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Beetroots Collective is a continuation of the Polish Cultural Festival Association (PCFA), a community organisation  which was incorporated in 2008 with the aim of supporting Polish – Scottish integration and to promote Polish culture and heritage.

One of the stereotypes when speaking of Polish people is a “hard-working Pole”, which makes us feel like a useful labour only, rather than a diverse community, which also wants to participate in the Polish arts and culture while living in Scotland. Mixed nationalities parents want their bilingual children to experience art and creativity in their first language. So the language won’t be associated with visits to Poland only, but also with creativity and art in the Polish community in Scotland.

According to research by Polish Charity in Scotland FENIKS – a large number of Polish people in Scotland feel isolated. Polish men in Scotland are twice as likely as Scottish men to be at risk of committing suicide and one of the barriers is language. Creating open and safe regular meetups allows isolated members of our community to go out and meet people, that would understand them.

Beetroots Collective uses visual art and sound to engage community groups of all ages and backgrounds around social issues. They explore themes spanning migration, nature, mythology, belonging, sustainability and home through participatory art.

Since 2021 award-winning artists – Marta Adamowicz and Robert Motyka have worked closely with the Polish community in Edinburgh, exploring themes of home and belonging. Together they’ve created an experimental video form called City of Homes, which was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Alchemy Film & Arts Festival in Scottish Borders.

Artists in the collective use various creative techniques while working on projects with the communities. They constantly learn and experiment with new techniques and forms of expression, such as: 

• linocut
• paper cut out (wycinanki)
• Collage
• Audio documentary
• Motion graphics
• Video
• Projection mapping
• Film screenings

Created by the community artwork is digitalized and animated by the artist and then edited into a video. So the participants’ artwork becomes a part of something much bigger, that everyone can be proud of, and all of the diverse voices can be heard and included in the final outcome.