Project „Chopin for the Blind”

The Polish Association of the Blind implements since 2 November 2009 and until 31 October 2011 the project “Chopin for the Blind,” co-financed with resources from the Cultural Exchange Fund within the framework of the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The Fund Operator is the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (Norges Blindeforbund) as well as The Frederic Chopin Society are the project partners.

The direct objective of this project is to render Frederic Chopin’s achievements accessible to the blind and partially sighted. As a broader objective, it is aimed to provide such products that will serve the next generations of visually impaired persons.

The following activities are planned during the implementation of the project:

• Publication of selected Chopin’s works in international braille music notation and large print
• Publication of selected Chopin’s letters in braille and Daisy format
• Preparation and recording of the Polish and English audio description to the film “Chopin: Desire for love”
• Publication of Edwin Kowalik’s biography (deceased blind pianist, laureate of the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition) in large print and Daisy format
• Organization of the 4-Day festival “Chopin in classical and modern way” in Poland with the participation of visually impaired musicians from Poland, Norway and EU countries. Chopin’s works will be performed on various instruments and in various arrangements. The festival will be combined with consultations and exchange of experience between specialists from Poland and Norway within the scope of promoting and developing musicianship.
• Drawing of the career paths of the selected talented blind musicians in order to join them in the mainstream art life.
• Conduction of the 5-Day training course for ten specialists who will be in charge of adapting the music scores to the need of visually impaired persons
• Publication of leaflet about the blind musicians.