On 26 May 2025, over 30 representatives of the independent and established theatre scene, the city, cultural institutions and academia gathered at the Reduta Theatre to discuss current issues and challenges of Brno culture. The meeting, moderated by Adriana Světlíková and Petr Pola from the Nová síť, took place as part of the Theatre World Brno festival and the Echoes of the Malá inventura festival.
Start after school: How to prepare young creatives for practice?
The first part of the discussion was devoted to the professional placement of young graduates of the JAMU Theatre Faculty. The panellists – director Patrik Boušek, dramaturge Saša Bolfová, representative of the Josef K. Foundation Radim Bánovský, Dean Blanka Kolegar and PLÁCEK Festival coordinator Jakub Štrba – talked openly about the shortcomings in the practical preparation of graduates. Many young artists leave school unprepared for the legal, financial or communication aspects of the profession. They agreed that employability issues should be addressed during their studies. There was also discussion about the exaggerated expectations that artists must master not only creation, but also marketing, production and fundraising, which is often beyond their capabilities.
However, the discussion also raised doubts: is this too much? Shouldn’t the profession be better supported by the system?
The need for transition structures – incubators, mentors, open platforms for emerging artists – was addressed. The Josef K. Foundation or the New Blood on Stage (Nová síť) programme were mentioned as examples of support, but they are not enough on their own.
Blanka Kolegar presented the Stand on Your Own Feet program, which JAMU is using to respond to the demand for better professional preparedness. There was also a call for deeper cooperation between the school and the independent scene.
Facilities and capacity: lack of infrastructure and need for strategic planning
The second session focused on the critical situation with cultural infrastructure in Brno. Guests such as Veronika Majíčková (MMB), Juraj Augustín (Co.Labs), Jan Búrik (Experimental Theatre Centre), Pavel Strašák (Ghettofest and Faktor K festivals) and Jakub Molnár (Husa na provázku Theatre) discussed the lack of rehearsal rooms, residency spaces and other creative centres for independent theatre. While the ongoing renovation of Co.Labs and the future cultural zone Káznice represent hope, they are not enough to cover the need.
The issue of audience absorption capacity and the city’s ability to effectively promote cultural events was also raised. Transparency of space allocation and the need to decentralize out of the city center was discussed.
Cooperation between established and independent institutions: Challenges and opportunities
A key part of the debate was the cooperation between established institutions and independent initiatives. Panelists pointed to the inflexibility of established organizations, administrative barriers and long-term planning that complicate rapid responses and partnerships. The question was raised as to whether the city should reconsider the performance indicators, which today do not require a precise number of premieres for established theatres, which could open up spaces for independent work. The call was for more sharing of spaces and dramaturgical visions.
In conclusion: the vision for Brno 2030
The discussion led to the formulation of common wishes and visions for the coming years:
- the creation of functional incubators for young creators
- a stable and long-term planning support system
- connections between disciplines and generations
- the cultural identity of Brno as an open city for experimentation and independent forms
- reflection on personnel issues in education, including openly naming problems such as sexual harassment in academia
Summary and Acknowledgements
The meeting confirmed that Brno has a strong human and organisational potential to develop its cultural infrastructure. In order to fulfil it, we need to strengthen cooperation across scenes and institutions, create flexible and understandable support tools, and open discussion about the system, not just individual projects.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the discussion and shared their views and suggestions. We believe that this debate was one of the important steps towards a cultural strategy that reflects the real needs of the scene.
The discussion was held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
