🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Birch Tree from Poznan, Poland

Birch Tree

I’m Polina, 20, from Belarus, currently studying Photography and Video in Poland. I love storytelling and creative collaboration, and I have experience both on stage and behind the camera. I’ve acted in a film by a Polish director, run a film club at my university, and participated in several art residencies where I worked with people from different backgrounds. I enjoy meeting new artists, sharing ideas, and exploring theater and performance in all its forms.

The soil / the need

I was curious about acting and wanted to challenge myself to see if I could stage and perform a scene.

The first seed

A friend.

Tell us about that first spark

I remember the moment when I realized that I could stop thinking about the people in the audience and simply live in the role. It also became important to me when my friend and I managed to organize two performances on our own, and people truly enjoyed them.

Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)

What has been important in my theatre journey is discovering things in myself that I didn’t even know were there. Theatre helped me find confidence and a special state of presence and focus on stage.

The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)

What keeps me connected to theatre is the amount of energy it gives me.

Branches (future / desire)

In the future, I would like to become a director. Right now, I’m already working on writing a script together with my friend, and I hope theatre will help me grow, learn, and bring my ideas to the stage.

Are you currently involved in cultural activities?

Not at the moment, but I would like to be more

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?

I think I would be a birch tree. I’ve actually felt connected to birch trees since childhood. When I was a kid, I used to climb and swing on their branches. One day I fell and got a scar on my face that I still have today. I actually like this scar — it has an interesting shape and it reminds me of fun moments from my childhood.

For me, the birch is also strongly connected to Slavic culture and feminine energy. It’s a very common tree in Eastern Europe, but one day I realized that it is literally black and white, like a striped tree. Something that seems ordinary can actually be very unique. In a way, I feel a strong connection to that.

Contact

Instagram: @polona_bai