posk

Posk, usually written POSK, is the Polish Social and Cultural Association, a cultural center and charity based in London, United Kingdom. Founded by Polish émigrés in the post-World War II period, POSK was established to promote Polish culture, language, and social life for the Polish community in Britain and to help newcomers integrate into British society.

The POSK complex houses a theatre, a cinema, a library, gallery spaces, and rooms for meetings and classes. It hosts a program of performances, screenings, exhibitions, lectures, and language and cultural classes, and it serves as a gathering place for social events, concerts, and community activities. Through its programming, POSK aims to preserve Polish heritage while fostering intercultural exchange with the wider British public.

Historically, POSK reflected migration waves after the war and during later decades, growing into a hub for cultural activity and civic life. It has partnerships with Polish cultural institutions, universities, and arts organizations, and has served as a platform for artists, writers, and performers from Poland and the Polish diaspora.

In recent years, POSK has faced financial and organizational challenges common to specialist cultural venues, but it continues to operate and to provide programming and services to the Polish community in London and beyond, often relying on volunteers in addition to paid staff. The acronym POSK is most widely associated with the Polish Social and Cultural Association, a cultural center in London.