The vibrancy and variety of Polish life was on show during the Polish Cultural Week in May, orgainised by REVI/Real and Enthusiastic Voice of Integration community group and supported by Braintree District Council.

Theatrical plays, road performances, exhibitions, parties and the film day were part of wider celebration in Braintree, Witham, Harlow,  Colchester, Chelmsford, Bishops Stortford and Cambridge.

REVI wanted to show Polish culture and also demonstrate the picture of Polish residents being not just migrant workers but creative people as well.  All together with a Polish Movie Day in Bishops Stortford a variety of exhibitions were held starting with the major one in Braintree Town Hall, where all Polish artists from Essex and East Herts who are "hiding" behind everyday work showed their art to the wider society, not to mention a taster of traditional Polish food and drinks during the event.  The Braintree Museum also held a wonderful exhibition of tapestries made by hand by well known and prized in the "world of tapestry" craftsmen from Piotrkow, Trybunalski, Jozef Jakubczyk.  Both exhibitions amazed people with their colours and liveliness as well as bringing to life a Polish spirit.

The special guest - a students theatre group "Emergeny Exit" from Piotrkow Trybunalski in Poland performed many shows through which they had expressed young people's vision of the world today.  All performances were very moving and had challenged the audience to have a deeper look into events which they witness in everyday life.  They group also provided theatrical workshops with Polish and English children at the Carousel Children Centre in Braintree which all proved how easy it is for contact to develop within different nationalities.

The culmination of the week was a three hour concert in Braintree "Here we are" where all artists performed on stage, showing the variety of Polish culture and underlining the fact that they are indeed a creative part of the community.  Adults as well as children took part in the concert, which began with a well known Polish folk dance "Krakowiak".

The week was a great success bringing communities together and showing the "artistic side" of Polish people.