Festiwal Zywioly

The “Elements Festival" is a nationwide Polish, cross-sector initiative focused on combining art with environmental education. The “Elements” project has been implemented since 2012. Initially music-oriented, it was expanded in 2018to include educational activities addressed to local youth from Lower Silesia, Poland. In 2025, the project was further developed to include a new dimension — environmental education for young designers, aimed at students of art high schools from across Poland.

The final event of the 2025 edition of the festival took place in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative, implemented from January to September 2025, consisted of an educational program, a nationwide visual arts competition, exhibitions held in Poznan, Cracow, Lodz, Katowice, and Warsaw, as well as a symphonic concert and an awards ceremony. The festival is based on the symphony “Elements” by Pawel Pudlo — the festival’s director — which, as a work of classical music, inspires change and demonstrates to young artists that art can be a powerful medium for addressing prosocial and environmental issues.

The Elements Festival 2025 was a nationwide Polish project combining art and environmental education. The project was carried out from January to September 2025, with its grand finale held in Warsaw (the capital of Poland) as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The festival had an open, cross-sectoral character, engaging young people, artists, scientists, experts, and audiences from across Poland.

The 2025 edition of the program included an educational component, a nationwide art competition for students of fine arts secondary schools, a series of exhibitions presented in Poznan, Cracow, Lodz, Katowice, and Warsaw, as well as a symphonic concert and a final awards gala. The festival activities created a space for reflection on the future of cities, responsible design, and the role of art in building environmental and social awareness.

The festival’s final gala took place on September 24, 2025, at the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH). The event was opened by Maria Andrzejewska, Director General of UNEP/GRID-Warsaw, who referred to the principles of the 2030 Agenda and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. A letter addressed to the participants from Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, was also read. Among the invited guests were Dr. hab. Piotr Wachowiak, Prof. SGH, Rector of the Warsaw School of Economics, and Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, President of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.

An integral part of the finale was the debate entitled “Cities of the Future: Climate-Resilient and Resident-Friendly,”moderated by Marta Krawczyk, the festival’s Program Director. The discussion featured Dr. Eng. Marta Promińska (architect and urban planner, Plenipotentiary of the Main Board of the Association of Polish Architects for Environment and Climate Protection), Leszek Baraniewski (Deputy Mayor of the Wawer District of the Capital City of Warsaw), Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak, and Igor Grochal (Vice-Chair of the Youth Council of the Śródmieście District of Warsaw). The debate focused on sustainable urban planning, climate adaptation of cities, green infrastructure, and the role of young people in shaping public spaces.

A key pillar of the festival was the nationwide art competition “My Town in 2030 – Friendly for People and the Planet.” The jury awarded three main prizes to:
1st Prize – Franciszek Maciążek (State Secondary School of Fine Arts named after Wojciech Gerson in Warsaw),
2nd Prize – Nina Wyrzykowska (State Secondary School of Fine Arts named after Piotr Potworowski in Poznan),
3rd Prize – Amelia Rauch (Secondary School of Fine Arts within School Complex No. 18 in Zabrze).

Due to the exceptionally high artistic and conceptual level of the submitted works, individual distinctions were also awarded to: Marta Banasiewicz, Karolina Białdyga, Kinga Cebula, Gabriela Dębowska, Maria Michulec, Amelia Mimiec, Julianna Nowakowska, Zuzanna Palewicz, Emilia Pogrzeba, Nikita Sinianski, Alicja Smyl, Barbara Szczepaniak, Amelia Wrona, and Natalia Żorawowicz. A Special Award from the Festival Partner – Rekopol was presented to Marcel Łazarek by Aneta Stawicka. The laureates received statuettes designed by sculptor Paweł Stępień, as well as material prizes.

The educational activities conducted as part of the festival, focusing on ecology and sustainable design in architecture, urban planning, and mobility, inspired young people to create 100 artworks exploring the future of climate-resilient, resident-friendly cities.

