The impact of cultural activities and initiatives on the integration of male and female migrants was the theme of the third edition of the Migration Policy Conference, held on 6 December 2024 at the St John’s Centre in Gdansk. The event ‘More culture. International integration through culture’, organised by the Pomeranian Voivodeship in cooperation with the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdansk, brought together experts, representatives of public institutions, NGOs and people with migrant experience. The Centre for Sustainable Development UG was a substantive partner of the event.
The conference began with a spectacular display of folk masks by Marta Zwarycz of the BoFolk Foundation, which aimed to highlight the diversity of traditions and their universal significance in the integration process. This was followed by introductory speeches by Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship, Marta Szadowiak, Director of the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdansk, and Agnieszka Zabłocka, Head of Department at the Chancellery of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship.
Fot. Karol Stańczak
“In Pomerania, we did not and do not wait for solutions at the national level. We ourselves are actively working on behalf of migrants, of whom we have tens of thousands in the region,” pointed out Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. “Culture, as a universal language, provides a platform for building relationships, mutual respect and integration. By working together with those representing the cultural community, we have created a strategy for the intercultural integration of migrants, which allows us to respond effectively to the challenges of migration,” he emphasised.
“I am very pleased that a conference that brings together people dealing with migration and refugees is taking place at the St John’s Centre,’” said Marta Szadowiak, director of the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdansk. “As the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre, we pursue an inclusive policy through cultural activities such as exhibitions, concerts, debates and author meetings, in cooperation with partners who deal with migration on a daily basis.”
The first substantive panel concerned the assumptions of the Polish Migration Strategy. Alicja Kępka from the Ministry of Interior and Administration presented national guidelines, while Agnieszka Zablocka discussed the regional dimension of migration policy in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
In the panel ‘Integration through culture: The perspective of migrants and migrant women’, Dasha Balabai, Aura Marina Leguizmón, Eugen Baryshnikau and Marta Zwarycz presented their experiences and reflections . Their presentations highlighted the challenges, but also the opportunities that culture offers in the integration process.
Fot. Karol Stańczak
The second part of the conference began with a speech by representatives of the ‘We Respond – Open Network of Cultural People’ initiative. Anna Galas-Kosił, Olga Gulinska and Katarzyna Brodowska presented challenges and good practices in intercultural work, including educational, animation and research aspects.
This was followed by a good practice session in which representatives of academia, institutions and NGOs: Magdalena Adamowska from the ArtFormation22 Foundation, Piotr Martin representing the Arbuz Association and Tomasz Lipski from the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre presented examples of integration projects. Kamila Kowalska, PhD, from the CZRUG Migration Observatory talked about her project on identifying good practices in multiculturalism, mobility and social inclusion in migration museums in the European Union.
“Migration museums and cultural institutions play an important role as platforms for debate, enabling dialogue on values, pluralism of thought and diverse perspectives. They create a space for conversation and exchange of experiences that allows for breaking down barriers and building mutual respect. It is also crucial to include both first and next generations of migrants and local communities in the migration narrative, making the integration process more natural and inclusive,” Kamila Kowalska emphasised.
The substantive part of the event concluded with a debate on ‘The role and importance of culture in the integration process of migrants’ moderated by Rafał Raczyński, PhD, coordinator of the Migration Observatory of the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Gdańsk. The debate addressed issues related to the integration of migrants in the context of cultural activities. The guests invited to the discussion highlighted the challenges of creating cultural offers together with migrants, and not just for migrants. They emphasised the importance of involving them in the creative and decision-making process.
Fot. Łukasz Tokarczyk
Examples from Germany and Denmark, where exhibition spaces are given over to migrant communities, provide inspiration for similar initiatives in Poland. Administrative and bureaucratic barriers to involving migrants in cultural projects, such as complicated procedures or formal requirements, were also highlighted. The interlocutors pointed out the need for flexibility in cultural institutions, openness to quickly adjust procedures and the need to treat integration as a process rather than a fad.
The conference concluded with a unique concert performed by artists Viktoria Koshuba, Krystyna Gedzik, Adam Golicki and Piotr Szajrych. The musical performance was symbolic of the power of culture to bring people together.
The Pomeranian Voivodeship has been organising migration policy conferences since 2022, emphasising the importance of culture and art in integration. This year’s edition was an inspiring venue for the exchange of experiences and ideas, proving that culture is a key tool for building intercultural bridges.
More information on the conference proceedings, links to presentations and a full photo gallery can be found here:
MORE CULTURE! Conference coverage, photos, resources. – Migrations
Photo: Łukasz Tokarczyk/KMW UMWP and Karol Stańczak
