John Malkovich at the Kontakt Festival
The acclaimed actor, director, and film producer will appear on Thursday and Friday (June 5 and 6) in the play The Loneliness of Cotton Fields directed by Timofey Kulyabin. The 29th edition of the International Theatre Festival Kontakt will open this Friday (May 30). The festival program includes twelve competition performances from Poland and across Europe, meetings with creators, and accompanying events. The event, organized by the Wilam Horzyca Theatre, is financially supported by the regional self-government.
The festival will be inaugurated with performances of The Torment of Life by the Horzyca Theatre and Black Swan by the Jaunais Rīgas Teātris from Latvia, directed by Alvis Hermanis. The script of the latter is based on the first part of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. The festival will also feature the spectacular production Ophelia’s Got Talent by Berlin’s Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, directed by the provocative Viennese choreographer Florentina Holzinger, as well as The Revenge by the Komedia Theatre from Warsaw, with Maciej Stuhr as Papkin. Final tickets are available via the Horzyca Theatre’s website.
Festival Program
The Kontakt Festival also includes meetings with artists, film screenings, and concerts. The festival will conclude on Saturday (June 6) with the announcement of results and award ceremony.
The Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń is one of seventeen cultural institutions overseen by the regional self-government; the others also offer a wide range of cultural events.
On Saturday (May 31), we invite you to Jabłonowo Pomorskie for the concert So Much Sun in the Whole City. Performers will include Anna Grzelak, Aga Twardowska, Kacper Andrzejewski, and Tadeusz Seibert. Children can enjoy workshops, animations, and sweet treats. Free admission.
The Opera “NOVA” in Bydgoszcz invites audiences to the ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream, based on Shakespeare’s libretto and choreographed by Karol Urbański. Performances will take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (May 29, 30, and 31).
The Pomeranian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marek Pijarowski and featuring pianist Szymon Nehring, will perform works by Grieg, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, and Sibelius on Friday (May 30). On Sunday (June 1), a special Children’s Day concert Fairy Tale Hit Parade will feature Capella Bydgostiensis, the Children’s Choir of the Pomeranian Philharmonic under the direction of Michał Litwa, and soloists.
The Chopin Centre in Szafarnia also invites guests on Children’s Day (June 1) to enjoy numerous attractions for the youngest visitors in its scenic park: inflatable slides, demonstrations by uniformed services, and art workshops.
Lubostroń Palace presents the concert Forrest Tales on Sunday (June 1), featuring Konrad Fiszer (flute), Emilia Biskupska (piano), and Antoni Majewski (cello).
At the Regional Centre for Cultural Animation on Friday (May 30), there will be an exhibition opening by the Acrylic Art Group and the premiere of Ewa Ślusarczyk’s documentary film. On Children’s Day (June 1), the center will host a performance for the youngest audiences titled My First Space Odyssey.
Other Cultural Events:
The regional self-government runs 17 cultural institutions that offer a wide repertoire of cultural proposals.
- Ignacy Jan Paderewski Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz
- Children’s Art Gallery and Centre of Creativity in Toruń
- “Wozownia” Art Gallery in Toruń
- Archaeological Museum in Biskupin
- Professor Maria Znamierowska-Prüffer Ethnographic Museum in Toruń
- The Museum of the Kujawy and Dobrzyń Lands in Włocławek
- Opera “NOVA” in Bydgoszcz
- Chopin Centre in Szafarnia
- Lubostroń Palace in Lubostroń
- Wilam Horzyca Theater in Toruń
- Regional Public Library and Copernicus Library in Toruń
- Dr. Witold Bełza Regional and Municipal Public Library in Bydgoszcz Regional Centre for Cultural Animation in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Musical Theater in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Heritage Centre in Toruń
- Kujawsko-Pomorskie Centre for Education and Innovation in Toruń
Beata Krzemińska
Spokesperson of the Marshal’s Office
May 29, 2025