Team

President

Agatha Satala

Agatha has more than 30 years community and volunteer experience, including fundraising and event management. She was a member of the last two Sydney PolArt committees in 1991 and 2003. Agatha is Vice President of Polish Foundation in NSW, member of the Advisory Committee to the Polish Club Ashfield development, and a committee member of Polish Folkloric Ensemble ‘’Syrenka’’. Agatha was a dancer for more than 20 years with both Kujawy Sydney and ‘’Syrenka’’, and her children now dance in “Syrenka”.

Agatha has almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing solicitor, specialising in family law and commercial negotiations. For more than 10 years, Agatha has operated her own business.

As the daughter of Polish migrants, Agatha has dedicated her community life to ensuring the continuation of Polish culture and traditions and is very excited to be President of PolArt 2022 Sydney.

Vice President

Alex Brak

Alex has more than 25 years experience in business transformation, technology strategy, delivery and operations across a variety of industries, working for some of Australia’s iconic brands. Throughout his career Alex has volunteered for diverse groups spanning community, charity, arts and sports.

Alex was a committee member for Sydney’s previous PolArt in 2003. He also served as the President of the Polish Folkloric Ensemble “Syrenka”, multiple periods as a dance teacher and was an enthusiastic dancer for 20 years. As a dancer Alex performed across Australia and overseas, including at PolArt festivals in every Australian host city.

Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology from the University of New South Wales. He has completed a variety of management and technology courses and certifications. During his tenure as a dancer he studied choreography and dance with Poland’s National Folk Song and Dance Ensemble “Mazowsze” at the invitation and sponsorship of the Republic of Poland.

Secretary

Tomek Kukielka

Tomek has completed a Bachelor and Master of Commerce in areas including Economics, Marketing & Business Management. He has been involved in community-based work, organisations and events for the past 15 years with work experience in client management at Macquarie Bank, procurement at Danaher Corporation and currently as part of the business systems team in national finance at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

Tomek joined Polish Folkloric Ensemble Syrenka in 2010 after experiencing Adelaide PolArt 2009 as entourage and is the current treasurer on the Syrenka Committee. Performing in PolArt Perth 2012, Brisbane 2018 & Rzeszow International Polish Folk Dance Festival in 2019, his favourite dance to perform is a Łowicki followed closely by Spisz.

Treasurer

Victor Jarmusz

Victor has completed a Bachelor of Business degree and is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, a registered company auditor, a registered SMSF auditor, and a registered tax agent. He has worked in public accountancy since the 1980’s and is currently a partner in a public accounting practice.

Victor has been involved with various community based organisations, holding committee positions in a local sporting club, as well as acting as an auditor for many non-profit organisations over the years.

Victor has a deep passion for Polish culture and the community, starting as a dancer with Kujawy Sydney in the 1970’s and is looking forward to being Treasurer of PolArt 2022 Sydney.

Arts Coordinator & Marketing Coordinator

Renata Brak

Over the past 15 years, Renata has worked for a variety of commercial galleries, artist run initiatives, auction houses and major arts institutions, most notably the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. She has facilitated and curated over 100 exhibitions nationally and internationally. Renata has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tasmania, and a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Sydney. Currently, Renata works with Australia’s oldest Indigenous Fine Art Gallery Cooee Art as their Exhibition Manager and Digital Curator.

Renata has over 20 years community volunteer experience, including fundraising, choreography, and dance teaching. She was a committee member and graphic designer for the inaugural Hobart PolArt in 2006, and is currently a committee member of “Syrenka” Sydney. Renata was a dancer for more than 25 years with multiple ensembles – “Oberek” Hobart, “Polanie” Calgary, and “Syrenka” Sydney – and has attended 5 PolArt Festivals, the 2008 Rzeszow Festival, and was dance instructor and choreographer for “Krakusy” Calgary in Iwonicz Zdroj 2009.

Her goal for PolArt Sydney 2022 is to showcase a dynamic range of Polish-Australian artists that explore their heritage through artistic disciplines unique to Poland.

Literature Coordinator

Ewelina Ellsmore

Ewelina is the School Principal and Polish Language Educator at the Liverpool Polish School. There she shares the knowledge and beauty of the Polish language, traditions and history with new generations of children.

In 2018 Ewelina was awarded a Silver Cross of Merit by the President of Poland Andrzej Duda during his historic visit to Australia for her Polish language education achievements in Australia and promotion of Polish culture. She is an initiator and organiser of many events and projects promoting Polish language and Polish culture in Sydney. In 2018 she introduced the first online interactive learning experience in NSW as a path for new learning opportunities for Polish school students in collaboration with Uniwersytet Ciekawej Historii DUCH Warsaw at the State Library of NSW.

Being a passionate reader, Ewelina has experience bringing Polish literature into the multicultural library collections and working within the library and information services in NSW.

Production Director

Nathalie Budniak

Nathalie has a passion for Polish Folklore and specifically restoring, creating and developing new costumes.  

Nathalie was born in France, lived in Poland and arrived in Australia 1982 with her mother and siblings to join a large family in the lucky country! Nathalie engaged in the Polish community in the early 1990’s and was part of the stage crew at PolArt Sydney 1991.  In 2006 her eldest son Ben joined Polish Folkloric Ensemble Syrenka and Nathalie became involved in the committee.  With over two decades experience across a diverse range of administrative leadership roles in finance, HR, logistics, customer service, quality management and business reporting, Nathalie’s organisational skills were a natural fit.

