Poland in Singapore

During the festival, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Singapore, in collaboration with partner institutions and supported by sponsors, organized 13 events that attracted approximately 3000 attendees.

This year's  activities focused on four main areas: "Culture and Arts," "Poland Tastes Good” "Sports," and "Discover Poland”.

The series of events took off with the Polish Film Showcase (12, 13, 19.04) featuring recent Polish cinema repertoire critically acclaimed both in Poland and abroad: “The Peasants” – an adult animated adaptation of W. Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel by the producer’s team behind the Oscar-shortlisted “My Vincent”, “Kos”, the historical drama about a Polish and American war hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko" directed by P. Maślona and – in connection with the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the  full-length documentary “In the Rearview”, by M.  Hamela, which portrays the stories of Ukrainian refugees seeking shelter from the war.

On May 4, on the occasion of the Polish 3rd May Constitution Day and the 20th anniversary of Poland’s EU membership, the "Spring Sonata" classical music concert was held at the iconic Singapore Botanic Gardens. During the hour-long event that evoked the spirit of the long-standing Chopin concerts held in the Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw, the talented duo - Elżbieta Woleńska on the flute and Katarzyna Borek on the piano performed well-known compositions by Polish composers: F. Chopin, I. Paderewski, and S. Moniuszko.

The May 3rd Constitution Day was also celebrated at an official reception (25.04), which gathered over 200 guests, including government officials, diplomats, cultural and business figures, and members of the Polish community in Singapore. The event opened with official speeches by Ilona Korchut, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Polish Embassy in Singapore, and the guest of honor, Mohamed Fahmi bin Aliman, Member of Parliament and Mayor of South East District in Singapore. Attendees had also the opportunity to see two exhibitions "The May 3rd Constitution" and "25 Years of Poland in NATO."

Two additional mesmerizing musical performances that offered an excellent opportunity to promote Polish artists, Polish music, and the International Chopin Piano Competition took place at the prestigious Victoria Concert Hall. Presented in partnership with Altenburg Arts Pte, the piano recitals by Piotr Anderszewski (01.05), considered one of the most original and charismatic pianists of his generation and Dang Thai Son (24.05), a Vietnamese-Canadian virtuoso, winner of the 10th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and recipient of the prestigious Gold Medal Gloria Artis for Cultural Contributions, received an enthusiastic welcome. The artists captured the audience with their masterful interpretations of works by F. Chopin, K. Szymanowski, and other European composers.

In line with PolandSHIOK tradition, promotion of Polish cuisine was an essential part of the festival. The Polish Culinary Weekend @Stevens (27-28.04) unfolded with a Saturday BBQ picnic with Polish specialties prepared by renowned Polish chefs, accompanied by cocktails infused with traditional Polish spirits. The culinary extravaganza was complemented with a quiz about Poland with various prizes, Zumba sessions for children and musical ambiance by Polish DJ Miko and saxophonist Stanley Martino. After dark, guests enjoyed Polish music and snacks during the "Polish Party Vibes" that lasted well into the night. The festivities continued the following day at Sunday Polish Brunch with a lavish buffet full of an extensive selection of Polish delicacies and beverage.  

Poland, as in previous years, was also present at the leading food industry trade fair in Southeast Asia - FHA-Food & Beverage Singapore (23- 26.04). The official inaugurations of the Polish national pavilion "Poland Tastes Good" and the "Flavors of Europe" pavilion were conducted by Stefan Krajewski, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with Ilona Korchut, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Polish Embassy in Singapore. Nearly twenty Polish companies producing juice, confectionery, cereal products, meat products, frozen vegetables, snacks, honey, and organic food presented their export offers at the national pavilion organized by the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR). The "Flavors of Europe" pavilion, hosted by the Polish Chamber of Commerce Promotion Center, focused on promoting Polish apples, pork, and beef.

The day preceding the FHA opening (22.04) the "CEEfood Experience!" networking event took place. The event organized jointly by the Embassies of Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), and the Central and Eastern European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, with the participation of the Romanian Embassy brought together numerous companies from the Central-Eastern European region and attracted over 100 attendees, including representatives of Singaporean food importers and distributors.

Furthermore, in connection with the upcoming FHA fair, the Business Times published a sponsored article titled "Poland's agricultural riches coming to Singapore," (19.04) focused on the Polish agricultural sector, its export achievements, and potential opportunities for collaboration with Singaporean partners.

A wide range of Polish alcohols was also promoted at the "Discover the Flavors of Traditional Polish Spirits" networking event (15.05) arranged for local distributors in partnership with the ZBH PAIH office and Best of Poland SG.

Cycling enthusiasts participated in the Family Bike Ride (12.05), organized in cooperation with the Polish Cycling Club, Best of Poland SG, and the local ZBH PAIH office. In beautiful sunny weather, participants covered an 11 km route from the city center, commencing near the plaque honouring Józef Conrad-Korzeniowski along the Singapore River, passing through city landmarks up to the scenic East Coast Park. The rally wrapped up with a shared coffee and breakfast. The youngest participants received sports bags filled with Polish sweets, comics "Romek, Tomek and Atomek," and board games "Nie-mapa". The Family Bike Rally was not only an opportunity for active leisure but also a great chance to integrate the local Polish community and build positive relationships with Singaporean friends. T-shirts with the PolandSHIOK logo and caps sponsored by the 4F company were an additional attraction for the participants, enhancing also the visibility of the entire event.

As part of promoting Poland as an attractive tourist destination, the Embassy collaborated with the local branch of Turkish Airlines, which supported PolandSHIOK by offering two complimentary tickets to Poland for festival raffles. The raffles were conducted during the Polish Culinary Weekend and the "Spring Sonata" concert at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Additionally, as in previous years, information about tourist attractions in Poland was available on the festival's website and a promotional video highlighting Poland was screened prior to the showing of Polish films at the PFF and during May 3rd Constitution Day celebration.

The detailed festival schedule can be found on the website www.polandshiok.sg.