KEYNOTES
Jaromír Mazák
Research Director, STEM
As a sociologist, Jaromír Mazák focuses on issues of civic and political participation and social cohesion. In STEM he concentrates on the development of new research topics. In the past, he worked at Charles University where he then taught and worked as researcher focusing on sociology, statistics and data analysis. He spent two trimesters as an academic visitor at Oxford University and led several projects on impact evaluation.
Alexandra Kusá
Curator, former Director General, Slovak National Gallery
Alexandra Kusá is a Slovak art historian and curator, best known for her work in the field of modern and contemporary art. She studied art history and worked as a curator in various art institutions. In 2012, she was appointed Director General of the Slovak National Gallery (SNG), where she was instrumental in modernizing the gallery, expanding its programme and public accessibility. Under her leadership, the SNG has also undergone extensive reconstruction and received significant international recognition.
Kateřina Šedá
Artist
Kateřina Šedá's artistic work focuses on socially conceived events involving the general public. Experiments with interpersonal relationships aim to lead the participants out of stereotypes and change their point of view. She is the author of a number of projects in the Czech Republic and abroad (BRNOX, UNES-CO, National Collection of Bad Habits, etc.) and has received numerous awards for her work (Architect of the Year, Magnesia Litera for journalism, Jindřich Chalupecký Award, Most Beautiful Czech Book, Contemporary Art Society Award, etc.). This year in Varnsdorf, she produced the ELITKA project for the centenary of the Elite company, in which she attempted to rehabilitate the ritual of farewell.
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Ivana Rumanová
Cultural anthropologist and curator, Open Culture! Platform (Slovakia)
Ivana Rumanová has worked as a curator at the New Synagogue in Žilina and is a member of the editorial board of the magazines Kapitál and 3/4. Recently she has been interested in the financialization of art and urban development. In the past, she organized solo curatorial exhibitions, but now she is more involved in collective projects. In 2023, she received the Věra Jirousová Award for her contribution in the field of art criticism. In 2024, she co-founded the non-partisan civic initiative of the cultural community in Slovakia, Open Culture (OK!) and the trade union of workers in culture and art, Kultúrne odbory (K.O.).
Genovéva Petrovits
Film producer, Kino Alfa (Hungary)
After ten years of experience in various film production projects and project management at the French Institute in Budapest, she founded her production company Kino Alfa in 2019. It is currently financing two feature films Democracy Work In Progress by Mihály Schwechtje and My Mother, Monster by Oliver Rudolf. Both film projects have received support from the Creative Europe MEDIA programme and the Eurimages Co-production Development Award.
Marceli Sulecki
Co-founder of Center for Inclusive Arts/Teatr 21 (Poland)
Marceli Sulecki is a co-founder of Center for Inclusive Arts/Theatre 21 and member of the board in Foundation Theatre 21. He is also producer and co-author of dozens projects carried out by Theater 21 since 2012.
Markéta Hrdlička Málková
Director of the Rezi.dance artistic residence house for performing arts in Komařice, South Bohemia
In 2010 she co-founded the cultural space Kredance in České Budějovice and in 2015 she opened the first purely residence art house for performing arts REZI.DANCE in Komařice, where she is still actively involved today. This project won the DNA Theatre Award. As a member of grant committees and dramaturgical councils, she is involved in the development of the art scene and since 2023 she has been the chair of the branch organization Vision for Dance. She is interested in connecting dance with architecture and contemporary art, with a recent focus on land art and artistic interventions in the landscape, with the aim of actively engaging the local community in theatre produciton.
Jan Kvasnička
Director of the Cultural Centre of Ústí nad Labem
Jan Kvasnička founded the KULT theatre festival and the KULT theatre. Currently he is the director of the Cultural Centre of Ústí nad Labem. He has been involved in building cultural life in the Ústí Region for over 30 years from various positions.
Karel Gamba
Teacher at the Archbishop's Gymnasium in Kroměříž, Global Teacher Prize Czech Republic winner
Karel Gamba teaches basic social sciences, pro-social and media education at the Archbishop's Gymnasium in Kroměříž. In 2024 he was awarded the Global Teacher Prize Czech Republic. He focuses on personal and social education and tries to create an environment where students can develop not only academically but also personally. Outside of teaching, he also worked for several years with street youth at the Salesian Youth Centre Čtyři Dvory in České Budějovice and in Bulgaria.
MODERATORS
Filip Koryta (Dr. Filipitch)
Filip Koryta is a moderator, teacher, writer and Czech slam poetry champion. He has published several books in various genres, hosts everything from podcasts to literary festivals to soup festivals, and likes to point out that he loves watermelon. He has two sons, which he doesn't fully understand, and in his spare time he writes pop-folk songs with a Sudeten spirit, having grown up in Sokolov.
Zuzana Tvarůžková
Journalist and moderator (Spotlight at Aktuálně.cz)
Journalist, reporter and presenter, from 2014 to 2022 she hosted the programme Interview ČT24, before that she also briefly hosted the TV programmes Události, komentáře and 168 hours. Since March 2024, she has been the presenter of Spotlight at Aktuálně.cz.
Tereza Havlíková
Moderator (Radio Wave)
Tereza is a photographer, after studying at FAMU in Prague she worked there as an assistant in the Studio of intermedia. She is also a podcast creator and moderator, and has been broadcasting on air for several years on Wave Radio, where she is also part of the editorial team.
