(PERMA)CULTURE FORUM 2025
20. February 2025

📅 February 20–21, 2025
📍 České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds, Pavilion T2
The (PERMA)CULTURE FORUM 2025 will take place on February 20–21, 2025, in České Budějovice. The first day will feature inspiring talks from speakers from the Czech Republic and abroad, while the second day will be dedicated to workshops. This two-day conference will thematically kick off the Year of GROWTH.
Together with guests from both the Czech Republic and abroad, we will explore the possibilities and limits of the city's cultural ecosystem growth—fittingly at the České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds, which itself is set for a major transformation in the coming years.
The event is open not only to program partners and cultural professionals but also to anyone interested in learning more about the philosophy behind the České Budějovice 2028 project, the concept of permaculture, and the behind-the-scenes preparations for the European Capital of Culture.
Registration for the conference is free.
Registration also includes entry to PechaKucha Night České Budějovice vol. 32. The registration deadline is February 6, 2025.
If you wish to participate after the registration deadline, please contact us via email at produkce@budejovice2028.cz.
What is the (PERMA)CULTURAL FORUM?
This annual program conference, held since 2023, takes place at the beginning of each year to present the curatorial plan, thematic priorities, partners, and projects for the upcoming year.The (PERMA)CULTURAL FORUM serves as a space for seeking synergies, sharing best practices, and discovering new perspectives. At the same time, it connects local experiences with a global context.
Program
February 19, 2025
19:00–22:00 – Closed networking session
February 20, 2025 / Pavilion T, České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds
8:30 Registration
9:00–9:15 Opening the Space for Dialogue and Cooperation
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Dagmar Škodová Parmová / Mayor of the Statutory City of České Budějovice
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Else Christensen Redzepovic / Chair of the European Panel of Experts on ECoC
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Zdeněk Volf / Vice Chairman of the Board, České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds
9:15–10:00 Culture Today
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Markéta Hrdlička Málková / Director of rezi.DANCE Komařice and Chair of Vize tance
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Lars Ebert / Secretary General of the Culture Action Europe network (online)
What is the role of culture in Europe today? What are its biggest challenges, and where do opportunities for further development lie? Lars Ebert, Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, will present key insights from the latest State of Culture research, which examines not only the state of the cultural sector but also how culture is perceived by policymakers and society. Together with Markéta Hrdlička Málková, they will open a discussion on what culture needs to grow, the role of the European Capital of Culture in this process, and where it can serve as a strategic partner in times of change.
10:00–10:30 Culture Tomorrow
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Pavlína Louženská / Marketing Expert and Mentor at Google for Startups
Marketing expert and Google for Startups mentor Pavlína Louženská will present trends we can expect in culture in the coming years, which will likely also influence the European Capital of Culture. Who is interested in what role culture can play in a transforming world? How might wars, climate change, and artificial intelligence impact culture? How will culture and sustainability intersect in the near future? How will public taste evolve? And perhaps, trends will bring something entirely unexpected. What should we consider when planning a project for 2028 and beyond?
10:45–12:30 European Capitals of Culture: Opportunities and Limits of Growth
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Milota Sidorová / Author of the publication 13: Several Stories about the Legacy of Košice ECoC 2013
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Jiří Sulženko / Programme Director of Plzeň 2015
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Virginia Vitkienė / Executive Director of Kaunas 2022
The ECoC title presents cities with a unique opportunity to strengthen their cultural identity, attract international attention, and support cultural, social, and economic growth. But what are the opportunities and limits of this growth, not just during the titular year, but also after it ends? Milota Sidorová, who contributed to projects related to Košice 2013, Jiří Sulženko, Programme Director of Plzeň 2015, and Virginia Vitkienė, Director of the Kaunas 2022 project, will share their experiences. The representatives of three different European cities will explore how to effectively utilize the potential of the candidacy and the ECoC title for long-term cultural and urban development. They will reflect on the challenges cities face once the title is over. What steps are needed to sustain growth, and what boundaries must be overcome to prevent the development from stagnating? Which strategies can help cities transform into lasting changes? And how can cities maintain momentum and continue to grow after the titular year?
12:30–13:30 Lunch
13:30–15:15 Growth of Cultural Infrastructure
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Filip Landa / Architect and Editor-in-Chief of ERA 21 magazine
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Omar Mirza / City Curator of Trenčín 2026
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Veronika Rút / Designer and Therapist for Czech Cities
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Milota Sidorová / Urbanist and Landscape Architect
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Zdeněk Volf / Vice Chairman of the Board and CFO, České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds
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Moderator: Ondřej Šebestík / Radio Wave
The European Capital of Culture title brings not only the opportunity for cultural transformation but also challenges related to the sustainable development of urban culture and public spaces. The expectations of how to properly direct this growth, what long-term sustainability entails, and what challenges and opportunities exist for urban changes after the titular year will be outlined by the Chair of the European Panel of Experts on ECoC, Else Christensen Redzepovic.
The growth of cultural infrastructure is often seen as a symbol of the long-term transformation of cities awarded the ECoC title. How should such infrastructure grow? What values and needs should it reflect? Who should decide on its growth? How can citizens, experts, and cultural actors participate in the decision-making process regarding how and where cultural infrastructure and public space in cities will expand? What role does the growth of cultural infrastructure play in the context of urban development? In a moderated discussion about the possibilities, limits, and values that the growth of cultural infrastructure should reflect, Filip Landa, Editor-in-Chief of ERA 21 magazine and member of the local Commission for Metropolitan Area Development, Omar Mirza, new curator of Trenčín, Veronika Rút, designer and therapist for Czech cities, Milota Sidorová, urbanist, and Zdeněk Volf, Vice Chairman of the Board of the České Budějovice Exhibition Grounds (and long-time director of the Municipal Cultural Houses of České Budějovice) will share their insights. The debate will be moderated by Ondřej Šebestík from Radio Wave.
15:30–17:00 Growth Together
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Markéta Dolejšová / Head of Doctoral Research Department, AVU
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Ondřej Horák / Curator and Founder of the platform Máš umělecké střevo?
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Neringa Kulik / Curator of Kaunas Biennial and the Magic Carpets platform
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Magdalena Smetanová / Member of the Czech Association for Landscape Architecture and the Child-Friendly City association
How can cities awarded the European Capital of Culture title contribute to the creation of spaces that meet the current needs of the cultural sector while also strengthening social cohesion and considering environmental impacts? What values should cultural infrastructure reflect to support the development of cities as inclusive, sustainable, and accessible for all?
Ondřej Horák and Neringa Kulik will present their extensive experience working with communities and artistic creation at the intersection of institutions and public spaces. Magdalena Smetanová, through her work, facilitates dialogue between people and the environment in which they live. As part of the Child-Friendly City association, she advocates the idea that a city more friendly to the needs of children is more friendly to the needs of everyone. Markéta Dolejšová has long been dedicated to an expanded definition of “everyone” and, in recent years, has explored the possibilities of interspecies coexistence around the world.
17:00–18:00 Informal Networking
20:30–22:30 PechaKucha Night České Budějovice
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PechaKucha Night České Budějovice vol. 32 will present 10 inspirational personalities, thanks to whom the project of České Budějovice - European Capital of Culture 2028 can also grow.
February 21, 2025 / Venue TBA
09:00–12:00 – Morning session (workshops)
13:00–16:00 – Afternoon session (workshops)
Who is the conference for?
The event is open not only to program partners and cultural professionals but also to anyone interested in learning more about:
- The philosophy behind the European Capital of Culture 2028 project
- The concept of permaculture
- The behind-the-scenes preparations for the European Capital of Culture