Galaxie – a new cultural station in Háje

A new platform connecting artistic institutions from various fields – Dejvice Theatre, the all-family theatre Divadlo Minor, 4+4 Days in Motion – Místa činu, DanceConnected and The Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU) – is being created in the premises of the former Galaxie multiplex cinema in Prague's Háje district. In a district that bears all the hallmarks of typical Czech housing estate life, an arts centre will be built, providing cultural and leisure activities for a wide range of audiences of different ages and aesthetic preferences. The project will run for the limited period of just one single theatre season – 2025/26.

What began as director Lukáš Průdek’s need to find a replacement venue for the Dejvice Theatre during the renovation of its existing building, gradually developed into an ambitious project bringing the abandoned Galaxie multiplex cinema building back to life and connecting several Prague theatres and cultural organisations. In addition to Dejvice Theatre, audiences will be able to find the all-family theatre Divadlo Minor, the international festival platform for contemporary art 4+4 Days in Motion – Místa činu, the newly transformed contemporary dance collective DanceConnected, and the DAMU studio for lighting and audiovisual design for the performing arts, all under one roof.

“After a year of searching for temporary shelter, in April 2024 we first entered the former Galaxie multiplex cinema at the Háje terminus of metro line C, which has nine abandoned auditoriums of various sizes, a huge foyer, backstage areas, dressing rooms, large-capacity toilets for spectators, and an underground garage with three hundred parking spaces.” Lukáš Průdek, director of the Dejvice Theatre. 

Cooperation between a large number of artistic entities under one roof often runs up against the capacity limits of the building and conflicts arising from the different artistic and technical requirements of the individual entities. Creating a space that would enable such ‘artistic cohabitation’ is extremely demanding in terms of time, money, and production. The use of the extensive and currently abandoned Galaxie building is therefore an extraordinary opportunity to build a multifunctional cultural centre for the general public.

“With its presence on the outskirts of Prague, the Dejvické Theater will bring new cultural life to a place where no one would have expected it. We want to create a completely new and vibrant theatre hub teeming with life, an artistic meeting point, an incubator for new ideas born from unforeseen encounters, a multifunctional community space, and a social and cultural arena.” Jiří Havelka, Artistic Director of Dejvice Theatre.

The main impetus for Minor’s involvement in the Galaxie project was the sustained high demand exceeding the theater’s existing capacity. Joining forces with other institutions opens the door to expanding its space and provides an opportunity to meet the growing demand of its audience. Of course, both stages on Vodičkova Street in Prague 1 will remain in operation. Premieres of new productions will take place both here and at Galaxie during the 2025/26 season.

“This is a step towards a major project that has been in the works for many years: a family cultural center for the southern part of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region. Once, beyond seven mountains, beyond seven seas..., a modern space will be built where it will be possible to do something very similar to what we are trying out now.” Jan Jirků, Director of Minor.

The 4+4 Days in Motion – Místa činu festival, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2025, is introducing a new format. Extending the festival to four months, from September to December, will allow for deeper connections with the Jižní Město district and its residents. The nine-hall Galaxie will become the focal point of the programme, which will include residencies with public output, thematic group exhibitions, foreign theatre companies, performance art, site-specific projects, interventions in the public space, community activities, and visual arts programs for all generations.

“The new format of the festival also provides an opportunity to slow down, pause, and create conditions for collaboration and cultivation of a single space and its environment.” Curator of the 4+4 Days in Motion – Crime Scene project, Denisa Václavová.

DanceConnected is a newly established independent production unit that builds on many years of experience in the field of dance art and theatre production. Its goal is to bring fresh creativity and realise unique dance and interdisciplinary projects. It plans to enrich the Galaxie space with dance performances, residencies for artists, workshops, discussions, and community events.

“Our goal is to show that dance, theatre, and other artistic disciplines have the power to transform places and communities. We are going to Galaxie because we believe that together with our partners, artists, and the local community, we can create something exceptional. Galaxie opens up new possibilities for us and pushes us forward—we strive to bring new perspectives in a new grouping of different entities.” Artistic Director of DanceConnected Markéta Perroud.

Lighting and Audiovisual Design for Live Arts at DAMU is a new accredited master’s degree program that responds to the current trend of intensively interconnecting space, technology, programming, and directing. This interconnection requires creators to develop new skills and work in more complex interdisciplinary teams. The program follows trends at European theatre schools, where design study programs have been established for many years. In recent years, these programs have also been revised toward a greater synthesis of various media, interconnectedness with the development of practice, and the needs of theatre art disciplines. The program is inspired in particular by new study programmes at Rose Bruford College, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and UniArts Helsinki, both in terms of the content of the curriculum and the modular nature of teaching. It is the first study programme in the Czech Republic to teach lighting, sound, and projection design, including exhibition design, in strictly integrated cooperation. "The multicultural project Galaxie at the Háje terminus metro station seems like a Gift from the Universe for new Beginnings.” Study program guarantor Vratislav Šrámek

The entire initiative is unique not only in terms of the diversity of the entities involved and their motivation to participate in the Galaxie project, but also in its use of an unconventional space, a multiplex cinema in a less prominent part of Prague. The project is also an experiment to explore whether similar interdisciplinary cultural centres can function successfully in Prague. If the concept proves successful, it could become an inspiration and a pilot project for other similar activities not only in the capital but also in other localities.

Media contact:
Šárka Samková
Galaxie media representative

sarka@passionfruit.cz

+420 724 349 590