Justyna Sobczyk

Creator of Theater 21 in Warsaw, theatre pedagogue, director, lecturer at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw. She completed her studies at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Theatre Academy in Warsaw and the faculty of theatre pedagogy at the Universität der Künste in Berlin. She was awarded the scholarship of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage, and DAAD organisation. Alumna of the School of leaders programme: “Two sectors, one vision” and Leadership Innovation Laboratory.  Tutor of innovative projects within the Innovation Generator of the Association of Creative Initiatives “ę”.

For 15 years she has been working with the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw. Since 2005 Justyna has been involved in passionate action for theatre pedagogy. Since 2014, at the Theatre Institute she co-directs a two-year post-gradute course in Theatre Pedagogy, in partnership with the Institute of Polish Culture, University of Warsaw.

Outside of Theatre 21 she also directed: „Teatralny Plac zabaw Jana Dormana” (Theatre Institute, 2012), „Ciało Pedagogiczne” (cooperation of the Theatre Institute with the Warsaw Centre for Educational Innovation and Training, 2015) „Ojczyzna” (Teatr Polski in Poznań, 2016), „Szewcy” (National Stary Theatre in Kraków, 2017), „Superspektakl” (Teatr Powszechny, 2017), „Wróg – instrukcja obsługi” (Teatr Zagłębia in Sosnowiec, 2018), „Mur” (Teatr Polski in Bydgoszcz, 2019).

Curator of the School of Applied Empathy project within the “Endless Space” project of Biennale Warszawa.

Since January 2020 she co-manages the Center for Inclusive Art, a social cultural institution formed by Theatre 21, and dedicated to the art of persons with disabilities and inclusive education.

Winner of individual awards: “Kamym Pauzyny” awarded by “Dialog” monthly and the Book Institute (2016) for her work in theatre and pedagogy, combining art with social engagement, as well as “Wdecha” awarded by “Co Jest Grane 24” magazine as Person of the Year.

Together with Theatre 21 she was nominated to the Paszport “Polityki” award in the Theatre category (results will be announced on 26 January 2021).

Courses completed outside the area of theatre:

Compassion CBLC / Mindfulness  Based Living Course – 9-week course of 2nd degree meditation, certified by Mindfulness Association Polska, 2021

MBSR Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction – 8-week course of meditation at the Polish Mindfullness Institute, 2020

NVC in life and family – 6-week course on Nonviolent Communication, 2019