DAMU - Divadelní fakulta AMU

MA DOT BIRTHDAY SYMPOSIUM: WE ARE 10! 🔥✨

The MA in Directing of Devised and Object Theatre at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre (DAMU, Prague) celebrates its 10th anniversary.

To mark this occasion, we invite MA DOT alumni and current students to contribute to a two-day symposium dedicated to sharing artistic practices, research, collaborations and experiences developed after graduation.

We are looking for lectures, workshops and sharings that explore how devised and experimental artistic practices can thrive beyond the university. We welcome contributions on artistic creation, dramaturgy, production, curation, teaching, writing, community building and other approaches that support independent artistic work.

📍 Prague
🗓️ 14–15 January 2027

How to apply?
Send your name together with a proposal (max. 400 words) describing your topic and preferred format to [email protected]

📅 Deadline: 30 September 2026.

❗️Please note that we are unable to provide financial support for participants. Invitation letters for travel funding applications are available upon request.

We look forward to celebrating 10 years of MA DOT with you! ✨

🇬🇧 eng below

5 let od vystoupení studentské iniciativy Ne!musíš to vydržet!

29. 6. 2021 studentská iniciativa otevřela debatu, která významně ovlivnila prostředí DAMU i dalších vysokých škol. Přiměla nás znovu přemýšlet o tom, jaké podmínky podporují skutečně svobodnou a odvážnou uměleckou tvorbu.
Od té doby jsme na škole udělali řadu konkrétních kroků. Nejdůležitější změna ale spočívá v ochotě naslouchat, vést otevřený dialog a společně hledat řešení i tam, kde nejsou jednoduché odpovědi.

Věříme, že umění vzniká především tam, kde lidé cítí důvěru, respekt, podporu a dostatek bezpečí, aby mohli hledat, pochybovat, experimentovat i dělat chyby. Ani po pěti letech nemáme hotovo. Budování kultury respektu není jednorázový projekt, ale dlouhodobý závazek všech, kteří na DAMU studují a pracují.
Přečtěte si zamyšlení ombudsmana DAMU Petra Poláka k výročí iniciativy.

🇬🇧eng
Five Years Since the Student Initiative ”(You Don’t) Have to Endure It!”

On 29 June 2021, the student initiative ”(You Don’t) Have to Endure It” sparked a conversation that profoundly shaped the environment at DAMU and across Czech higher education. It challenged us to reflect on the conditions that truly foster artistic freedom, courage and creativity.

Since then, we have taken a number of concrete steps to strengthen our academic community. Yet the most important change lies in our willingness to listen, engage in open dialogue and seek solutions together—even when there are no easy answers.

We believe that outstanding art flourishes where people experience trust, respect, support and a sense of safety that allows them to explore, question, experiment and make mistakes.
Five years on, our work is far from finished. Building a culture of respect is not a one-off initiative but a long-term commitment shared by everyone who studies and works at DAMU.
Read DAMU Ombudsperson Petr Polák’s reflection marking 5th anniversary.