Prague Unesco City of Literature 2014–2018 Contents
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UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK membership monitoring report PRAGUE UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE 2014–2018 CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary. 3 2. General Information. 5 3. Contribution to the Network‘s Global Management . 6 4. Major Initiatives Implemented at the Local Level to Achieve the Objectives of the UCCN . 8 5. Major Initiatives Implemented Through Inter-City Cooperation to Achieve the Objectives of the UCCN. 16 6. Proposed Action Plan for the Forthcoming Mid-Term Period of Four Years. 21 2 1. Executive Summary ‚Prague will build its future on culture, well-thought-out development of the surroundings, social stability and sound administration. All of this will help it to become a preferred city for both life and business.‘ (Strategic Plan of the City of Prague, approved 2017) Prague was awarded the title UNESCO contribute to other cities in the network And what has membership brought to Creative City of Literature in 2014, thereby and, conversely, what membership could Prague? In 2014, while applying to join the also becoming the first Czech city in the bring to Prague and its literary life. At that Creative Cities Network, we established UNESCO Creative Cities Network. In its moment, it was clear that the first and most certain specific goals and tasks that we application, it emphasised its long and important step for successfully joining the wanted to achieve. They were specific abundant literary past, as well as the capital’s network and all further activities would have steps and activities which we set to work rich literary life today. Prague’s literary life to be the consolidation of literary life in on immediately in 2015. Since a stable is not only supported and enriched by the Prague. This first strategic aim was already organizational structure for the project capital city itself via the Department of realized in the preparation stage of the with secured funding was created during Culture, but also, of course, by a whole application. Through a newly created project, the candidacy period, a coordinator was range of other city cultural organizations, ‚Prague – City of Literature‘, more than 30 appointed, an independent office was institutions, societies, associations and partner organizations from among Prague’s established and a website, Facebook page volunteers. Prague is a city of many libraries, literary life became involved in preparing the and YouTube channel were set up so that schools and expert institutions, as well as application. This partnership was indeed we could begin to implement the project’s cafés, societies and community activities. one of the first big successes of the entire strategic goals immediately. The specific candidacy and subsequent membership. It is steps, programmes and their outcomes are While preparing documents for joining the a partnership that is now over 10 years old, described in the following chapters. It was UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the city and as time has gone by, it has become one very important, however, that we were able was already considering not only the content of the advisory and decisive bodies of the to implement diverse projects, not only in of these documents, but also questions project, and also a platform enabling mutual terms of their focus, but also with regard to regarding what potential membership in support, expansion and creation of literary their target groups, projects that are aimed the Creative Cities Network could mean for projects that successfully enrich the capital squarely at Prague, intended for the local Prague, what challenges and opportunities city’s cultural life. community, and international projects. The it could bring, what Prague itself could 3 most significant and demanding project is However, there is one thing that was not At this time, the result of Prague’s four-year certainly the successfully ongoing Prague mentioned in the application and that, in membership in the UNESCO Creative Cities Residential Programme. Prague was the first many ways, exceeds all the goals and Network and the almost ten-year activity city in the UNESCO Creative City Network to tasks that Prague had set before joining of the Prague – City of Literature project introduce such a programme. It subsequently the network: the warm welcome into a has been the establishment of a stable helped other cities to initiate their own community of people who believe that organizational structure of a coordinator residential programmes by sharing its cooperation, communication, mutual within Prague’s backbone literary institution, fundamental documents, contracts and rules, support, and sharing experiences, projects, the Municipal Library of Prague. With and, of course, its experiences and results. plans, mistakes and dreams can make the permanent financial and non-financial world a better place to live in. support of the City of Prague, the coordinator Another definite success is the fact that we is able to fulfil all tasks that ensue from have