INSPIRE

INSPIRE is a multidisciplinary project at the intersection of art, research and civic participation. Its goal is to strengthen democratic processes, primarily by involving groups that are commonly overlooked in municipal decision-making, such as young people, seniors, minorities and people with disabilities. The project creates new participatory spaces based on artistic formats, digital tools and research methods that help build more resilient and inclusive communities.

The INSPIRE project has chosen the theme of generational and gender polarization for its 2025 output, as this issue was identified as a key social challenge in research conducted by the Czech Academy of Sciences in 2024. The research highlighted growing differences in values and ideas about the future between young men and women, with women more often tending towards sustainable, solidarity-based and inclusive forms of cooperation, while some young men, on the contrary, lean towards conservative and authoritarian attitudes.

This gender imbalance, coupled with society's underestimation of the younger generation, has been identified as a topic of fundamental importance for the future of participatory democracy and cultural cohesion – precisely the areas that INSPIRE focuses on. Research has shown that young adults face negative stereotypes and less support in society, which weakens their civic motivation and ability to actively participate in public life.

The output in 2025 therefore took the form of an original performance directed by renowned director Miřenka Čechová, a performative lecture offering an emotionally powerful and symbolic interpretation of this social rift. The performance took place on June 20 and 21, 2025, at the Wortner House (Aleš South Bohemian Gallery).

The aim of this artistic output was not only to reflect the tension between young men and women, but above all to create a safe space for dialogue and understanding, which can be the first step towards building a more inclusive society – in the spirit of the main mission of Budweis 2028.