Bridge Makers Roundtable one: Prague
We are delighted to invite you to the very first Bridge Makers roundtable, which will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, on November 27th-28th. The event is co-organised with the Kulturní a Kreativní Federace, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Czech Republic and the Národní Institut pro Kulturu.
Building on the legacy of the Closing the Gap programme, this roundtable will bring together different stakeholders of the cultural and creative ecosystem to answer the question “How can we collaborate to improve the working conditions in the cultural field across public administration, civil society, and the artistic field – and at the local, regional, and national levels?”
Discover more about the Bridge Makers programme here
The two-day programme will include best practice exchanges with international experts, hands-on workshops to co-design practical solutions for improving working conditions, and study visits to inspiring cultural spaces in Prague.
It will be a unique opportunity for workers, activists, and policymakers of the Czech cultural and socio-cultural sector to connect, share knowledge, and shape future strategies, inspired by European-level experts.
The event will take place at the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Maltézské náměstí 471/1, 118 11 Prague 1 – Malá Strana.
Thursday, November 27th: conference and roundtables
09:30 Doors open
10:00 Introduction and welcome by Jakub Bakule, Cultural and Creative Federation, Piet Forger, Bridge Makers programme coordinator and ENCC Board member, Zuzana Zahradníčková, Ministry of Culture, and Magdalena Müllerová, Czech Cultural Institute
10:30 How can we collaborate to improve working conditions in the cultural and creative sector? Panel discussion with Else Christensen-Redzepovic, EU cultural policy expert and advisor and Christophe Knoch, Coalition of the Independent Scene in Berlin. Moderated by Mariana Novotná.
11:30 Coffee break
12:00 Towards fair working conditions: how can collaboration between public authorities, professional organisations, and artists help improve working conditions in the cultural sector? Panel discussion with Zuzana Zahradníčková, Ministry of Culture, Anna Štičková and Jana Návratová, Czech Cultural Institute, and Petr Mezihorák, Palacký University in Olomouc. Moderated by Mariana Novotná.
13.00 Informal lunch
14.00 Roundtables
How to build a common platform for effective cooperation, moderated by Jakub Bakule, Cultural and Creative Federation.
Fair pay guidelines, moderated by Jana Návratová, Anna Štičková, and Eli Havla, Czech Cultural Institute.
15.30 Coffee break
16.00 Main conclusions and next steps
17.00 - 18.00 Informal drink
Friday, November 28th: study visits
09:30 Departure to Prague 4
10.00 Visit of Galaxie at Háje, Prague 4
12.00 Departure to the city centre
A lawyer by education, Christophe Knoch first arrived in Berlin in 2010 as Christoph Schlingensief's assistant, after working in various positions at opera houses and theatres. In 2011, he founded the Micamoca Project in Berlin-Wedding and in 2013 the production office Mica Berlin – Movements in Contemporary Art. Christophe Knoch, who was spokesperson for the Coalition of the Independent Scene in Berlin from 2012 to 2018 and a member of its Alte Münze working group from 2016, regularly participated in various initiatives of the Stiftung Zukunft Berlin from 2013 onwards and curated the Micamoca series In Between Festivals as part of the BreslauBerlin project on the cultural capital Wrocław. Since 2014, he has been involved in the founding processes of art venues in Germany and abroad in various contexts. In 2019, he proposed a new use for the airport building with the Micamoca project Tempelhofer Wald.
Else Christensen-Redzepovic is an expert and advisor in international cultural relations, cultural policy, governance, and mentorship. She has led international programmes and projects across continents and advises ministries, cities, ngo´s and institutions and she serves on the European Capital of Culture Selection and Monitoring Expert Panel since 2020. As project manager for Voices of Culture, she facilitated dialogue with the European Commission, including work on working conditions for cultural professionals. Her academic background includes an MA in European Studies from KU Leuven, PhD research at the University of Twente on sustainable development in peripheral regions, and bachelor's and master's degrees in Germanic studies, psychology, and European history from the University of Melbourne. She has also completed diplomas in international programmed and project management as well as diplomas in public and private leadership and innovation.
View the event's photo album here