Krystian Lupa

Freedom Games 2019

One of the most outstanding Polish theater directors; scenographer, graphic designer, playwright, translator and professor of theatrical art. He studied graphic arts at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, directing at the Lodz State Film and Television School and directing drama at the State Higher School of Theater in Kraków.

He directed such outstanding performances as “Nadobnisie i koczkodany” (1978), “Maciej Korbowa i Bellatrix” (1986) in Jelenia Góra and “Miasto snu” (1985), “Marzyciele” (1988), “Brothers Karamazow” (1990), “Malte” (1991), “Kalkwerk” (1992). In TR Warszawa, the director worked on the premiere of “Stosunki Klary” (2003) and “Miasto snu” (2012).

Krystian Lupa is the laureate of the most important Polish theater awards, including the Konrad Swinarski – awarded by the editors of the monthly “Teatr” – (1988) for directing the play “Marzyciele” by Robert Musil at the Stary Teatr im. Helena Modrzejewska in Krakow, Awards Leon Schiller (1992) and numerous awards at national and international festivals, among others Grand Prix for “Lunatycy” for the best foreign performance in France in the season 1998/99.

In 2000, he was awarded the Austrian First Class Cross of Honor of Science and Art for cultural activities, in the same year he also received the PO Thematic Section of the Theater PO ITI Award – Polish Center of the International Theater Institute for popularizing Polish theater in the world. In 2005 he was awarded the Gold Medal “Zasłużony Kulturze Gloria Artis” by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2009 he received the prestigious European Theater Award. He was nominated twice for the Nike Literary Award: in 2002 for the “Labirynt” and in 2004 for “Podglądanie”.

In 2014, he received the prestigious Austrian award Nestroy Preis in the best director category – for the spectacle “Holzfaellen” at the Schauspielhaus Graz. In 2016, he received the Lithuanian Golden Cross Scene Award for exhibiting Thomas Bernhard’s “Heldenplatz” at the Lithuanian National Dramatic Theater in Vilnius. In 2017 he received the awards of the French Association of Theater, Music and Dance Critics for the best foreign performance and the best book about the theater.

Photo: Piotr Skiba

Joanna Bator

Freedom Games 2019

Polish writer and essayist. Academically, a philosopher and Cultural Studies specialist.

She devoted herself to literature after having previously worked at the universities in London, New York and Tokio. She was a freelance contributor to Gazeta Wyborcza daily. She is the author of several novels: Piaskowa Góra (2009), Chmurdalia (2011), Ciemno, prawie noc (2013), Rok Królika (2016), and Purezento (2017), as well as numerous essays and reports. Her works have been translated into German, French, Hibrew, Ukrainian, Macedonian, Slovene, Czech, and Hungarian.

She was awarded numerous prizes for her work, eg. Nike Literary Prize or Swiss Spycher Literaturepreis. In 2014, she was a Visiting Professor in the field of world literature at the University in Brno. In the years 2015-2016, she lived in Berlin as an  Artist-in-Residence of the German DAAD foundation.

Her bestselling novel Ciemno, prawie noc was made into a film directed by Borys Lankosz, in which the author debuted as an actress.

Sylwia Chutnik

Freedom Games 2019

Born in 1979 in Warsaw. Phd. A graduate of Cultural Studies and Gender Studies at the Warsaw University. A writer, publicist, social activist and promoter of reading.

A member of the Union of Polish Writers and the Union of Writers Association. Curator of festivals and literary initiatives (Apostrophe -International Literary Festival, OFF Literary Café, discussions and meetings with authors).

She was a lecturer at the Institute of Polish Culture at the University of Warsaw and at the Writing Machine – the school of Writing. Columnist of ,, Polityka “,” Pani “,” Wysokie Obcasy “,” Gazeta Stołeczna “and many web sites. She co-hosted the literary programs “Cappuccino with a book” and “Forget- recovered” in TVP Kultura.

She is currently co-organizing the “Barłóg literacki” on You Tube channel. Her texts appeared in collective books and in many catalogs for exhibitions of contemporary art and theater programs (including the Grand Theater – National Opera, Gallery Bunkier Sztuki, Nobel Museum in Stockholm).

She publishes guest appearances in the Polish and foreign press. Her scientific texts have been included in more than 20 studies and collective books. Scholarship holder Homines Urbani 2008, Institute Books from Lithuania 2009, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage 2010, City of Warsaw 2010, Goethe Institute 2010.

Winner of literary and social awards.

Elzbieta Bienkowska

Freedom Games 2019

European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the European Commission, President Jean-Claude Juncker.

In 2007–2013, the Minister of Regional Development of the Republic of Poland and from 2013 to 2014 also the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Development in the Government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

As the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Regional Development and Minister of Infrastructure and Development, she was responsible for development policy, transport policy, including supervision and management of transport infrastructure (roads, railways, aviation, maritime transport), housing, construction and the use and investment of structural funds with EU budgets for 2004–2006 and 2007–2013, as well as for the development of a system for the implementation of EU funds from the budget for 2013–2020.

In the years 1999–2007 she worked in the Provincial Office and the Marshal’s Office of the Śląskie Voivodeship.

A graduate of the Jagiellonian University and the National School of Public Administration.

Marcin Meller

Freedom Games 2019

A historian by education, a graduate of the Historical Institute at the University of Warsaw.

In the years 1991-2003, he was a reporter for the Polityka weekly, often working as a war correspondent. In 2003-2012, he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Polish edition of Playboy. Since 2000, he has been associated with the TVN station. Currently, he runs the “Drugie śniadanie mistrzów” (Second Breakfast of Champions) on TVN24 and “Dzień Dobry TVN” together with Magda Mołek.

In the years 2011-12, he was a columnist of the Wprost weekly. Since 2012, he has been a columnist of the Newsweek weekly.

