„Our activities during the residency focused on the theme of “leisure”. The Polish Academic Encyclopaedia (PWN) defines leisure time as that part of a person’s overall ‘time budget’ in which they are free to pursue activities of their own choosing. According to Wikipedia, leisure is the time available to a person after performing duties such as study, work and activities of daily living. In the definitions of researchers, there is a clear distinction between activities related to the professional sphere, with learning in the education system measured in man-hours, and activities outside the professional area. In Poland, the term “leisure time” was first introduced in 1925. According to Grażyna Durka, initially the word “leisure” was used to describe holidays and recreation. Later, the term was broadened to include a wider range of areas, reflecting on the impact of free time on society. In the pedagogical dictionary by W. Okoń, leisure time is that which “after the performance of compulsory tasks” is devoted to rest, i.e. regeneration of physical and mental strengths, entertainment which gives pleasure, social activities of a voluntary and disinterested nature, development of interests and talents of the individual, i.e. hobbies of various kinds. Thus, “leisure time” is a modern construct, introduced to satisfy the needs of the working masses. The more work is alienated and separated from other life activities, the easier it is to define the boundaries of leisure time. These become blurred by the free-market, neo-liberal transformations whose banner has become ‘non-standardised working time’. The amount and quality of leisure time is also determined by age, gender, social and financial position. Leisure time can be looked forward to when we have a stable job and the possibility of a holiday. However, for people who cannot find a job and have an excess of it, it is a source of frustration and apathy.
The concept of time in general, however, is quite relative in different geographical circles and cultures. Not all inhabitants of the globe view whatever clocks indicate with equal seriousness. In these contexts, it is interesting to note the activity of male/female artists that escapes the distinction between working time and leisure time, which also reflects the uncertain/clear status of artists in social structures. Is art a serious profession or a hobby? Is it work or pleasure…? During the residency, we intend to explore the theme of leisure time in artistic and artistic-social projects. What is this time for us artists? What it is for the community of Ustka, and what it is for the tourists who come there on holiday.” /Frakcja/