In May 2019, the Ceramics Museum established initial contact with the Telemark Museum in Skien (southern Norway). Telemark is a museum with many sub-centres, including the Porcelain Museum in Porsgrunn. Like the Bolesławiec museum, Telemark strives to expand the international cooperation network of institutions engaged in ceramics. The Polish party declared the development of a concept for including Bolesławiec and Porsgrunn in one of the certified European Culture Routes – the European Ceramics Route.
Both centres, Bolesławiec and Porsgrunn, decided to use the opportunity arising from the planned call for projects under the “Culture” Program financed from the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and from the state budget. After many months of hard work, the concept of the project was created, and hence the need for direct meetings. The first meeting was in Warsaw, in November 2019, during the inaugural presentation of the “Culture Program: EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021”, prepared by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. In a very short time, two study meetings followed – one at the Norwegian and one at the Polish partner.
At the beginning of December 2019, a delegation from Bolesławiec visited Norway. The talks concerned several variants of cooperation within the European Ceramics Route, joint international activities and exchange of experience. For the Polish side, the priority was to obtain funding for the renovation of Pückler’s palace, which was to become the new headquarters of the Bolesławiec Museum of Ceramics. The talks also concerned the issue of strengthening cooperation between cultural institutions and the ceramic industry. Representatives of the Bolesławiec delegation also had the opportunity to visit the cities of Porsgrunn and Skien, as well as learn about the detailed activities of local cultural institutions.
The return visit to Poland took place in January 2020. A delegation from the Norwegian Telemark Museum participated in the 16th session of the Bolesławiec City Council, and then in a meeting with representatives of the Bolesławiec City Hall, the Ceramics Museum and the Municipal Public Library – Knowledge Centre. The meeting was focused on discussing the plan of joint cultural and promotional activities of the project, setting up a framework training plan for museologists, and design the areas for future know-how exchange. In addition, the guests from Norway visited the city, including the disused Pückler Palace, got acquainted with cultural institutions operating in the city and visited one of the ceramics production plants. They also participated in a press conference aimed at promoting the project, which took place in the reception room of the town hall.
The last months of work on the project application were extremely difficult and exhausting. Cooperation of the three project partners – Bolesławiec, Porsgrunn and Faenza (the operator of the European Ceramics Route) was complicated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which paralysed the activities of most institutions throughout Europe, and reached its peak in Italy at that time. Nevertheless, thanks to the partners’ commitment and determination, it was possible to work out all the details related to the project schedule, budget and scope, as well as sign agreements and co-working declarations.
