: Public hall - from cinema to art
The Hraničář 1 building was built in Ústí in 1923 for the needs of German Social Democrats. Since the 1930s there has been a cinema that the house owner closed in 2010 and the house orphaned. An opportunity for his revival took place in 2014, when the city‘s leadership then denounced the contract of the Činoherní studio 2 ensemble - Hraničář was to become his new haven. After a wave of protests, a change in the political situation, and especially thanks to a civic initiative, Činoherní studio returned to the original building on Střekova and Hraničář started looking for its own way to work.
: It can´t be funded without sponsors
Within the national collection in support of Činoherní studium, CZK 3.5 million was collected. These were used for the reconstruction of the premises. The building itself has a high operating cost: in winter, 70,000 CZK are needed for heating only, with half a million for the whole year (i.e. 20 000 Euro). In Hraničář they started with grants and, thanks to a favorable position near the border, the cross-border cooperation with German partners have started. ”We fi led an application with the Elbe / Labe Euroregion, which is in charge of cross-border European grants. We have twice asked for support for the so-called small project, and we have always won it,” says Aleš Loziak, director of Hraničář.
As for the cooperation with foreign partners, it is not just about how to get the money: ”We also asked the German federation GEH8. The joint project is concerned with collecting information on the fi nancial sustainability of cultural non-profit organizations. From this exchange of experience, opinions and ideas there will be a Czech-German publication that summarizes the functioning of non-profi t institutions in Dresden and in our country,” Aleš explains. In addition to the subsidies for Hraničář there is some money from renting the space and from sales for
cultural activities. At present, they have 4-5 million per year on the house, but optimal would be to have one more million.
: Create your own values
The team around Hraničář has seven permanent employees, four to fi ve paid external co-workers, and another four to fi vevolunteers. Each month, they prepare 20-22 events, this September there were 28 events. The program‘s off er is varied not only in dramaturgy - music, fi lm, visual arts, discussions, workshops - but also in terms of the age distribution of visitors. In the framework of the recent Family Festival, there was a knitting workshop lead by senior ladies; at another workshop, students of textile production from local university UJEP mediated the current view of the matter. In addition, Hraničář is motivated to multi-generational cooperation directly on its website:
a weekly fi lm club with an art workshop to actively link children and adults is taking place every week.
: Close relationship to art
„We are doing the program from the point of view of contemporary art, especially because the overwhelming majority of us have graduated from Faculty of art and design FUD UJEP and we have a close relationship with contemporary art.“ Because
the people in the team around Hraničár are artists without any economic or managerial education, they are trying to professionalize to reduce project problems. ”Once in a few months we have a strategic workshop with a man who has built a business
for twelve years, has a huge managerial experience, and now he‘s doing couching. Getting a look from the outside, which looks at our problems with a completely diff erent prism, is very important,” Aleš says. In connection with the program content, it also mentions the unwritten code of ethics in which the Hraničář works. ”We have defi ned who we will and will not cooperate with and that certain types of programs will not be run here. To be apolitical is also important,” he adds.
: The diff erence between officials and politicians
For Hraničář operation the city supports is needed. One of the inconspicuous initiatives to attract attention is the cultural map of Ústí, which is now visible on the wall in the foyer. ”There are plenty of active people, groups, clubs in Ústí and it would be nice to make a portal or a list so that people in Ústí can see what‘s going on here. I‘m afraid, however, that such a proposal will not go through a political decision - it would not be the first time,” Aleš explains how it goes at the city council. In spite of some partial failures, Aleš remains optimistic: two months ago, the city has asked them for three-year funding scheme description, which would allow the Hraničář team to better plan things forward.
: Ales Loziak: a Naive Workoholic
Photographer. Teacher at FUD UJEP at the studio of photography designed mainly for foreigners. In the last year he had three exhibitions in Ústí, Prague and Most. He works in Hraničář as a director for half-time job. Besides he is making websites. He
is the father of two children, his wife founded Tamaryšek club, which organizes art workshops and children‘s theater. And his greatest passion? ”I am delighted to be a mediator: I enjoy having people deal with situations where they cannot agree
and enjoy to look for solutions. My Life Creation: Everything is just a technical problem.”