Today, Nathalie is Vice President of Syrenka, Treasurer of Polish Foundation in NSW, PolArt Sydney 2022 committee member and spends all her spare time working on Syrenka costumes.  She is looking forward to helping put on the best PolArt ever!

JOINT THEATRE Coordinator

Ela Chylewska

Ela Chylewska, a librarian by profession, who worked for 36 years at the State Library of New South Wales.

A poet by passion. In Sydney, she published two volumes of poems “Apetyt na raj” (1994) and “Za bramą raju” (2006). Her works appeared in the collective publication “This land: a selection of prose and poetry” (2015). In Poland, Ela’s poems were included in the anthology of Polish writers in Australia “Green Winter” and the anthology of love poetry “Dojrzewanie w miłości”. Her numerous works includes scripts of poetry and music performances (“Human Talking”, “Autumn Concert”).

She is an active participant in Polish diaspora events. For many years Ela has been supporting Polish schools, for which she willingly writes plays and poems for children (“Mały Książę”, “Australian Zoo”, “Our school”, “Wisła who first came out”). She is also the author of satirical poems and verses written for special occasions.

For over 15 years, Ela has been a member of the Theatre Fantazja, where she performs as an actress and songwriter.

Ela Chylewska is also associated with the Polish section of SBS radio and ExPress The Australian–Polish Magazine magazine for which she prepares columns and reports on the life of the Australian Polonia. Her passions are reading, photography, cooking, family and friends. She is an incurable optimist who loves life and people.

YouthFest Coordinator

Alina Brymora

Alina holds a Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education degree and has over 20 years experience as a creative arts teacher. She has been responsible for delivering programs in music, dance and drama throughout many schools in the Sydney, Blue Mountains and Newcastle regions. She has a particular interest in writing, directing and producing major productions for her school communities, and firmly believes in giving children opportunities to participate in the performing arts.

Alina has been involved in the Polish community since her youth, performing in the children’s choir Laetare, and dancing groups Mazowsze and Kujawy. She has played the organ for many parish masses across Sydney and Newcastle, and has been a member of the Polish Scouting Association. Alina has attended two PolArt festivals as a performer (Brisbane 1988 and Sydney 1992) and one as a children’s choir director. Alina has a love for all things Polish, and is very much looking forward to being part of the PolArt team that delivers a successful event for future generations of Polish performers.

Creative Advisor

Yvonne Kower

For over 30 years Yvonne has trained actors, dancers and gymnasts, owned a dance company, curated video and dance festivals, and worked as an actor. Awarded the Master of Art from UNSW in video dance, her work has been televised, won awards, and she has presented at conferences nationally and overseas.

Yvonne is a dance graduate from the Laban Centre London, LISPA, UMCS Poland (Folklore), and has trained with theatre practitioners from Gardzienice, Song of the Goat Theatre, and Teatr Zar.

After attending the first Sydney ArtPol in 1975, Yvonne’s passion for Polish folklore ignited and she joined the Polish Folkloric Ensemble “Syrenka” as a dancer. She returned as Artistic Director many years later, whereby one of the highlights was taking “Syrenka” to the International Festival of Polish Folkloric Ensembles in Rzeszow, Poland.

She has facilitated voice and choreographic workshops for a number of other Polish folkloric ensembles throughout Australia. She was an active committee member of Sydney PolArt 1991 and worked in an artistic capacity at Sydney PolArt 2003, choreographing the finales, artistically directing one of the concerts and assisting the director of the Gala Concert.

Events Coordinator

Karolina Barry

Karolina has been involved in the Polish-Australian community for over 33 years, performing in the Polish Dance and Song Ensemble ‘Kujawy’ as a small child, and then the Polish Folkloric Ensemble ‘Syrenka’ since 2003. She helped coordinate the first Quo Vadis conference in Sydney and from 2013 – 2015 assisted with the popular Polish Christmas Festival in Darling Harbour. She has performed at nine PolArt Festivals since 1991, and is excited that PolArt Sydney 2022 will be her tenth PolArt!

Karolina is a passionate and hard-working event professional with a strong background in corporate events and festivals gained from over fifteen years of experience. She holds a Masters in Management in Event Management from the University of Technology, Sydney. She works at one of Australia’s largest event management companies as a Senior Event Director and is responsible for the delivery of meetings, conferences and incentives both nationwide and overseas.

Fundraising Coordinator

Elizabeth Donati

I am Elizabeth Donati and I am the Sponsorship Grants and Fundraising Coordinator. I have been involved with Kujawy for 45 years, as either a dancer, parent and committee member. I have attended nearly all PolArt festivals held in Australia both as a performer and now as a parent. In 1987 I had the opportunity to perform with Kujawy at the World Folkloric Festival held in Majorca, Spain. I also performed with Kujawy at Rzeszow in 2017. Currently I am involved with the committee for Kujawy and also act as the Little/Middle Group Liaison. My role in Kujawy involves responsibility of the finances for our younger groups and organising fundraising opportunities, with other members of the Committee, throughout the year.
Whilst working as a Legal Assistant, I was also in charge of General and Trust Funds for my employer.

Merchandise Coordinator

Jonathan Chawa

Johnny has over 20 years experience performing in previous PolArts and in the Polish community with Kujawy Sydney. He has been a graphic designer for 5+ years with print and web design and currently works at Blackwoods producing their catalogues.

In his spare time, Johnny enjoys going camping, enjoying games nights with friends or relaxing with movies or TV. Johnny also designed the new PolArt logo.