Organised by Polish Association Aberdeen, the upcoming Polish-Scottish Mini Festival will champion local artists and communities by connecting the two ‘diverse cultural environments’.
Now in its sixth year, the organisers believe the festival – which takes place from January to March – will not only entertain Aberdonians, but it will also help locals better understand Polish culture.
One of the highlights of the festival will be Aberdeenshire musician Iona Fyfe’s performance at The Lemon Tree where she will be joined by Polish folk band Kosy.
While Iona is known for singing Scots folk ballads and successfully petitioning Spotify to add Scots to their list of languages, the Polish four-piece aim to “revive the songs of the ancestors and bring them back to the ground of modern cities”.
The celebration of Scottish and Polish folk music will showcase the young talent from both countries. Tickets for the March 4 performance can be booked here.
Polish-Scottish Ceilidh
Polish Association Aberdeen will officially kick off the festival with its much-anticipated Polish-Scottish Ceilidh on January 21 at the Pittodrie Stadium.
“We will celebrate the birth of the Scottish poet Robert Burns with Polish and Scottish dances,” said Mateusz Lagoda, president of the Aberdeen-based association.
In addition to the usual Scottish dishes served at a ceilidh, attendees will also be able to sample traditional Polish cuisine.
Tickets for the event can be purchased here.
Also on January 21, a photo exhibition titled ‘Who Are You’ will open in the city’s Trinity Centre. Created by Marta Surowiec and Dorota Puszkiewicz, the exhibition explores the ‘identity’ of children born in Aberdeen who are part of multicultural communities.
In music news, Aberdeen saxophonist Matthew Kilner will be joined by Neil Birse, Richard Glassby and Ewan Hastie when he performs at The Blue Lamp on February 3. The quartet will play both original compositions as well as covers of popular jazz tunes.
Poland’s New Musette Quartet – founded by Wieslaw Przadka in 1993 – will also entertain music lovers on the night.
In addition, Polish singer and actress Maria Peszek, who’s known for writing songs about freedom and individualism, will travel to Aberdeen to perform hits from her five studio albums at The Lemon Tree on February 18.
Conversation