successfully implemented projects to A what are Prague’s goals now? We membership in the network. Of course, the promote creativity in adults, children and want to continue with the projects we City of Prague does not promote literature young people, supporting and expanding have successfully launched and whose solely through Prague – City of Literature; existing operations of partner organizations significance has been proven by time. its support in the field of literature, whether and promoting the UNESCO Creative City We want to embark on new projects born financial or non-financial, also goes to many Network among the residents of Prague. At of cooperation with colleagues from the other organizations that organise important the same time, these programs also support Creative City Network. We want to continue literary meetings, festivals, programmes other cities, whether in the Czech Republic cooperating with Brno, another city in the for the public, and events for children and or abroad, some of whom aim to join the Czech Republic and one to which Prague young people. This support also involves UNESCO network. gave long-term support in the preparation awarding a range of literary prizes (often of its ultimately successful candidacy for with a financial reward) to both Czech and Recently, Prague created and approved acceptance into the UNESCO Creative the Strategic Plan of the City of Prague. international writers. Support also goes to Cities of Music Network in 2017. And above smaller projects, such as the publication It is an extensive and detailed document all we want to share our good experiences that determines the direction of the capital of works by Czech authors, translations from membership in the Network of Creative and publications of works by international city for the forthcoming period, and its Cities, thereby helping other cities find the content significantly emphasizes basically all authors, literary magazines, etc. A detailed courage to get involved with the network’s quantification of the direct financial support strategic UNESCO Sustainable Development activities and to apply to join. We want Goals (SDGs). The document places great of the City of Prague forms an annex to this to fulfil the new strategy for the city’s document. Similarly, a number of activities emphasis on the development of a civil development that was approved in 2017 and, society, promotion of culture and creativity, are also supported by other state institutions, of course, to attempt to meet the strategic particularly in the field of literature, and by and all aspects leading to sustainable and goals of UNESCO. We consider both of quality development of all classes and the Czech Ministries of Culture and Foreign these documents to be key guides and basic Affairs. groups of residents. This Strategic Plan strategic documents that are essential both of the City of Prague is also supported by for further developing the project and for active implementation at the level of the further directing and meeting the goals of the Government of the Czech Republic (Strategic UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Framework Czech Republic 2030). 4 2. General Information ‚The role of the city is not to govern and determine a cultural programme on its territory, but to create such rules and conditions for the cultural sector that allow it to naturally develop and reflect contemporary topics.‘ (Strategic Plan of the City of Prague, approved 2017) 2.1. NAME OF CITY: 2.6. ENTITY Tomáš Řehák Managing Director Prague RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPORT: Municipal Library of Prague Mariánské náměstí 1 Prague – City of Literature Prague 1 2.2. COUNTRY: Municipal Library of Prague Czech Republic Mariánské náměstí 1 Kateřina Bajo Prague 1 Coordinator 2.3. CREATIVE FIELD Prague – City of Literature Municipal Library of Prague OF DESIGNATION: 2.7. PREVIOUS REPORTS SUBMITTED Bělohorská 56 Literature Prague 6 AND DATES: [email protected] 0 2.4. DATE OF DESIGNATION: 2.8. FOCAL POINTS OF CONTACT: 1 December 2014 Adriana Krnáčová Mayor 2.5. DATE OF Capital City of Prague SUBMISSION OF THE Mariánské náměstí 2 CURRENT REPORT: Prague 1 November 2018 5 3. Contribution to the Network´s Global Management 3.1. NUMBER OF UCCN ANNUAL 3.3. HOSTING OF A WORKING MEETINGS ATTENDED IN THE LAST OR COORDINATION MEETING FOUR YEARS (PLEASE NOTE THAT A ADDRESSED TO ONE OF MORE REGULAR PARTICIPATION IN THESE SPECIFIC UCCN CREATIVE FIELD MEETINGS IS COMPULSORY): REPRESENTATIVES: UCCN Annual Meetings Book World 2017 – the largest Czech book and literature festival. UNESCO Creative Kanazawa, Japan, 2015 Cities of Literature were its guests of honour Ostersund, Sweden, 2016 in 2017. The UNESCO Creative Cities Enghien-les-Bains, France, 2017 Network had a stall in a prestigious location Krakow, Poland, 2018 at the trade fair, and the cities presented their informative and promotional materials and Cities of Literature Subnetwork Annual publications. Representatives of the cities Meetings even appeared in public debates. Authors Heidelberg, Germany, 2015 from individual cities also gave a number of Dublin, Ireland, 2016 author readings.