The projects, created by young designers, represent 36 towns and cities from across the country, spanning 12 regions.

The 2025 edition of the program also included a series of exhibitions presented in major Polish cities: Poznan, Croacow, Lodz, and Katowice.

The culmination of the Elements Festival 2025 was a symphonic concert featuring the performance of the composition “Elements” by Pawel Pudlo, the Festival Director and initiator of the project. The concert symbolically connected music, ecology, and social responsibility, using classical symphonic form to address contemporary environmental challenges. The performance emphasized the role of art as a universal language capable of inspiring reflection, dialogue, and positive change, and served as both an artistic finale of the festival and a powerful statement on the importance of sustainability and collective responsibility for the future of our planet.

The Elements Festival 2018 marked the official launch of the festival’s artistic and educational program, expanding the project beyond its original musical framework initiated in 2012. The festival aimed to raise environmental awareness and promote individual responsibility for the future of the planet by combining art, science, and education. The premiere edition took place in Walbrzych from December 5 to 8, 2018, with events held in the Sudeten Philharmonic, Ksiaz Castle, the Under the Atlantes Library, the Museum of Porcelain, and local schools. The festival primarily targeted children and young people from the Lower Silesia region.

A central component of the 2018 edition was an extensive educational program organized in collaboration with the Institute of Geography and Regional Development at the University of Wroclaw. Over two days (December 6–7), more than 20 university staff, doctoral candidates, and student volunteers conducted lectures, workshops, and hands-on activities for nearly 500 students from eight local schools. The program was coordinated by Dr. hab. Agnieszka Latochaand supported by the Rector of the University of Wroclaw, the University’s Promotion Office, the City of Walbrzych Promotion Office, Ksiaz Castle, and the Under the Atlantes Library.

The educational activities covered a wide range of environmental topics: Dr. Anna Grochowska led urban planning and spatial design workshops for preschoolers, Dr. Bartosz Korabiewski conducted soil science sessions entitled “What We Step On” for approximately 100 students, while Dr. inż. Hanna Ojrzyńska, Dr. Anetta Drzeniecka-Osiadacz, Dr. Tymoteusz Sawiński, Mgr Marek Kowalczyk, Mgr inż. Piotr Modzel, Mgr Daria Bilińska, Mgr Natalia Pilguj, and Mgr Piotr Pawliczek explored air pollution, atmosphere monitoring, renewable energy, and climate science, including practical demonstrations using dust sensors and drones. Dr. hab. Piotr Owczarek presented dendrochronology workshops analyzing tree rings, Dr. hab. Alicja Krzemińska led sessions on green infrastructure and urban futures, Dr. hab. Agnieszka Latocha gave lectures on the transition from fossil fuels to new energy sources, and Dr. Andrzej Tkaczyk discussed the geological history of Walbrzych. Student volunteers from the Geography and Spatial Management Scientific Circles assisted in running the workshops, ensuring an interactive and engaging experience.

Complementing the university-led activities, the festival featured eco-design and upcycling workshops conducted by artist and eco-designer Tytus Presiński, who guided participants in creating functional objects and decorations from waste materials. These sessions included making Christmas trees from car wheel covers and the construction of the striking “Black Suns” lamps for the symphony concert, crafted entirely from recycled materials. These workshops emphasized creativity, sustainability, and practical approaches to environmental responsibility, linking artistic expression directly to ecological action.

The culmination of the Elements Festival 2018 was the premiere performance of the symphony “Elements” by Pawel Pudlo, held on December 8, 2018, at the Sudeten Philharmonic in Walbrzych. The concert featured a symphony orchestra performing alongside natural and recycled instruments, including tree trunks and metal drums, creating a unique soundscape that reinforced the festival’s ecological message. Serving as both the artistic highlight and conceptual foundation of the festival, the performance demonstrated how classical music can inspire reflection and dialogue on environmental issues while encouraging young audiences to engage with sustainability through art.