Film Workshops in Bydgoszcz
The European Night of Museums will once again arrive in Bydgoszcz. Among this year’s attractions will also be a cinematic element. The 2026 edition will take place on May 16 and, as tradition dictates, will bring together dozens of cultural institutions offering special events, nighttime tours, and attractions normally unavailable to the public.
A particularly extensive program has been prepared by the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz, whose branches will remain open from 6:00 p.m. until midnight. It is there that activities related to film and animation will take place. These events form part of the celebrations of the Year of Leonard Pietraszak and the Year of Film Professionals from the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region. During workshops held from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., participants will create simple optical toys that produce the illusion of movement, as well as black-and-white film frames.
“Laboratory of Illusion” – Thaumatrope and Phenakistiscope Workshops
These workshops will introduce participants to the principles behind optical illusion devices such as the thaumatrope and the phenakistiscope. Their operation is based on a phenomenon known as persistence of vision — a property of human sight that causes the eye to continue seeing an image briefly after it disappears. Thanks to this effect, two separate images can merge into one.
A thaumatrope consists of a card with a different image on each side. When the card is spun quickly, the images appear as one — the same principle that underlies motion pictures. Films are in fact collections of individual images displayed in rapid succession, creating the impression of movement.
The phenakistiscope, meanwhile, is an optical toy that uses the properties of human perception to create the illusion of moving images. It takes the form of a spinning disc whose rapid rotation produces the effect of animation.
“Before the Screen Existed” – Flipbook Animation Workshops
Participants will also be able to create a kineograph, or flipbook — a simple form of animation usually drawn in the corner of a book. When the pages are flipped quickly, viewers see a short animated film.
Nearly 30 institutions across Bydgoszcz will participate in the event. Alongside the District Museum, participating venues include the Pomeranian Philharmonic named after Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the Bydgoszcz Canal Museum, Opera Nova, Exploseum, the Bernardine Library, and the BWA City Gallery. Visitors can look forward to exhibitions, concerts, workshops, guided walks, and opportunities to discover the behind-the-scenes workings of cultural institutions.
The European Night of Museums has enjoyed enormous popularity among residents and tourists for many years. Many visitors emphasize that the greatest attraction lies in the opportunity to explore places and spaces usually inaccessible to the public, although long queues at the most popular venues should also be expected.
Department of Promotion
Paweł Jankowski
May 14, 2026