"Poł Polak" - having lived in Poland for nearly ten years now Peter presently resides and works in Wieluń. He has toured the country extensively as an INSETT Teacher-Trainer, and carried out the same role for Macmillan Polska, for whom he wrote recently, his first book, "Culture Vulture." (free copies available on request from Macmillan Polska).
Peter narrated the film trailer for the Polish film, "Quo Vadis" (in English) for the Cannes Film Festival, and his voice can also be heard on the tapes of the "Bingo" coursebook series. Peter took over the role of MAD/SIG Co-ordinator from Basia Ściborowska four years ago...and has travelled to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, to help set up Drama networks there, as well as establishing international links. His aim is to see Drama develop from a firm base within Poland, and be a 'driving force' in the world of education, with a greater degree of status. He thinks we are succeeding!

Former Co-ordinator of the MAD/SIG group, and founder member of it, in effect, Basia is still strongly involved, via her role as Festival Organiser the National Drama Childrens' Festival, as it has been known.
The Festival is an annual event - recently revived - and presently serves the needs of students in Primary and Gymnazjum schools. We hope to include Secondary schools in future Festivals. Basia's success with the Festival project over the years has been phenomenal, and it has even been televised! The programme "5....10....15" presented many extracts of Festival performances a few years ago...including an interview with Basia!
A Trainer for Macmillan Polska, Basia presents 'Young Learner Drama Workshops' around the country, and is also linked with the "Bingo" coursebook series, having co-written "Bingo 4" with Ilona Kubrakiewicz.
An employee of the Empik Language School in Warsaw, Basia has been firmly rooted in the private school sector for most of her teaching career, but her overall contribution to the Polish educational world has been immense!

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ANITA DĘBSKA - 'SOUL' OF THE GROUP - OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL!

Previously editor of our newsletter, "Dramnews", for several years, Anita set up MAD/SIG with Basia Ściborowska, and she has been a 'dynamo' ever since....our 'guiding light'!
Surprise, surprise, Anita is also a writer, having published her own poems and translations of existing works. To many of you, she will be familiar because of her great and never-ending love of Shakespeare. She toured Poland a few years ago with a Shakespeare project for schools...one of her many successful ventures.
Based at the NKJO Toruń, Anita, along with her colleague, Joanna Ciechanowska, pioneered two years ago, a Drama module as part of a Speaking Skills Course, to be taught in the NKJOs to first year students. A memorable booklet was compiled and issued to 30 teachers who attended a subsequent Weekend Conference at Toruń NKJO, and the teaching ideas were presented at the Conference by the students, who had been taught them by Anita and Joanna! It was an experiment that worked magically, and was a wonderful experience for the Torun students.
Since then, Anita has helped set up a local network of teachers interested in Poetry, and they have organised a Poetry Festival already! As you can see, she has the 'Midas touch!' A unique, and extraordinary lady!

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ANIA BANACH - REPRESENTATIVE ON INTERNATIONAL DRAMA NETWORK COMMITTEE FOR (AUSTRIA, CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY, POLAND, RUMANIA, AND SLOVAKIA

Ania is Poland's rep. on the above Committee, set up after the Eltecs sponsored Weekend International Drama Network Conference in Slovakia, last October. That Committee is presently planning a Summer School for teachers interested in Drama from the above countries. The venue will be in Rumania. Further details will be available soon from Ania.
Ania has been associated with MAD/SIG for several years, and attended a wonderful Summer Course held at Karolinów. She is fondly remembered for her midnight swims, and her bravery in performing dramatically - pretending to be drowning, in fact - dressed only in a bikini, in freezing cold conditions. Luckily, the video camera does lie, and did not reveal her goose pimples!
An organiser of training courses in the Płock region....Ania is difficult to recognise, because she regularly changes her hairstyle and hair colour. A colourful MAD character in all senses of the phrase!

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OTHER MAD MEMBERS WORTHY OF SPECIAL MENTION

ILONA KUBRAKIEWICZ

Her school in Ursynów was our 'home' for MAD/SIG Workshop Days... and Ilona is one of those 'quiet, behind the scenes' workers that every organisation needs. She helps and supports Basiaenormously with the Festival, and when a job needs doing - you can count on Ilona! A former educational adviser for the Warsaw region, Ilona is perhaps, best known for her involvement with the "Go for Poland" coursebook series, apart from "Bingo 4", which she co-wrote with Basia.

EWA ROGOWSKA

Hostess for our recent MAD/SIG Workshop Days. Ewa has been a loyal member of MAD/SIG for many years, and always brings a sense of fun and charm to proceedings!

EWA SAMOTY-HESS

Another loyal and helpful member over the years who travels from Bielsko Biała without complaint!

If there is anybody to blame for this site it's me. I will do my best to keep it updated. I am young but devoted teacher of English. Look at my pages: www.teachefl.com and www.warsawfeis.org