About the events
The Re:tradition Festival (August 21-23, Lublin) is not only about concerts, exhibitions, performances and folk art fairs, but also a unique opportunity to try your hand at various handicraft techniques, singing and traditional dance under the guidance of masters.
Classes in Romanian black embroidery, paper curtain cutting, glass painting, and workshops in traditional lullaby singing are just some of the many events you can sign up for this year as part of the festival. As every year, we also invite you to the Photography Studio, where you can have a stylized photo session.
The full workshop programme is available on the retradycja.eu website. Admission to all workshops is free, places are limited, and registration opens on August 11 at 11:00.
For adults
Open session of the Jagiellonian Fair Orchestra | Ewa Grochowska, Marcin “Kabat” Kowalczuk
The open workshop session with the Jagiellonian Fair Orchestra returns! We invite people who play instruments such as violin, accordion, harmony, cello, bass, wind instruments, frame drum, or baraban to take part in the workshop. Participants must bring their own instrument. The repertoire will be taught by ear.
For many years, the Jagiellonian Fair Orchestra has functioned as an educational and artistic project based on the belief that traditional dance music is a medium that connects and creates a community – both among amateur and professional musicians, as well as among listeners and dancers who enjoy its rhythms during concerts. Every year during the festival, open sessions were held for people interested in traditional dance repertoire from the Lublin region.
This year we are returning to open workshops led by Ewa Grochowska and Marcin “Kabat” Kowalczuk. Participants will learn polkas, obereks, podróżniaks, marches, waltzes, foxtrots, and other melodies originating from archival recordings, family traditions, and learning from both the oldest generation of musicians and orchestras whose traditions date back to the beginning of the 20th century.
When:
August 20 (Thursday), 18:00-20:00
August 21 (Friday), 16:00-19:00
August 22 (Saturday), 11:00-14:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a, auditorium, 2nd floor
For: adults with their own instruments
Registration: via an online form
You can register for all 3 days of workshops (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) or for 2 days (Friday, Saturday).
Remember! The repertoire will be taught by ear.
Straw crystal ornament | Iwona Barecka
Decorative straw mobiles, once hung above festive tables, can take many different forms. Iwona Barecka, a folk artist from the Lublin region, will show us how to make a so-called crystal straw mobile. Using rye straws, we will create polyhedrons which, when properly connected, can form very intricate decorations.
When: August 21 (Friday), 17:00-18:30
Where: Lublin Plaza, Lipowa 13, ground floor, the area between Vision Express and Paris Optique
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Leather bracelet | Filip Gabryś
During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to learn the simplest methods of decorating leather.
Filip Gabryś runs a family leatherworking studio in Podhale, where he creates, among other things, belts, bags, and shoes inspired by the traditions of the region.
The artist will show participants how to hand-stamp and weave patterns on prepared leather, which will then be turned into a simple bracelet.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 11:00-12:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Herbal and flower hairband | Małgorzata Szewczak
Mrs Małgorzata Szewczak continues her family tradition of weaving decorations from straw and dried flowers. She is the fourth generation of her family to work with passion with this delicate yet highly versatile material.
During the workshop, participants will learn how to prepare plant materials and create a decorative headband from herbs and dried flowers – both those grown in the artist’s own garden and those gathered from nearby meadows and fields.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 12:30-13:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Traditional Serbian songs | Svetlana Spajić
Svetlana Spajić, who will perform at the festival with the Gordan band, is a world-renowned and highly respected Serbian singer, teacher, and leader of groups and artistic projects.
For over 30 years, she has been learning traditional singing from rural singers – masters of the oldest generation. Her passionate work with Serbian singing traditions has received wide international recognition. She is a respected teacher, and her classes are open to both professional and amateur singers and musicians.
The workshop will focus on Serbian traditions of polyphonic singing, present in various regions of Serbia, as well as in the territories of present-day Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
The modal character of these songs requires the use of scales that are not limited by semitones. During the workshop, Svetlana will teach traditional singing techniques involving variations in vocal timbre, glissando effects, and other vocal strategies useful for performing microtonal intervals.
The workshop will also include metrical, rhythmic, and melodic analysis of songs, exploration of the poetics of the texts, as well as detailed work on pronunciation and the arrangement of singers in space.
