We live in the times of uncertainty, unstable economy, crisis of values. In these difficult years we turn to art yet again. On the one hand it brings relief, but on the other, harsh criticisms of our reality. When applying for the title of European Capital of Culture, Lublin wanted to act as a catalyst for strengthening cooperation between the East and the West, connecting the two “lungs of Europe”. The same idea of creating a meeting place is important for us during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We strongly believe that this initiative will not end with the presidency, but will help lay solid intellectual foundations for such meeting, and that theatre, a natural place for dialogue, will play an important role in this process.

This year’s edition of the “Theatre Confrontations” will be an attempt to provide a critical view of today’s world and, at the same time, look for beauty and harmony in it. We invited outstanding artists from Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Poland, countries with turbulent history and harsh daily life. For nine days of the Lublin festival they will be telling their stories to the world. May the concert of the “I Culture Orchestra”, an ensemble bringing together musicians from all countries of the Eastern Partnership, be a symbolic summary of our efforts.

Janusz Opryński, Grzegorz Reske

Whether we are aware of it or not and no matter if we want it, our life is a piece of art. To rise up to the demands of art, we must, like other artists, set ourselves goals that seem unattainable, at least at the time, when we set them. […] We need to want the impossible.

Zygmunt Bauman

We are all children of the Greeks. We intuitively grasp the need for a sense of moral direction: it is not necessary to be familiar with Socrates to feel that the unexamined life is not worth much. Natural Aristotelians, we assume that a just society is one in which justice is habitually practiced; a good society one in which people behave well. For such definitions to be convincing, however, we need to agree on what the words “just” or “well” mean.

Tony Judt