- Jerzy Owsiak
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Jerzy Owsiak (2010)
Jerzy Owsiak (born 6 October 1953 in Gdańsk, Poland) is a Polish journalist and social campaigner.
He is a founder and President of the Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy (known in English as "The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity"), one of the biggest non-governmental, non-profit, charity organizations in Poland.
He is the main initiator and activist for the group's Grand Finale, an annual worldwide festival involving music and other components intended to raise money for the medical care of children suffering from urological and kidney diseases. He is also the creator of Przystanek Woodstock (known in English as "Woodstock Festival"), a large rock music festival that takes place in Kostrzyn, Poland to thank all the volunteers and supporters who take part in the Grand Finale each year.
He is married; his wife, Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, is the Medical Affairs Director for the WOŚP.
He is also a stained glass maker and has psychotherapeutic qualifications.
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Life and activity
When Jerzy Owsiak was eight years old he moved with his parents from Gdańsk to Warsaw, where he graduated from high school with an economic profile, and then tried to apply for the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. As a teenager he belonged to the society of hippies from Masovian Voivodeship looking up to their "American brothers". It is because of that fascination and the legend of the Woodstock Festival 1969 that he came up with the idea of the "Woodstock Stop".
Artistic career
Due to his acquaintance with Wojciech Waglewski, Jerzy Owsiak became well known in the music circle. In 1988 he has begun turning up at the Voo Voo concerts with a band Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Chińskich Ręczników founded by him, and he started to run his programme in Rozgłośnia Harcerska (the Scout Radio Station).
After the termination of his work in Rozgłośnia Harcerska, his next undertaking was the broadcast of "Brum". He ran it in the 1991-1994 period in PR Program III. It was broadcasted on Fridays. In 1994-1999 it changed its name for "Się kręci". Next, there was "Kręcioła" broadcast by PR Program I and meetings with listeners on Saturday mornings in RMF FM. However, they were all ended after only few broadcastings because of the conflict with the station authorities.
From 1991-2007, Jurek Owsiak cooperated with Telewizja Polska. Since December 1991 he has started to prepare a TV programme "Róbta, co chceta, czyli rockendrollowa jazda bez trzymanki" for TVP2, which has changed its name for "Dziura w koszu" since summer 1994 and for "Kręcioła" since 1996.
In 2007 he came back to radio. On 4 July he ran (for the first time) "Dźwiękoszczelny magazyn Jurka Owsiaka" in the Radio WAWA. Now, he runs this programme at the Eska Rock radio station.
Whats more, in 2007 he undertook the production of the youth channel O.TV (Owsiak TV), which is available on the DTH platform n.
He is the co-author of the book entitled "Orkiestra Klubu Pomocnych Serc, czyli monolog – wodospad Jurka Owsiaka", which comprises an extensive interview made by Bartłomiej Dobroczyński.
He also acted in the TV soap opera "Klan" as himself and in the "Autoportret z kochanką" by Radosław Piwowarski.
Organization of concerts
At the end of the 80's and 90's Jerzy Owsiak was engaged in the organizations of many rock concerts. He organized the series of marathon music concerts, which all had a common feature – his characteristic "stammering" announcing, and the participation of best Polish Punk rock bands of that time. These concerts were, among others:
- Letnia zadyma w środku zimy – in Stodoła club, Warsaw – 27 January 1989 (organization debut), 1991
- Zadyma na Torwarze, Warsaw 1989
- 50 Rock'n'Rolli Na 1 maja – in Fugazzi club, Warsaw 1992
- Warsaw-Berlin 2 Step – Agrykola, Warsaw 1993
In 1991 and 1992 he ran Jarocin Festival together with Walter Chełstowski. In the same team they also organized the first Przystanek Woodstock (Woodstock Stop) in 1995 in Czymanowo near Żarnowiec, Poland.
Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity
Main article: Great Orchestra of Christmas CharityThe Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity is one of the biggest, non-governmental, non-profit, charity organizations in Poland. It was founded in 1993 by Jerzy Owsiak, Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, Bohdan Maruszewski, and Piotr Burczyński. Its main objective is "Health Protection and Saving Children's Lives through Providing Medical Equipment to Public Hospitals" (from the deed of foundation).
The first fund-raising with participation of Jerzy Owsiak was organised spontaneously after an appeal of the cardiosurgeons from Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka (Centre of Child's Health) for financial support in purchase of medical equipment for dying children. In 1992 Owsiak invited doctors to his programme "Brum" broadcast on PR Program III and kept on reminding its listeners in every edition about paying money on a given account. This action was also continued during the Jarocin Festival the same year.
There was much positive feedback from these actions, and in March 1993, thanks to the initiative of Jerzy Owsiak and Walter Chełstowski, GOCC officially came into existence and its first Great Finale was organised on January 3, 1993. Since then, the Great Finale has taken place every year and Jerzy Owsiak is the main organizer and compere of TV programme under the same title, broadcasted on TVP2.
Splitting with TVP
Jerzy Owsiak, the director of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity split with TVP after 16 years of cooperation. In public television he ran such programmes as the annual GOCC Great Finale, "Kręcioła", "Bezpieczne Wakacje" and "Róbta co chceta". On 6 October 2007 at 10 a.m., a new channel O.TV on DTH platform n belonging to ITI Group, was launched.
The decision to split with TVP was made by Owsiak because, as he says, his programmes were not broadcasted enough, and the Great Finale of this year was limited only to several five-minutes-long aerial entries.
Criticism
The activity of Jerzy Owsiak is often a subject of criticism from the Right. He is often accused of promoting the motto „róbta co chceta” („do what you want”), which can be interpreted as an encouragement to hedonistic lifestyle and moral relativism. A subject of criticism is also Owsiak's approval of some religious associations during Woodstock Stop (for example The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) which, according to some, is a threat for teenagers.
Moreover, he is also accused of interposing restrictive limitations on journalists accredited on Woodstock, and tolerating the use violence against them.[verification needed]
Awards and nominations
- European of the year 2006
Filmography
- Historia polskiego rocka (2008, documentary, directors: Leszek Gnoiński, Wojciech Słota)
External links
- Official blog of Jerzy Owsiak (pl)
- Jerzy Owsiak at the IMDB
Categories:- 1953 births
- Living people
- Polish journalists
- Polish activists
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