Svetlana Spajić will also talk about the cultural, geographical, and historical context of the songs, using audio and video recordings – including those from her personal archives.
The workshop is open to both women and men.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 13:30-16:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a, medialab, 1st floor
For: adults (all genders)
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Romanian black embroidery | Darie Silviu Flocea
Please note – the workshop will be held in English.
This workshop is an introduction to the traditional blackwork embroidery technique, which was once popular, among other places, in the Romanian region of Bukovina. Darie Silviu Flocea will introduce participants to the history of this embroidery, its cultural significance, and the key methods of creating stitches.
During the workshop, participants will learn the basic principles of this technique, become familiar with the necessary materials and tools, and – under the guidance of the instructor – practise creating some of the most popular geometric patterns.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 14:00-16:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Malowanka (traditional decorative painting) | Grzegorz Ciećka
“Malowanka” is a festive linen skirt worn in the Biłgoraj area as well as in the south-eastern part of the Lublin region. The entire surface of the skirt was decorated with hand-printing made using a wooden block, which is why it was called a “malowanka”. The pattern most often consisted of small diamonds, triangles, and crosses arranged vertically and separated by straight lines. The colourful designs were intended to enliven the fabric and give it a more decorative character.
During the workshop, each participant will learn about this traditional stamping technique and have the opportunity to create small samples based on patterns from the Lublin region.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 14:00-16:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Balfolk dances | Marta Tomczak and Krzysztof Rogulski
To prepare you for Saturday’s Poolidor concert, we invite you to take part in balfolk dance workshops led by Marta Tomczak and Krzysztof Rogulski.
Taking part in the workshop will allow you not only to listen to the wonderful sounds of music created by this French group, but also to confidently join the dance!
Balfolk dances are based on simple, accessible forms rooted directly in traditional folk dances. They include procession and circle dances, couple dances, and dance games. They are free from the function of presenting a particular folklore tradition – they leave aside folk costumes, elaborate choreographies, and stage sophistication in favour of spontaneous fun based on a simple dance foundation.
Passing on old traditional forms while adapting them to contemporary realities is the origin of the movement now known as “bal folk”, which began in France in the 1970s. “Bal” means “dance party” in French, while “folk” in this context means “folk” or “traditional”. Today, this movement is popular in many European countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Germany, and it also has its enthusiasts in Poland.
During the workshop, we will introduce various dance forms – circle dances, procession dances, couple dances, as well as other arrangements. We will show basic sequences and several simple ways to make them more varied. We will also share tips that make dancing together easier and help everyone feel comfortable and safe on the dance floor. The pace will be quite intensive, as we want to prepare you as well as possible for the evening concert, but the amount of material will also be adapted to the group’s abilities.
There is no need to register as a pair – during the workshop we will change partners and perhaps also roles in the dance.
Instructors: Marta Tomczak and Krzysztof Rogulski – teachers and enthusiasts of balfolk dances with over 15 years of experience gained, among others, in France, organisers of workshops and dance events under the name Bal Folk Poznań.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 14:00-17:00
Where: Dominican Monastery, entrance from the Dominikański Square
For: adults (no need to register as a pair)
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Paper curtain | Anna Olesiuk-Sawicka
Before colourful glazed paper became available in rural areas, openwork curtains made from white paper were created. They became the beginning of paper decoration in peasant cottages. These were often intricate and delicate cut-outs made up of hundreds of tiny openings forming a lace-like structure. The technique involved cutting patterns with a knife or scissors from folded sheets of paper or tissue paper, following designs drawn beforehand. The main source of inspiration for these decorations was nature. During the workshop, participants will create their own paper curtain.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 11:00-12:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Lulajże mi, lulaj – traditional lullabies | Julita Charytoniuk
We invite you to a workshop on singing traditional lullabies from several regions of Poland and Ukraine. The session will be led by Julita Charytoniuk. We will do breathing and voice exercises that will help relax the body and voice and prepare us for singing. No previous musical training is required to take part in the workshop.
Lullabies.
Sung in a calm, gentle voice, with tenderness and without haste, in a rhythm that accompanied rocking a child and helped them relax. They created a sense of safety and closeness.
