NOVÁ SÍŤ INFORMS (No. 32)

The association “Naplaveno” was established at the beginning of 2019. Its aim is to support and create culture in and around Jistebnice. “We want to connect artists and locals through cultural events. We plan to develop craft skills by organizing creative workshops. We would like to provide people with further educational opportunities through lectures and seminars,” says Karolína Plachá, the co-founder of the association. Naplaveno is located in the small village of Stružinec, where it takes care of a cottage, a theater hall and a caravan. Its premises are offered for residences and lease.

Your philosophy is to interconnect the urban environment with the rural one. In what areas do you interconnect it and in what ways do you see enrichment in the meetings far from towns?


Countryside and nature bring together. Not only a man with himself, but also with others. The relationships in the countryside have its specifics in comparison with those among people in towns. Someone possesses a tractor, another is a librarian, someone else works in a pub, another one grows strawberries and someone else bakes cakes. Everyone has his role and people need each other. It is impossible to cut yourself off from the others and not communicate with the neighbors as people in a big town do.

On the other hand, the countryside lacks a bit of a town. Therefore, we enjoy interconnecting urban and rural and observing what’s happening.

Our first project was a carnival in February 2019. We managed to borrow some of Roztoky's masks and invited a great band called Urgob, which played during the parade and then in the local clubhouse. The restoration of carnival in our small village attracted many locals. People were offered the opportunity to see unusual and beautifully elaborated masks of Adam and Dorota Krátký. A few months later we organized a waxed batik workshop with textile designer Linda Kaplanová. Recently, we have welcome the famous Polish theater Węgajty.


Why did you decide to create a residential house and a space for art in the Jistebnice area? Are you in any way connected with this region near Tábor?

Luboš Fendrych and I decided to move to the countryside. We are both interested in culture and in new steps in theater and art. One day, I was wondering what I could do in such a place, what I could bring to the countryside, how I could enrich it. And then we looked around and looked at the barn, and we realized that if you were not a farmer, the barn could serve either as a warehouse of things and wood, or as a place for meetings and cultural activities.


I was also inspired by the fact that for several years I used to visit the Polish theater Węgajty, which is also located in a secluded barn by a forest. Spectators and supporters come there from all over the world. I realized there that if you go to the theater through the countryside, it opens you up and prepares you for a meeting. Moreover, the proximity is important. In the ordinary theater, you are just one of many. You don’t know the others, all are strangers, being there just for themselves. On the contrary, in the barn, people sit close to each other, the tea is served, the meetings are natural.


Apart from the barn, we also keep a small house. It serves as a background for people who decide to come and it has gradually become a residential place as well. We brought a caravan and located it next to this house. A group of people and supporters has surrounded us, who like the place and its background because it offers something essential for them. They have become the integral part of our association.


In less than a year, you have done a lot of things, be it the reconstruction of the premises or the organization of several events. What is the plan for 2020, what direction will you take?


Now we want to slow down a little and focus on the operation of the organization. Over the year, we have gotten know a little bit about what works and what doesn't. We want to set up strategies and we will definitely seek new colleagues to our team. We want to announce a call for residences at the end of February. And since our theater barn was open in November, we look forward to its first season. There is no heating, so it will always operate since spring until autumn.

Fine arts and theater interconnect your actions and productions very much. For example, are your residencies limited by the area of activity of artists?


For me, it is very important to work with the surroundings, to perceive neighbors and their needs. I do not want to go against them. On the contrary, I want to create symbiosis. Therefore, we prefer individuals and smaller groups. Artists who come to us with certain humility, who want to communicate with the surroundings in a certain way. We are located in the natural park Jistebnická vrchovina, which is known for the beauty of the old landscape, stone walls, high trees and pastures. This year we will continue to test which areas to prefer, but theater and fine arts are definitely the closest to us.


What has pleased you recently in the field of culture?

I was delighted with the performance Heimatschuss aneb Moje děda tvoje děda, which was partly created during the residence in our place. This ensemble managed to show how much we are influenced and shaped by our memories that often have nothing to do with objective past. Furthermore, I was very pleased by the Festival of Intimate Theater organized by Pomezí. They invited and made several productions for one or a few spectators. I appreciate that they are not afraid to take risks and dare to go into something so fragile. I think that in the current times of technology and social networking, indeed, proximity and meeting are one of the most important topics that should be addressed by live art.

On the other hand, what has disappointed you?

New Hungarian law controlling local culture.


What are your wishes?

I wish we could become more aware of ourselves and stand out of our bubbles.