ula kijak
photo by Barbara Sinica
I am an artist, primarily a theatre director, as well as an activist, promoter, and educator of nonviolent creativity.
Performing arts are closest to my heart, but I also engage in audio, video, interdisciplinary, participatory, documentary, and intervention projects. I direct, write, and sometimes perform. I implement non-hierarchical tools (devising theatre) and explore the social-specific strand. I often draw upon forgotten or underappreciated texts, stories, and characters, seeking underrepresented perspectives. I have conducted artistic experiments and research, recently focusing primarily on failures, unfulfillment, and exclusions.
I specialise in theoretical research and practical artistic exploration of the dynamics of group artistic work and the methodology of the collective creative process, utilising pedagogy and the psychology of creativity. I coined the term nonviolent creativity (inspired by nonviolent communication). I conduct workshops, lectures, and consultations on anti-violence and anti-manipulation in creative work. I support and facilitate others’ creative processes. Recently, I have been expanding these topics to include conflict resolution and prevention of burnout.
These two areas of my work complement and reinforce each other.
my collaborations
I made my debut in 2004 with the performance Rat, based on a short story by Witold Gombrowicz, at the Municipal Theatre in Gdynia. Since then, I have directed over sixty performances, interdisciplinary projects, and performative readings, six radio plays, four documentary films, two TV reportages, two music videos, and a web series.
I co-founded the Artistic Group TERAZ POLIŻ in 2008 and was a member until October 2017. In 2015, TERAZ POLIŻ received an Award for its overall creative work and activities in support of women from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Małgorzata Omilanowska at that time.
I completed my PhD in theatre arts at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw in 2016. My PhD project was a performance of Queen of Cakes by Béla Pintér, which was produced at the Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń in 2013. My dissertation was titled The Myth of the Artist and the Everyday Life of a Directress. I worked academically and educationally for twelve years, first at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw and then at the Theatre and Acting Arts Study (STA) in Poznań.
I have been a member of the Board of the Stage Directors Guild of Poland (GPRiRT) since its inception.
photo by Joanna Siercha
photo by Instytut Teatralny
photo by Grzegorz Cinkowski
photo by Barbara Sinica
photo by Alicja Szulc
photo by Marek Zakrzewski
photo by Barbara Sinica
For over twenty years, I have been teaching theatre and creativity, and in recent years, I’ve also focused on methods to prevent and protect against violence in teamwork. I’ve dedicated hundreds of hours to conducting workshops, lectures, and consultations, participating in conferences and panel discussions, and providing support to both teams and individuals. As a human rights activist advocating against violence and exclusion, I have often assisted victims of domestic and s*xual abuse. Consequently, I am familiar with proven tools for supporting people experiencing boundary violations.
I merge knowledge with experience and a research perspective with artistic and activist practices. In my workshops, I reference nonviolent communication, the Alexander technique, Wendo, and share insights on Master Suppression Techniques and other manipulation methods, which harm us and undermine our potential yet are often unnoticed. I teach how to guide creative processes and lead artistic teams.
I write and publish articles on the outcomes of my research, along with conclusions and proposals for systemic solutions, promoting the concepts of informed consent and nonviolent creativity.
Additionally, I conduct webinars, allowing me to share my expertise in this format.