Singing lullabies is a practice that goes beyond the function of putting a child to sleep – it is a form of intergenerational transmission through which melodies, linguistic patterns, emotions, and values rooted in local culture are preserved. Lullabies performed by parents, grandparents, or caregivers create a space of closeness, support the building of bonds, and carry memory. In their simple melodies and repetitive texts, traces of old beliefs and descriptions of everyday life can be found, passed down orally from generation to generation.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 12:00-14:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 5a, Media Lab room, 1st floor
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Krajka sokólska | Urszula Lengiewicz
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, woven bands in the Sokółka region formed an important part of traditional folk dress, primarily as an element of men’s attire. They were also given as gifts to wedding guests. Woollen bands were sometimes tied around infants as well.
Sokółka woven bands, made using the pick-up weaving technique, are distinguished by their vivid colours and bold colour combinations, including green with red, navy blue with red, green with purple, and black with pink.
The workshop with Urszula Lengiewicz will offer an opportunity to learn about the tradition of weaving woollen bands in the Sokółka region and to weave your own band using weaving tablets.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 13:00-16:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
White tulle embroidery | Paulina Młynarczak
Bamber embroidery is a type of white embroidery used to decorate bonnets, ruffs, shoulder shawls, aprons, and handkerchiefs held in the hand – elements of the traditional clothing of the Bambers community. Floral motifs dominated these designs, and embroiderers used several different stitches to create them.
During the workshop led by Paulina Młynarczak, participants will learn the basics of creating white embroidery on tulle and use this technique to recreate a pattern inspired by Bambers’ traditions.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 15:00-17:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: adults
Registration: via an online form from August 11
For children
Straw crystal ornament | Iwona Barecka | age 8+ with a guardian
Decorative straw mobiles, once hung above festive tables, can take many different forms. Iwona Barecka, a folk artist from the Lublin region, will show us how to make a simple geometric form called a crystal from rye straws. It is a basic element used to create a crystal straw mobile.
When: August 21 (Friday), 15:00-16:30
Where: Lublin Plaza, Lipowa 13, ground floor, the area between Vision Express and Paris Optique
For: children aged 8+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Straw dolls | Anna Olesiuk-Sawicka | age 5+ with a guardian
These are traditional Christmas decorations. The dolls are made from the upper part of rye straw – from the last node to the ear. During the workshop led by Anna Olesiuk-Sawicka, participants will first soak the straw and then fold, bend, and tightly tie it with thread to shape it into a doll. The final stage will be decorating it with a tissue-paper dress tied with a ribbon.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 11:00-12:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: children aged 5+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Paper Christmas tree decorations | Honorata Majorowicz-Dahlke | age 7+ with a guardian
During the workshop, participants will discover the secrets of creating colourful paper and tissue-paper decorations. They will draw, cut, fold, and glue colourful elements to create their own handmade decorations for a Christmas tree: a little bird, a heart, and a peacock eye ornament.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 12:30-13:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: children aged 7+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Dance and have fun in Silesian style! | Kapela Fedaków | age 5+ with a guardian
Dance and have fun in Silesian style! We invite you on a fascinating journey through Silesian music, dances, and folk games, guided by the musicians of Kapela Fedaków. During the family workshop, participants will learn the steps and rules of dances and games from Silesia, allowing them to take on the roles of animals or craftspeople, and discover what everyday life looked like for Silesian children in the past. During breaks from dancing, participants will also have the opportunity to explore instruments typical of Silesia. There will be plenty of opportunities to sing together and learn various Silesian words. Great fun guaranteed!
When: August 22 (Saturday), 14:00-15:00 and 17:00-18:00
Where: Dom na Podwalu, Podwale 15, garden (entrance from the Błonia side)
For: children aged 5+ and their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Zalipie painting | Magdalena Bochenek | age 7+ with a guardian
The Zalipie tradition of decorating houses and their interiors with colourful floral patterns began in the second half of the 19th century.