Lukasz Orbitowski

Freedom Games 2019

A Polish writer. He penned seven novels so far, including Inna dusza, Exodus, and Tracę ciepło.

In 2016, he received the Polityka Passport. A two-time nominee of the Nike literary award, he was also nominated for the Gdynia City award. He is the host of the Dezerterzy talk show that airs on TVP Kultura.

He is always on the road, getting lost between cities. His friends call him “The Monster”.

Photo: Zuza Krajewska

Ewa Letowska

Freedom Games 2019

A Polish law professor. A real member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), corresponding member of the PAU.

First Polish Ombudsman (1988-1992), a judge of the Supreme Administrative Court (1999-2002) and the Constitutional Tribunal (2002-2011).

She is the author of numerous books, articles, essays, columns devoted to law (constitutional, civil, human rights) and radio and television programs dedicated to classical music.

Photo: Agnieszka Pietkiewicz-Kaleta

Justyna Kopinska

Freedom Games 2019

A Polish reporter, sociologist. She deals with criminal matters related to criminal law, courts, and penal system.

A laureate of the Amnesty International’s Pen of Hope. She won the PAP’s Kapuściński Award, Grand Press award, Teresa Torańska Newsweek Award, and a honorable mention in the Andrzej Woyciechowski’s Radio ZET Award.

The author of several books, including Czy Bóg wybaczy siostrze Bernadetcie? (Will God Forgive Sister Bernadette?), Polska odwraca oczy, Z nienawiści do kobiet (Poland Averts Its Gaze, Out Of Hatred for Women).

She was the first journalist from Poland who received the so-called “European Pulitzer”, the European Press Prize in the “Distinguished Writing Award” category.

As a result of her reportages, criminals were sent to prisons, much needed changes in security measures employed in closed institutions for children were introduced..

Piotr Siergiej

Freedom Games 2019

The Spokesman for Polish Smog Alert and an activist of Warszawa Bez Smogu (Warsaw Without Smog).

He worked as an editor of the Ecology Desk at the wyborcza.pl portal. He is also a leading editor of the ChronmyKlimat.pl portal and a spokesperson in the Polish Climate Coalition.

His articles have been published in Gazeta Wyborcza and Tygodnik Powszechny.

Michal Boni

Freedom Games 2019

A Polish politician and culture expert. A long-time lecturer at the Department of Polish Culture at the University of Warsaw. Since 1980, he was involved in the Solidarity movement – in 1989, he became a Member of the Board of Solidarity, and, in 1990, the President of the Mazowsze Region Board.

In 1991, he assumed the position of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy. In the years 1992-93, he was the Secretary of State in this ministry, where he was responsible, among others, for the labor market.

Member of the Polish Parliament of the first term. Since 1995, he led the project on Social Policy Reform at the Stefan Batory Foundation. In the years 1996-97, he was the Director and a member of the Institute of Public Affairs. Between 1998 and 2001, a Chief Adviser to the Minister of Labor and Social Policy. Until 2007, he was a consultant at Enterprise Investors in the field of human resource management.

A key expert cooperating in shaping the National Development Plan and the National Action Plan for the years 2007-2013 in Poland.

Until 2007, he was an advisor at the Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan.

Since January 2008, Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. He was one of the authors of the “Solidarity of Generations 50+” program, which was aimed at helping people over 50 years old operate in the labor market.

Since 2008, he was the Head of Strategic Advisors of the Prime Minister. Under his leadership, the team carried out social evaluation projects.

On November 18, 2011, he was sworn in as Minister of Digitization and Administration.

Since April 25, 2014, he was a Member of the European Parliament. In the 2019 EP elections, he did not, however receive a mandate.

Freedom Games 2019

How Do Democracies Win?

September 13-15, 2019 || Lodz, Atlas Arena

The date and place of the 6th edition of Freedom Games has been confirmed! One thing is certain: we're in for 3 days of panel discussions, meetings, and concerts. All this with participation of inspiring speakers from the fields of politics, culture, science, and business. More details soon.

Find Out More

News

What are Freedom Games?

Freedom Games are a meeting of individuals who are curious about the world and open to new ideas. It is a gathering of renowned experts and intellectuals, and a discussion about the key challenges the Western societies must face in the 21st century. Being a unique interdisciplinary event of this kind held in Poland, its main objective is to offer a creative space for exchanging ideas between the representatives of culture, business, and public life, among others. Freedom Games 2018 gathered over 3.500 attendees.

Freedom Games are the biggest and most prominent event organized by the  Liberté! Foundation. Our goal is to make it the leading intelectual event in Lodz, Poland.

Speakers

Speakers of the 2019 edition

all speakers

Concerts

Strategic Partners

Partners

Supporting Partners

Media Partners

Technological Partner

Dialogue Partner

Venues

Freedom Games 2018

First time in Lodz?

Find out what to see in the city!

Lodz is the third-largest city in Poland and an industrial hub. In 2017, it was inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities network and named UNESCO City of Film. The industrial heritage of the city is perfectly combined with creative cultural atmosphere, art and business.

find out more

Sign Up for Freedom Games Newsletter!

Ważne: nasze strony wykorzystują pliki cookies. Używamy informacji zapisanych za pomocą cookies i podobnych technologii m.in. w celach reklamowych i statystycznych oraz w celu dostosowania naszych serwisów do indywidualnych potrzeb użytkowników. mogą też stosować je współpracujący z nami reklamodawcy, firmy badawcze oraz dostawcy aplikacji multimedialnych. W programie służącym do obsługi internetu można zmienić ustawienia dotyczące cookies. Korzystanie z naszych serwisów internetowych bez zmiany ustawień dotyczących cookies oznacza, że będą one zapisane w pamięci urządzenia.