Debata_A4: Mesto ako útočisko kultúry: Ako môžu samosprávy udržať nezávislú scénu pri živote?

When the state recedes, should cities and regions take more responsibility for the survival of cultural life?

Independent cultural centers or small theater stages find themselves without financial support after interventions in the Fund for the support of art, and many are on the verge of survival.

In several cities, these very spaces - in addition to a varied cultural offer - also form the basis of local civil society, cultural diversity and social cohesion. They are often the only place where different communities meet, where, in addition to contemporary art, dialogue and solidarity are cultivated.

The debate will focus on the question of what role local governments can and should play in the current crisis - as a form of public authority closest to citizens. How can cities and regions support independent cultural actors - financially, spatially, symbolically - and what new models of cooperation between self-government and the cultural community can emerge? And what does the cultural policy of the local government mean if it is to become a real policy of solidarity, not just an administrative agenda?

What responsibility does the local government have for preserving cultural life in its territory when the state retreats?
Should culture be as important a part of municipal policy as transport, the social sphere or the environment?
Can cities and regions help maintain independent cultural centers – spatially, financially, in partnership?
What tools or cooperation models have already proven themselves (e.g. long-term rental contracts, grant schemes, joint projects)?
How to ensure that high-quality and open culture is available outside the metropolis, for different groups of residents?
What can municipalities do to make culture a tool for social inclusion, not a privilege?
Can the crisis open up space for the emergence of new models of cooperation between cities, cultural actors and citizens initiatives?

The following will discuss:
Jozef Viskupič - Chairman of the Trnava Self-Governing Region
Katarína Heneková - Mayor of the City of Púchov
Zuzana Hekel - Director of the Ján Palárik Theatre, former Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Office of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region, Member of the Board of Directors of the Bratislava City Foundation
Fero Maxin - Director and Founder of the cultural and community center BAŠTA in Bardejov

Dramaturgy and moderator: Bohdan Smieška

The Fund for the Support of Art and the Foundation of the City of Bratislava supported from public sources.

entrance fee: voluntary