During the workshop, participants will learn how to work with paint, use a brush with precision, and build a composition before creating traditional Zalipie patterns on a wooden board.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 15:00-16:00
Where: Lublin Plaza, Lipowa 13, ground floor, the area between Vision Express and Paris Optique
For: children aged 7+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
String games | Agnieszka Kontny and Raz-dwa-trzyk Theatre | age 6+ with a guardian
Do you know the string game with a loop passed from hand to hand in such a way that a different figure is created each time? It is a traditional children’s game known almost all over the world in various forms. Its most common name is cat’s cradle. This game was also very popular in Poland in the 1980s. Ethnographic research shows that it was known among Jewish children in the territory of former Poland as early as the beginning of the 20th century and was called Etl-Betl (translated as crib-circle or little crib).
String games are not only entertainment, but also a rich tradition full of figures and stories. From a single loop, storytellers create a world full of animals, objects, and characters. During the workshop, participants will learn simple string figures, the structure of stories, and how to create a narrative using string figures.
Raz-dwa-trzyk Theatre:
Agnieszka Kontny
Katarzyna Szurman
Katarzyna Żytomirska
When: August 22 (Saturday), 16:00-17:30
Where: Dom na Podwalu, Podwale 15, conference room (entrance from the Błonia side)
For: children aged 6+ and their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Little jug on an eggshell | Zofia Sompolińska | age 6+ with a guardian
The miniature jug on an eggshell is a traditional Christmas tree decoration made from an empty bird’s egg shell, to which a decorative handle and colourful paper ornaments are attached. Besides the idea behind the decoration, creating such an ornament also requires patience and precision.
During the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to try this technique under the watchful eye of Zofia Sompolińska, a master of this craft.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 16:30-17:30
Where: Lublin Plaza, Lipowa 13, ground floor, the area between Vision Express and Paris Optique
For: children aged 6+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Glass painting | Bogumiła Leśniak | age 7+ with a guardian
The technique of painting on glass reached Poland from southern Europe – through Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia – probably in the 18th century. Religious themes dominated this art form, but depending on the region, genre scenes, portraits, and floral motifs also appeared.
The workshop with Bogumiła Leśniak will be an opportunity to experience this technique for the first time and discover the order in which the individual elements are applied to create a finished picture.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 11:00-12:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: children aged 7+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Painted bells | Magdalena Bochenek | age 6+ with a guardian
Mrs Magdalena comes from Zalipie, a village famous for its houses decorated with colourful floral patterns. From an early age, she observed the work of older generations and gradually began creating her own ornaments.
During the workshop, participants will learn how to work with paint, use a brush with precision, and build a composition before decorating a clay bell with traditional Zalipie motifs.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 13:00-14:30
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, patio
For: children aged 6+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Printed makatka with a rooster | Anna Kaźmierak | age 5+ with a guardian
During the workshop, participants will create once-popular kitchen wall decorations. They will be made using the technique of hand-printing on cotton fabric. Participants will use original stamps inspired by archival patterns, and each person will also create their own stamp.
The workshop will also be an opportunity to work together with the illustrator to hand-print a multicolour illustration from a book. Layer by layer, cheerful characters will come to life.
We recommend wearing clothes that can withstand a close encounter with fabric paint!
When: August 23 (Sunday), 15:00-16:00
Where: Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7, workshop room
For: children aged 5+ with their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Spring songs and games from Kalników in the Nadsanie region | age 5+ with a guardian
We invite you to a family workshop filled with melodies from Nadsanie. The Krajeczka band from Przemyśl performs traditional Ukrainian songs from south-eastern Poland.
During the workshop, we will learn more about Nadsanie and the village of Kalników, discover traditional spring songs performed during Easter, as well as circle and procession games. We will welcome the spring, learn simple refrains, and find out what games such as żuczok/żuczek, hołubka/gołąbeczka, or hruszeczka/gruszeczka are all about. We will also meet the band of Maksym Nakonieczny and join in the dancing!
As Krajeczka puts it:
The workshop is meant to give children an experience of tradition through action: singing, walking in a procession, rhythm, gestures, and meeting the musicians. We do not teach everything “to perfection”; what matters more is experiencing the spirit of Kalników’s spring games together.
