W Kratkę 10. – a jubilee issue of a magazine created in prison
Graphics: Anna Majcher
We have begun work on the 10th, jubilee issue of the art-social magazine “W Kratkę,” created by women serving prison sentences together with collaborating artists, educators, and editors from outside. The project is carried out by the Fundacja Dom Kultury at the Warsaw Grochów Remand Prison and the External Unit in Warsaw-Bemowo.
“W Kratkę” has been created since 2013 as a result of regular cultural education and editorial work. Each issue is the outcome of several months of collective effort – from the first texts, through editing, to graphic design and publication. Thanks to the support of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the “Magazines” programme, the magazine is now published regularly each year.
Work on each issue begins in March with writing and editorial workshops. The texts are authored by incarcerated women, who develop their language, communication, and creative skills during the sessions. The editorial process is led by Agata Maczkowska – a journalist, teacher, communication trainer, and actress with the Wolandyjski Theatre, who serves as editor-in-chief of the issue. The overall project is coordinated by Justyna Domasłowska-Szulc, president of the Fundacja Dom Kultury.
From June, the graphic design phase begins. The illustrations and visual identity are developed by artists from the Department of Graphic Design at SWPS University in Wrocław, working together with graphic design students under the supervision of Dr Małgorzata Jabłońska and Dr Piotr Szewczyk. The online publication and digital archive of the magazine are managed by Małgorzata Brus.
The completed issue will be released in autumn – first in a digital version, then in print. In November, it will be distributed to prison libraries across Poland, thanks to cooperation with the Office of the Director General of the Prison Service, as well as to readers outside prison.
Each issue of “W Kratkę” is created by new authors and contributors, although some return to take part in subsequent editions. As a result, the magazine remains a living, evolving editorial project – a space for work, dialogue, and building connections between the prison environment and society.
“W Kratkę” – The Only Magazine of Its Kind in the World
Since 2012, a unique journalistic and artistic editorial team has been operating in the Warsaw-Grochów prison. The editorial meetings bring together an average of 20 incarcerated women and people from the outside world: journalists, writers, teachers, visual artists, and students of journalism, graphic design, and communication. The aim of these meetings is not only to prepare the next issue of “W Kratkę” but also to explore fundamental questions about the significance of culture and art and their social roles. A crucial aspect of the project is also the social reintegration of incarcerated individuals through active participation in cultural life.
A Unique Collaboration of Art and Incarceration
“W Kratkę”, published as part of cultural education initiatives by the Warsaw-based Fundacja Dom Kultury (House of Culture Foundation), benefits from a comprehensive graphic design, made possible through collaboration with lecturers and students from the Department of Graphic Design at SWPS University. This partnership has been ongoing since 2021. The magazine stands out due to its thoughtful and original graphic concept, developed under the artistic direction of Dr. Małgorzata Jabłońska and Dr. Piotr Szewczyk, the creator of the magazine’s layout. Their contribution ensures that “W Kratkę” is unique—not only among prison publications but also within the realm of artistic magazines. The project also provides students with valuable experience, as they create illustrations for each issue as part of their professional training.
A Magazine That Unites Different Perspectives
The magazine holds significant appeal for a wide audience, including socially engaged artists, educators, psychologists, social activists, and, most importantly, incarcerated individuals themselves. Its high-quality design and publishing standards also make it attractive to art enthusiasts. Thanks to the collaboration between Fundacja Dom Kultury and the Director General’s Office of the Polish Prison Service, the printed version of the magazine is distributed to prison libraries across Poland, while the digital edition is available to the general public.
Since 2022, “W Kratkę” has expanded its editorial team to include male inmates from the Wołów Prison, followed in 2023 by incarcerated men from the Warsaw-Białołęka Detention Center. This development has broadened the range of topics covered in the magazine and enriched the diversity of writing styles and perspectives.
Education and Creativity in Prison
Producing “W Kratkę” is not only about editing articles but, above all, about intensive cultural education. Participants engage in workshops that serve as the foundation for their written work. Their contributions are then published, helping to disseminate knowledge about culture both within prison walls and to the outside world.
„We know from bitter experience that life in prisons too easily fades into obscurity, becoming invisible and, to outsiders, somewhat unreal. (…) But deprivation of liberty should not mean deprivation of respect, visibility, and a sense of purpose. And this is what ‘W Kratkę’ is about: dignity in a difficult—perhaps the most difficult—situation in life,” wrote Agata Czarnacka in the editorial of the magazine’s 8th issue.
International Recognition
The project has gained recognition not only in Poland but also on the international stage. “W Kratkę” and Fundacja Dom Kultury participated in Jenny Brockman’s Entanglement 4 #Melody in Kassel, as part of documenta 15. Artists engaged in the foundation’s prison projects, including Małgorzata Jabłońska, Piotr Szewczyk, and Józek Gałązka, contributed to this prestigious event. The initiative was curated by Antek Burzyński.
A Changing Editorial Team
The magazine has different editors-in-chief over time, and the prison editorial team evolves as well—female inmates complete their sentences, are released, or are transferred to other facilities. However, the foundation of “W Kratkę” remains unchanged: regular cultural education, which ensures the continuity of this exceptional project.
More than just a magazine, “W Kratkę” is a creative space where incarcerated individuals and artists collaboratively explore the essence of culture, art, and humanity—regardless of their circumstances.
The special edition of “W Kratkę – On Beauty” was published thanks to a grant from the YES Foundation.
The Dom Kultury Foundation cooperates on an ongoing basis with the Detention Centre in Warsaw Grochów and the Detention Centre in Warsaw – Białołęka, as well as with the Department of Graphics at Wrocław’s SWPS University, in the persons of Dr Małgorzata Jabłońska and Dr Piotr Szewczyk, and their students, in creating the ‘W Kratę’ magazine.
Dr Małgorzata Jabłońska
Dr Piotr Szewczyk
An amazing publication by Małgorzata Jabłońska of the Graphics Department at Wrocław’s SWPS University dedicated to the process of creating “In a Grid” from a graphic designer’s point of view.
The authors of the publication are Paulina Woźniak and Mateusz Antczak.
Co-financed by funds from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for Promotion of Culture – state purpose fund.
