Do television programmes contribute to the promotion of young artists? Do contests announced by the media open the doors to success for talented youths? Is promotion without the support of the media efficient? Ewa ¦ródka of the Office for Marketing and Promotion, TVP S.A. speaks about Creative Valley.

Where did the idea of the programme and its title – Creative Valley – come from?

The project of Creative Valley appeared while we were establishing the Office for Marketing and Promotion of Polish Television in 2004. We wanted the idea to reach talented youth and to draw public attention to them – particularly to those who have so far failed to appear in the media and become known. Public television, owing to its strong sense of mission and the need to play the role of the patron of culture, decided to support art projects realized by young amateur artists by their presentation and funding. The name of the project depicts an art mine that is being created owing to and around the Polish television.


Who is working on Creative Valley?

The project Creative Valley is being implemented by the Office for Marketing and Promotion, the Department of New Projects Marketing. The staff of the Department announce subsequent contests, which means that they inform about them in the media and place all the documents needed by applicants on the project website (http://dolinakreatywna.tvp.pl). Also, it is the Department where artists submit their entries, of which an independent jury selects winners. The results are announced in the 2nd Channel, in the programme entitled: “Creative Valley, or what young art looking for”.

Is the whole project realized in the form of contests?

The project Creative Valley has a form of ten contests in various fields of art (photography, multimedia, literature, dance, fine arts, music, theatre, film, culture activation and design). Contests are announced on a monthly basis, excluding the holiday months (July and August). Works sent to the contests are judged by a jury composed of renowned artists or critics in a given field of art. Winners (5 people at the maximum) meet the judges during the recording session of a television programme. Then they can hear their opinions and comments, answer and ask questions. It is during the session that finalists learn what prizes they have won.

What does this year’s edition focus on?

The concept of the second edition of Creative Valley is similar to the previous one. The topic of works was not defined and, within one field, works made in any form are accepted. This means that, for example, to an artistic contest a sculpture, a painting, a graphic or an installation can be sent. This year the organizers decided to add one field, i.e. design. This decision was made in response to the signals from potential entrants of the Creative Valley contests. The organizers had received numerous e-mails saying that there were many young people who were interested in design (applied art, fashion, etc.) who had not had an opportunity to present their ideas in the first edition of the contest.


Are the media necessary to promote young artists?

By all means yes because one of the basic functions of the media is to bring culture and national heritage closer to the next generations. Obviously, the media give artists a chance to present their works to a wide audience. What’s more important however, owing to their ability to enhance certain vision of reality, listeners, viewers, readers and the Internet users see people (e.g. young artists) presented in the media as individuals valuable or at least worth noticing. In this context the role of the media in the promotion of young people who are talented although not well-known yet seems crucial. Without the support of the media, the self-promotion of young artists would be limited to local communities or to a selected group of Internet users interested in a particular subject.
 
What is the role of television, and what of the Internet? How does the idea to combine the two media work?

From our over one year’s experience it results that the television programme of Creative Valley and its website support and drive each other. The entrants of the contests are both those who came across the project site while searching the Internet, and those who saw one of the television programmes. Besides, we should remember that the Internet facilitates communication. Anybody who enters for the contest and has some doubts or questions can immediately contact the organizers by e-mail and share his/her opinions with other entrants on the project web forum. Owing to that contests participants feel that they are treated individually. Contests announced solely on television, very often for technical reasons, do not offer the entrants such comfort.

Television programmes are also a very important element of the project. Apart from the obvious power and range of the message, the presentation of prize winners in a programme enhances their image and the significance of their achievements. Very often the winners of a contest tell the organizers that the participation in the recording session is an additional prize and award for them.

Do the artists who presented themselves in Creative Valley have a better start on the paths of their careers? Can you give examples of such artists?

Many people who won the Creative Valley project contests have been noticed by various cultural institutions. The success of Pawe³ Hejbudzki’s, the winner of the I prize in the film contest in the first edition of Creative Valley, was particularly spectacular. His “The State of Mind” has won other prizes (Grand Prix of The Summer Film Festival, Zamoæ 2006, Grand Prix of the Film Summer, Toruñ 2006); he also entered for the VI International Festival “Dignity and Work” (Gdansk 2006) and the 8th Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles. After “The State of Mind” was shown on TVP Kultura, other stations offered to buy the licence to the film. Owing to the awards won he managed to find a sponsor of his next film. The winner of another contest, Kacper Podrygaj³o - after the telecast of the programme “Creative Valley” - published two short stories in “Halart” and got a similar offer from “Zeszyty Literackie”. Also, the meeting of Krzysztof Gnat, the winner of the last year’s photographic contest, with Marian Schmidt, one of the judges of this year’s edition of the contest ended with a surprise. Krzysztof was invited to the recording of the programme, and Marian Schmidt, after only one glance at his photographs, offered him a scholarship at Warsaw School of Photography he is the director of. Krzysztof is now the student of the school.


Are young artists in Poland resourceful? Do they know what this notion means?

If we answer the question in the context of the project Creative Valley, we notice with pleasure that our contests are entered for, apart from artists who have chalked up their first successes, by people who have submitted their works for assessment for the first time. It happens quite often that judges pick talents out of such novices. The artistic level of the proposals for culture activation sent to the contest also showed the resourcefulness of young artists. They had to send not only detailed programmes of their projects, but also detailed cost estimates. The organizers were surprised not only by the scale of the last year’s projects, but also by their accuracy. The winners of the contest prepared, among other things, a series of workshops for secondary school students, some concerts and exhibitions. Some of the winners tried to get additional money from sponsors.

In your opinion, does Creative Valley stimulate artists’ resourcefulness?

Participation in a contest is very often the first enterprising action of a young artist in his/her career. The possibility to appear in the media, contact with authorities, i.e. the judges of the contest and their wise advice, very often help our winners take important and brave decisions on their professional careers. Owing to that the entrants of our contests very often start presenting their achievements at various institutions themselves and quite often they manage to launch cooperation.

What are young artists looking for then?

The results of each of the Creative Valley contests give another, new answer to this question. In each field young artists astonish the judges with the originality of their works and, very often, with unconventional approach to art. If we were to answer this question briefly however, we could risk a claim that in art young people seek an opportunity to express themselves as unique individuals who combine in themselves various, very often extreme emotions and reflections. Also, most certainly, young artists want their art to be noticed, they need the support and guidance of authorities.