When: August 23 (Sunday), 15:30-17:00
Where: Dom na Podwalu, Podwale 15, garden (entrance from the Błonia side)
For: children aged 5+ and their guardians
Registration: via an online form from August 11
For adults and children
Portraits from another time with Roman Krawczenko
We invite you on a journey through time! If you would like to feel as if you were in an old-fashioned atelier, we encourage you to visit our Photography Studio, located at the foot of the stairs in the Hartwig Alley (Kowalska 3). Roman Krawczenko – a photographer who operates cameras from a hundred years ago – will prepare you for an extraordinary photoshoot. The background for the photo will be traditional striped fabrics, while accessories will include old-fashioned headwear, instruments, and toys. The portrait created by Roman will bring to mind those found in the albums and boxes of our great-grandparents.
When:
August 21 (Friday), 15.00-18.00
August 22 (Saturday), 11.00-18.00
August 23 (Sunday), 11.00-18.00
Entries every 20 minutes
Where: Photography Studio of Workshops of Culture, the Hartwig Alley, Kowalska 3
Registration: via an online form from August 11
Concert in the Old Theatre
Concert | Zaświatycze (POL)
Zaświatycze – a journey into the afterlife along a narrow road.
At dusk, we pass the Volunteer Fire Brigade station, summon familiar voices and words from times long past. Perhaps these other worlds are within us and can be brought out through songs suspended between this world and the afterlife? In our own way, just as our grandmothers spoke, in different languages. Perhaps an object once used in the past can become a time machine?
The Zaświatycze duo – Anna Jurkiewicz and Paula Kinaszewska – will perform melodies from the nearby and more distant areas around Kolano in Lublin Polesie. The concert is a unique project for which Zaświatycze have invited performer, set designer, and visual artist Ada Iwanejko, as well as composer and sound director Bartłomiej Woźniak.
Adrianna Iwanejko brings out the visual layer of the songs, capturing and highlighting their meaning through light, shadow, and performative actions. She describes her work as follows:
My artistic practice grows out of the need to work with memory preserved in objects, spaces, and fragments of stories, but also in music, songs, and language. At the centre of my work is attentiveness to the local context.
Thanks to Adrianna’s contribution, individual songs are expanded through movement, light, shadow, darkness, colour, figures, and objects that tell stories or carry memories, as well as through the sounds of live electronic music. Ada will also join Zaświatycze as a guest vocalist.
Bartłomiej Woźniak will transform signals from the afterlife into live electronic music:
I am interested in space in music and music in space.
He will play traditional instruments, accompanying Paula, who arranges the instrumental melodies of Polesie on the violin.
When: August 22 (Saturday), 17:00-18:30
Where: The Old Theatre in Lublin, Jezuicka 18
Registration: via an online form from August 11
About the Re:tradition – Jagiellonian Fair festival
Re:tradition is an extraordinary festival of traditional music and craftsmanship. During three August days and nights, Lublin transforms into the capital of living traditional culture.
The festival program offers a wide range of attractions for both children and adults. It provides a unique opportunity to meet master artisans who, each year, showcase their exceptional handmade creations. Traditional music is also a key element of the Re:tradition festival, presented both in its authentic form and through the interpretations of contemporary artists.
The festival also features evening dance parties with live music, workshops, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and meetings. Younger visitors can enjoy the Re:tradition Playground, where traditional games and pastimes are brought back to life.
The festival allows visitors to hear, see, touch, and experience folk culture, which during this time completely fills the streets of Lublin’s Old Town.
Details
Re:tradition – the Jagiellonian Fair
August 21-23, 2026
Lublin, Old Town
Admission to the event is free.
Organisers: Workshops of Culture in Lublin, Cultural Institution of the City of Lublin, Lublin City of Inspiration
Honorary Patronage: Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of the City of Lublin; the National Heritage Institute
Patron: Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
Media Partners: TVP Kultura, TVP3 Lublin, TVP ABC, Program II of Polskie Radio, Polskie Radio Dzieciom, Radiowe Centrum Kultury Ludowej, Radio Lublin, Gazeta Wyborcza, Weranda Country, KulturaLudowa.pl, MuzykaTradycyjna.pl, Kultura Enter, ONET
Partners: Lublin Airport, Kultura Enter Foundation, Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices, Old Theatre in Lublin, Dominicans of Lublin, the National Museum in Lublin, Ivan Honchar Museum, the Association of Folk Artists
Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland from the Culture Promotion Fund.
