I, CULTURE serves as both a flagship project and the catchphrase for the cultural programme of the 2011 Polish Presidency of the EU Council at the initiative of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute

Conducted by artist and fashion designer Monika Jakubiak and carried out world wide by 260 volunteers, I, CULTURE inquires about the role played by crafts and practical manual skills in our contemporary civilisation. The theme is a universal one, common in all of the culturally diverse countries, yet participants look into the function and role played by craft from a local perspective.

The project has as its base research conducted by local teams of volunteers. Monika Jakubiak intially meets with groups of around 20 participants, suggesting excercises that may proove useful for them during their inquiries. After a period of 4 to 6 weeks, they meet up again for feedback and an exchange of knowledge. This exchange takes place during discussions which are part of workshop sessions, open to anybody willing to take part. The sessions combine exchanging knowledge and experiences specific to the local environment of each city, lessons in sewing and tailoring skills, and the large-scale community action of creating a piece of the I, CULTURE patchwork puzzle. Anyone and everybody is invited to take part.

The I, CULTURE Contemporary Craft project aims to create an awareness of each person's relationship and active engagement in culture, especially those who do not work in any artistic profession. The I, CULTURE Contemporary Craft Workshop series, which are also supervised by Jakubiak, make up an international sewing project. Over the 6-month term of the Polish Presidency, participants from the 12 different cities (Berlin, Brussels, Kiev, Copehnhagen, London, Madrid, Minsk, Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo and Warsaw) create each individual square of this puzzle.

The result of this extensive project will be an eclectic arrangement of the 12 squares, spelling out the I, CULTURE logo, at the end of the Presidency term. 

Simultaneously with the research and sewing sessions, a street-poll is carried out, asking which craft will have the most enduring longevity. The results of this global survey will be announced at the end of the project.