Promised Land Was a Blast!

Kacper, Natalia, Sebastian, and Małgorzata took the time to share their thoughts about Promised Land Art Festival. Read on to learn what excited and surprised them, why they couldn’t wait for this year’s edition, and why they’re looking forward to coming back.

Kacper Niepokólczycki , Speaker at Promised Land / our Lead Environment Artist

I don’t think I realized how much I missed Promised Land Art Festival. I went there super happy and engaged, but when I met with old friends and new ones it really highlighted how much I’d been missing this for the past four years. This was possibly the best Promised Land ever! That might be because of my hunger for this festival, and perhaps because it was my first time speaking there — maybe a bit of both.

When I entered the EC1 complex again, it was incredibly exciting. As always, the whole Event team did a great job and the organization was top notch. Every day I was surrounded by great people and great talks. I had a really great time.

As always, the biggest takeaways are the new people that I met and the old friends that I had a chance to see again. What I always leave with is the inspirational energy that suffuses the whole four days; it pushes me to do more and do it better!

Natalia Kosonowska , Attendee at Promised Land  / our Character Artist

Promised Land Art Festival was not only filled with advanced professional talks but also with personal ones. I saw how much each speaker's background meant for aspiring artists. It was a magical experience to see how attendees motivated each other by opening themselves up and sharing their struggles on the way to accomplishing their dreams. The creativity, flow, and determination to produce stunning artworks over the festival were immeasurable.

What is beautiful about Promised Land is that we don't always agree with each other!

The festival is a place where professionals from multiple art fields meet and have the opportunity to start a conversation. The talks and workshops often led to exciting discussions and analysis from different perspectives. The experiences, thoughts, and solutions shared were an essential part of the festival.

I must say that during the event I mainly focused on topics related to my professional path. However, meeting new people with different areas of interests and passions encouraged me to try new things. All the speakers were open to helping newcomers, even in the more advanced workshops. The art fields, which before were dark magic for me, have now become my hobby!

Sebastian Kalemba , Program Director at Promised Land / our Game Director

Coming back to Promised Land after its four-year hiatus was a blast. I realized how much I missed it and how much it was missed and needed by the community. We're super fortunate that the #CDPR board has supported it from day one. They understand that Promised Land is something more than business — it’s a platform that gives so much fuel to artists, designers, and anyone involved in video game and film development. I can’t wait for next year!

What did I enjoy the most? Hard to say… so many things. It was incredible to have so many passionate people gathered together, enjoying their time, and also realizing how much this event means to them. I also enjoyed all the workshops, the guests, presenters, and the effort Promised Land puts in to show everything that goes into art, from theories to practice. Last but not least, the most important thing on my long list is personal:

I simply believe in Promised Land’s mission, and our 4th edition proved just how valuable what we’re doing is.

Malgorzata Sawnor , Executive Director at Promised Land / our Global Events Management Lead

I’m happy that I worked with such a fantastic team to organize the 4th edition of Promised Land Art Festival. I wasn’t sure what to expect after our hiatus, but the outcome exceeded all my expectations. We received so much positive feedback from attendees, speakers, guests, and partners.

In my opinion, Promised Land is a place where artists from various industries can find their common denominator, which is a total love of all kinds of art and a willingness to grow, to learn something — from the speakers, guests, and each other. During the festival’s four days, we organized over 100 hours of lectures, workshops, live demos, and panels, so everyone could find something they were interested in.

Promised Land is not only about gaining knowledge but also about networking, and that's something we focus on as well. I believe that all the best memories are connected with other people. So, when you gather together people who share the same interests, enable them to shorten the distance, and to get to know one another in a relaxed, inclusive, and tolerant atmosphere, something good will come out of it — that’s what we aimed for during Promised Land.

Our overarching mission of uniting people through art is something that I personally believe in as well, and I can’t wait for the next edition!

Kacper Niepokólczycki , Sebastian Kalemba , Natalia Kosonowska , and Malgorzata Sawnor thank you for sharing your experiences with us! 

If you’d like to become a part of what we do, including events such as Promised Land Art Festival, visit: https://cdpred.ly/careers and apply for available career opportunities!

More info about Promised Land 👉 https://cdpred.ly/PLAF22.