Cultural April, we should add – while early spring temperatures can still be rather chilly, events are almost off the scale… Falling late this year, the Misteria Paschalia Festival brings a change of atmosphere, shifting from reflection and meditation to culminate with the joy of Easter. The festival programme shows once again that appointing leading artists from different circles of European culture as directors-in-residence brings myriad artistic delights. This year’s guest, Antonio Florio, immerses us in the music and customs of southern Italy, and helps us explore the atmosphere of Neapolitan streets as they jubilantly celebrate the mystery of the Resurrection.

Off Camera marks the start of the cycle of springtime festivals celebrating different aspects of contemporary cinematography; their power grows with various interactions, and one of the important elements bringing together the Cinematic Kraków brand is the exhibition dedicated to Andrzej Wajda, prepared by the National Museum. We will see dozens of new exhibitions held as part of the newly expanded Cracow Art Week KRAKERS, celebrating the city’s many art galleries. The literary ambitions of Kraków UNESCO City of Literature are bolstered during the World Book and Copyright Day. And our city’s role as Poland’s capital of improvised music is confirmed with the International Jazz Day, the Young and Old, or Jazz in Kraków International Festival, and the electrifying concert by John McLaughlin.

And that’s just the start!

Grzegorz Słącz
Editor-in-Chief