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1. Existence of a national strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

4. Revisions/updates

Existence of a national strategy

The most important document in this respect is the Strategy for the Development of Human Capital (Cooperation, Culture, Creativity) 2030 (Strategia Rozwoju Kapitału Społecznego (współdziałanie, kultura, kreatywność) 2030), accepted in autumn 2020.

Scope and contents

The main objective of the Strategy is the increase in the quality of Polish social and cultural life. Two of its specific goals directly address the importance of culture in social life. Goal 2 is strengthening the role of culture in building civic identities and attitudes, while Goal 3 is the increase of cultural and creative potential for national development. The strategy is one of the tools of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2020 (with an outlook towards 2030), and one of the nine horizontal, comprehensive development strategies for Poland. In this sense, it deals with the whole of society. However, the strategy does address children and youth, to a degree. They are included within the diagnosis, which notes that one of the challenges faced is the low quality of the artistic offer for the young members of the society, and general deficits in cultural competence. Developing cultural competence among children and youth is seen as one of the key factors for cultural life and social capital of future generations. Several challenges to successful cultural education among children are noted. They are parents who do not have high cultural capital, and so can’t highlight the benefits that cultural activity brings. In effect, “high artistic quality of services on offer rarely is a factor in parent’s choice – and sometimes it even contributes against that, as parents and guardians are more likely to choose commercial products without the most valuable elements and more ambitious content that, server appropriately, could well build artistic inclinations in the youngest members of the society, developing their imagination. As noted by experts, artistic events on offer for the younger generation are highly diverse. However, events of low artistic quality are still common. Commercial actors working within the field of artistic events for children maintain many advantages when it comes to marketing, which makes it easier for them to reach schools. Artistic work aimed towards young audiences is often treated instrumentally, as a source of profit, which means that most events on offer focus on fairy tale plays, popular books, and mandatory school readings. There is a lack of events answering the authentic needs of young audiences and contemporary works aimed directly at such an audience.”

Importance of actions directed at children and youth is visible in task 2.1. (Creation of conditions and building competence for strengthening participation in culture) assigned to goal 2 of the Strategy (strengthening the role of culture in building civic identities and attitudes). It mentions the need to create a valuable and professional offer directed at children and youth that will take into consideration the needs and interests of those groups. This is also meant to happen alongside cultural education, which means that cultural education will be supported in order to stimulate creativity and creative activity of select social groups, with special consideration for children and youth.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

The implementation of the National Strategy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. They are also responsible for coordinating tasks that fall under the particular goals 2 and 3.

Revisions/updates

The strategy was accepted on the 27th of October, 2020. It is a continuation and update of the previous Strategy for the Development of Social Capital 2020 (which was in effect between 2013 and 2020).  The strategy is one of the tools of the Sustainable Development Strategy 2020 (with an outlook towards 2030), and one of the nine horizontal, comprehensive development strategies for Poland.