The ILUSTRATOR – Illustrated Communication Festival is the international industry conference for illustrators in Poland.
After the enthusiastic reception of previous editions, we're back, this time, bigger than ever! This year, we’ll meet on October 10–11, 2025, in the stunning venue of St. John’s Center in Gdańsk, Poland.
October 10 (Friday) – Workshop day (limited spots available; registration required, more info coming soon).
October 11 (Saturday) – A full-day conference featuring outstanding speakers from Poland and abroad.
Our goal is to strengthen the illustrator community, regardless of your focus: books, comics, 3D, advertising, education, or artistic projects. We believe that, despite our different paths, we face many of the same challenges and share similar goals. The festival offers a space to build meaningful connections, discuss professional ethics, working conditions, the impact of technology, and the evolving role of illustration in visual communication.
Buy a ticket
The ticket is valid only for the conference on October 11, 2025.
Speakers
Registration starts: Wednesday, October 1, 11:00 AM
25 spots
St. John's Center
10.10.2025, 9:00–12:00
Language: EN
Inside the Editorial Eye: From Portfolio to Publication
Alexandra Zsigmond
€50
Step behind the scenes of editorial art direction in this hands-on workshop. Participants will review real sketches submitted for The New York Times and The New Yorker, then collaborate in small groups to choose the strongest concept for a given article. They’ll also craft mock emails offering feedback and direction to the illustrator, stepping into the role of editorial art director.
all materials are provided by the organizer
BUY TICKET
12 spots
Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk
10.10.2025, 9:00–13:00
Language: EN
Bring Your Characters to Life
Ana Chubinidze
€50
Every participant of the workshop will get to turn their character into paper cut-out puppet – ready for stop-motion, almost unlimited movement, secret techniques from years of experience. After crafting their puppet, participants will animate it under the camera.
all materials are provided by the organizer
SOLD OUT
12 spots
St. John's Center
10.10.2025, 12:00–15:00
Language: EN
The Colorful Character Lab
Jor Ros
€50
This workshop is about exploring character design through color. Instead of treating color as an afterthought, we’ll use it from the very beginning – letting palettes guide our decisions, spark ideas, all while adding narrative context through chromatic symbolism and abstraction. Jor's challenge: design a character starting only from a set of colors, without knowing their role or appearance in advance. It’s about play, discovery, and having fun with color.
favourite drawing tools, sketchbook, and optionally a tablet with a drawing program
SOLD OUT
Place
The festival will take place in the extraordinary, historic 14th-century interiors of St. John’s Cente, located in the heart of Gdańsk (Świętojańska Street 50). This stunning Gothic venue, known for hosting cultural events, concerts, and exhibitions.
The Gothic character of the building conceals dozens of illustrative motifs just waiting to be rediscovered.
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