. The secret of success lies in
ensuring that the identity-forming process is open and tolerant. The four Ts are to define
the foundation of Wroclaw. Its identity is and will continue to be shaped and enhanced
by culture�both the culture we discover, which is our heritage and the culture we create,
which is our contribution to the world.
In this regard, Wroclaw has had�and, I hope, will have�very much to say, and not just
on a local scale. It was here that Jerzy Grotowski developed his theatre, the fruits of which
we continue to enjoy today. Without its celebration of the Grotowski Year, Wroclaw would
not have been granted the privilege of hosting the International Theatre Olympics. Also,
in Wroclaw, Henryk Tomaszewski established his Pantomime Theatre, the greatest mime
theatre, which for decades was the only artistic phenomenon of its kind worldwide. Theatre
of Nations productions was staged in Wroclaw, which also hosted the Open Theatre
festivals and was the scene of numerous other artistic phenomena, unique in Poland and
beyond. Someone will say that it all belongs to the past. True, but it is a past that strongly
influences the present, a past which we continue to draw upon and which imposes on
us the duty to ensure further development. That is why we are building Poland’s, and
possibly Europe’s, most modern concert hall, the National Music Forum (located right
next to the Opera House, together with which it will host the most important festival of
contemporary music, World New Music Days, in 2014), why the decision has been made
to build the modern museum, and why we treat both the Teatr Pieśń Kozła with its Brave
Festival and the WRO New Media art festivals with such great care. We endeavour, with
considerable success, to develop the broadest possible, modern cultural offering. We see
this as an extremely important element of building a true sense of identity and fostering
the development of social capital, which we consider so important.
Faced with the nature versus culture dilemma, cities are often pushed by civilisation
towards culture, which may even be blooming, but “green” thinking is frequently neglected.
It is a cliché that people will always be fonder of the colour of trees than that
of concrete. This also applies to our attitudes to urban ecosystems, which are co-created
by people. Wroclaw is a city of five rivers, over a dozen parks, and a nature reserve
covering a system of ponds and canals designed�yes, designed by man�many years
ago to serve as drinking water sources. In striving for the prestigious title of European
Capital of Culture, Wroclaw would like to make environmental issues one of the centrepieces
of its efforts. We deliberately want to inscribe the Green Wroclaw programme
into the agenda of citizen-driven development of our cultural metropolitan role. The
point is to emphasise that issues like low emissions, environmentally-friendly energy,
or energy consumption involve more than just taking a position in the dispute over
whether climate change is a reality or a phantasm. In fact, what is involved is the deeply
human desire to control, control oneself too. It is part of the cultivation of nature, which
needs to be both supported and respected.
So much by way of general deliberations prefacing Wroclaw’s application.
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