Maritime masterpieces – printmaking workshops for seniors

In line with the competition rules, the main goal of the project is to support 20 residents of Gdynia in late adulthood (55+) by creating conditions for them to spend their free time actively, develop their interests and increase their participation in cultural life through printmaking workshops.

The programme includes 15 workshops for seniors, introducing the basics of creating especially useful graphic designs – ones that are a challenge and great fun at the same time.

1. The applicant will recruit seniors who are socially excluded or at risk of exclusion – people with a disability certificate (at least 5) and people on low incomes (according to the economic criterion adopted above). Taking part in the classes will give the group an opportunity to integrate across health, economic and social divides. The seniors taking part in the project are people whose modest means prevent them from participating regularly in cultural life. Attending free workshops will create an opportunity to engage with culture and to strengthen cultural and social competences. Participants will also gain soft skills, boosting their self-confidence and their sense of belonging to the local community. Regular meetings and the chance to develop a new hobby in the post-pandemic reality (most activities were suspended for long months, deepening seniors’ exclusion and passivity) will contribute to social inclusion.
2. Moreover, thanks to the workshop themes – closely tied to Gdynia – participants’ historical awareness and their sense of belonging to the city community will grow. Participants will take part in outdoor photography workshops, work with the logos of Gdynia institutions, and create city banners, posters promoting the city, and postcards.
3. Additionally, the use of digital tools (during the photography workshops and when working with the photographs) will raise participants’ key digital competences – a significant social change, as seniors are a group at risk of digital exclusion, so gaining practical skills is highly beneficial for them.
4. The workshops are an innovative idea – participants will discover new artistic media, techniques and tools. This will keep their engagement high, and taking part in the project will foster artistic growth and the acquisition of cultural and artistic competences.

The project will recruit 20 seniors – 10 women and 10 men (open recruitment aimed at people aged 55+ living in Gdynia), including at least 5 people with a disability certificate (given priority in recruitment). The target group will be divided into two subgroups of ten, for which 15 three-hour workshops will be organised.

The project includes 15 three-hour workshops on the following themes:

1. GDYNIA TYPOGRAPHY – 9 three-hour workshops:

• Workshop 1 – “On the aesthetics of letters: an introduction to typography in the form of a lecture and debate.”
• Workshop 2 – “Hunt for letters: an alphabet from the Gdynia neighbourhood.” (outdoor photography workshop)
• Workshop 3 – “Hunt for letters: an alphabet from the Gdynia neighbourhood.” (working with the photographs taken – creating a poster)
• Workshop 4 – “A typo-map of Gdynia: a city map made of text.”
• Workshop 5 – “Gdynia’s environmental alphabet.” (outdoor photography workshop)
• Workshop 6 – “Gdynia’s environmental alphabet.” (working with the photographs taken – creating a digital collage)
• Workshop 7 – “A maritime word search.”
• Workshop 8 – “Gdynia’s ghost lettering: the fading traces of the city centre’s past.” (outdoor photography workshop)
• Workshop 9 – “Gdynia’s ghost lettering: the fading traces of the city centre’s past.” (working with the photographs taken – creating a postcard)

2. LETTERING AS AN IMAGE PROMOTING THE REGION – 6 three-hour workshops:

• Workshop 1 – “On visual identity: an introduction to logo design in the form of a lecture and debate.”
• Workshop 2 – “A new logo for a distinguished Gdynia institution.”
• Workshop 3 – “Poster design: an introduction to designing posters in the form of a lecture and debate.”
• Workshop 4 – “A poster for the 48th Gdynia Film Festival.”
• Workshop 5 – “A typographic illustration of song lyrics.”
• Workshop 6 – “A seaside banner design.”

The workshops will run from March to June 2023.