The Borderland Foundation is happy to have had the opportunity to pay a study visit to Georgia in September.

Tales of coexistence. A poster from Georgia

The stay was linked with the project called Tales of Coexistence. The Festival of the Borderland in Georgia.

The first step to the September event was the visit of the representatives of several Georgian institutions: the State Historical Museum in Kutaisi, St Alexander Okropiridze Arts School, the International Film Festival (both from Nikozi), Art Palace of Georgia and the Palace Museum (both from Zugdidi). The main purpose of the May visit was to share the experience of artistic and educational work based on the cultural heritage of each of the countries and to activate the local community so that they will get to know their past and their history. The Georgian and Polish partners discussed the issues connected with the practices of each of the workshops of the Borderland Centre and Foundation, took part in the Borderland events such as theatre and music performances and worked on the details of the September visit of the Polish group.

In September the Georgian audience could listen to the music played by the Klezmer Orchestra of the Sejny Theatre managed and conducted by Wojciech Schroeder. Besides live performances, the Sejny artists prepared workshops for Georgian students, musicians and choir people. The Polish guests also came with theatre productions about the life and memory of the Sejny region, The Chronicles of Sejny and theatre workshops designed specially for the Georgian young audience. Małgorzata Sporek-Czyżewska and Krzysztof Czyżewski gave lectures on a number of issues important for the work of the Borderland, its values and key-concepts. Krzysztof Czyżewski's lecture from the first day of the stay explained why the myth of Medea is crucial for understanding the idea of the borderland. Then, on the third day, he talked about the concept of the little centre of the world. Małgorzata Czyżewska explained to Georgian museologists what pracitces and everyday work in the Milosz Manor in Krasnorguda looks like; during her lecture in Kutaisi she talked about the concept of non-mueum. Bożena Schroeder presented previously selected animated films during the Nikozi Animation Film Festival. Next day after the festival, Georgian young people were invited to take part in the workshops prepared by the Borderland team and devoted to various techniques of animation. Finally, the Borderland delegation took part in two discussions on the Georgian edition of Krzysztof Czyżewski's book The Minicentre of the World.

The Borderland team was also lucky to find out more about Georgia thanks to the trips and visits in various places and institutions. A good example of such an activity was the night trip to Uplisiche, which is a town carved in rocks and the sightseeing of Tibilisi.