Ancient academic walls and magical arts? No, we’re not talking about Hogwarts but the courtyard of Collegium Maius and the festival Polyculture (16-19 May), kicking off with the performance Let’s Get Enchanted! Polycultural Evening with Illusion by Maciej Kulhawik. The motto of this year’s event, “Mirror. On the Other Side” maintains the magical, fairytale atmosphere and encourages us to step beyond the usual, with plenty of opportunities provided by festival events. The opening is hosted at the former Hotel Cracovia, transformed into a House of Mirrors straight from Lewis Carroll’s novel, with visitors admiring exhibits which they also become. The concert by Coals at Żaczek reveals that it’s worth experimenting and leaving our comfort zone to find our artistic path. The spectacle Diamond Snow at Cabaret reminds us that true wisdom can sometimes be found in old folk stories. As usual, all festival events are prepared by first year students at the culture and media faculty at the Jagiellonian University.