We invite you to a joint meeting devoted to questions of the functioning of culture in the situation of the changing role of the state, increasing repressive tendencies and political and economic pressure. We want to open up a space for finding a common language within the cultural community – across disciplines and national contexts – and together seek ways to communicate the importance of culture as a public interest in a clear and convincing way.

The meeting will bring together the experiences of actors from the Czech Republic and Slovakia and focus on media and communication strategies that can most effectively reach the general public. Guests will present their experiences from the perspective of civic initiatives, independent media, professional cultural organisations and state institutions. Together they will discuss how to defend the independence of culture and strengthen public support for it in times of social uncertainty.

The roundtable will address the following questions:

How is the social role of culture changing as the state ceases to fulfil its basic functions?

What interests are shared across cultural disciplines?

How do we talk about culture as a public interest?

What language is used to effectively communicate the importance of culture to the public?

How do we overcome the perception of culture as a "residual" field?

The debate is intended for all those interested in the current conditions of culture – professionals and the general public.

Guests/participants:

- Veronika Blažeková Němcová (Otvorená kultúra, SK)

- Jitka Hlaváčková (Spolek Skutek)

- Tereza Stejskalová (Tranzit, Feminist Institutions)

- Tomáš Stránský (Média nedáme)

- Zai  Xu (Spolek Světova 1)

- and others

Limited capacity, reservations: link to reservation form.