The former Galaxie multiplex cinema is undergoing a transformation. A unique temporary multicultural centre is being created

Leading cultural organisations – Dejvické divadlo, Minor, 4+4 Days in Motion, DanceConnected, and DAMU – will bring new life to the abandoned halls of the former Galaxie multiplex cinema at the Háje terminus metro station, shaking up Prague’s cultural scene and creating new opportunities for local communities, audiences of established cultural organisations, as well as for their own further development in a unique collaboration. The Galaxie Cultural Station will open in September 2025 for one year to all lovers of culture across the genres.

The Dejvice Theatre is preparing for a year-long renovation of its home stage in Prague 6. Since 2023, it has been searching extensively for a temporary refuge where it could perform and rehearse during the renovation. It has been almost a year since the management of the Dejvice Theatre first entered the building of the former Galaxie multiplex cinema.

“The owners’ offer to make temporary use of all of the auditoriums was extremely accommodating, and we immediately began looking for other cultural organisations to collaborate with so that as many halls as possible could be used for an attractive programme.” — Lukáš Průdek, director of the Dejvice Theatre.

Minimal changes are currently underway to convert the cinema auditoriums into theatre halls, galleries, rehearsal rooms, classrooms, and the central Big Bang Bar, which will be the focal point of Galaxie and a place for creative encounters. The entrance foyer with the bar was designed by visual artists Krištof Kintera and Matej Al-Ali. The installation of the bar as a work of art will be based on a long-term project by Krištof Kintera, who works with an extensive vocabulary and verbal semiotics of colourful words describing states of the human mind. The result is to be a stunning, light-filled psychological laboratory. 

All organisations collaborating on the Galaxie cultural station have their own founders, grants, or private supporters for artistic creation and operation. However, the necessary renovations and equipment for the Galaxie premises cannot be covered by the operating budgets of these cultural organizations alone. Therefore, the project wants to also involve the public in the renovation and furnishing of the premises through a commercial campaign on the Donio platform, which will be announced on April 10.

The visual style of the new cultural station in Háje was created by graphic designer Jiří Troskov, founder of the Jitro Design studio. The design of the brand and logotype for this emerging artistic endeavour is loosely based on Jiří Rathouský’s graphic design concept for the Jižní Město II housing estate in Prague. The main element is Rathouský’s original Civitas font, digitised by Briefcase Type Foundry under the BC Civitas label.

“The overall concept is very playful and should be easy to read even for families with children, for whom the space will also be intended. Another equally important element is the varied colour scheme used to distinguish between the individual ensembles, which together form the letter G in five streams of colour.” — Jiří Troskov, graphic designer and founder of Jitro Design studio

For the Dejvice Theatre, Galaxie is an opportunity to reach a completely different type of audience and to collaborate with new artists. "Co-habiting" at one address with artists from the fields of dance, puppet theatre, and visual arts will bring new impulses from other genres and the opportunity to observe someone completely different at work—but also the opportunity to inspire them in return. The larger capacity of the hall will make it possible to satisfy high audience demand, but at the same time it is a signal that the Dejvice Theatre is not afraid to shake up its iconic address in a good way – that "Dejvice" does not actually refer so much to the theatre’s location, but rather to its intense, exclusive interplay of acting performances and the exploration of new themes.

“We are coming to Háje to see what it exactly means to have a theatre in Dejvice. We will have at least two premieres at Galaxie. I will take care of the autumn one. It will be based on collective authorship and will apply documentary theatre techniques (the working title is Facka – The Slap). The second premiere, in the spring, will be directed by Irish director Wayne Jordan, who will work with Dejvice Theatre actors to create a theatrical collage based on Marivaux’s texts.” Jiří Havelka, Artistic director of Dejvice Theatre

The involvement of the Divadlo Minor theatre in the Galaxie project is a natural response to sustained high demand for performances for children and young people and the limited capacity of the theatre’s existing premises. The new hall offers Minor the opportunity to expand its reach and satisfy a larger audience. This is another step towards Minor’s long-term vision of becoming a modern cultural centre for the whole family in the future, providing not only theatrical experiences but also a wider range of artistic, educational, and community activities.

“Minor’s programming concept envisages three different lines: new productions rehearsed directly in the Galaxie space, existing productions with technical requirements that allow for performances on both stages, and previous successful productions that the ensemble was forced to remove from its repertoire for capacity reasons. Minor’s first ‘galactic’  premiere is scheduled for October 5, 2025.” — director of the Minor theatre Janek Jirků

The 4+4 Days in Motion – Místa činu festival, which will celebrate its 30^th 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 be at the centre 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 programmes 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 – Místa činu project, Denisa Václavová.

"We see the revival of the legendary multiplex in Háje with foreign productions, Czech premieres and other artistic projects as a natural continuation of our nomadic lifestyle, which began in 1998 with the relocation of the festival to the former sewage treatment plant in Bubeneč"— Pavel Štorek, programmer of the 4 + 4 Days in Motion festival

DanceConnected is a newly established independent production unit that brings the energy of contemporary dance and interdisciplinary collaboration to Galaxie. It is based on many years of experience in the field of dance and cultural production. Its goal is to develop a programme that will respond to the characteristics of the venue and the needs of the local community. As part of the Galaxie project, it plans to organise dance performances, artist residencies, workshops, discussions and other dance projects, both in the Galaxie building and in its surroundings. 

Currently, DanceConnected is focusing on equipping its hall – rehearsal room – and preparing its programme content. At the same time, it is preparing a range of cooperation opportunities for the dance community and local actors, such as schools and the municipal district.

“The programme will focus on both the professional scene and the general public of all generations. We place particular emphasis on involving diverse groups, cross-disciplinary collaboration and revitalising public spaces through movement. We see the Galaxie cultural station project as a model example of a multi-genre cultural centre where dance plays an essential role.” — Markéta Perroud, artistic director of the project, member of DanceConnected

“We see our involvement in the Galaxie platform as an opportunity to become an equal partner to established cultural institutions and to bring new impulses, perspectives and forms of sharing. For us as a new entity, it is a great challenge to secure sufficient financial coverage for all these activities in our de facto first year of operation, and we therefore greatly appreciate all the support we receive.” — Daniela Řeháková, project management, member of DanceConnected

This year, DAMU became the first higher education institution in the Czech Republic to accredit a master’s degree programme in Lighting and Audiovisual Design for the Performing Arts, which responds to the current trend of fully integrating space, technology, programming, and directing, as well as to a common development at European theatre schools, where design programmes have already been established for many years now. The faculty is currently selecting the first students for the study programme, which teaches lighting, sound, and projection design, including exhibition design, in a strictly integrated cooperation. The programme will start in the autumn of 2025. Galaxie will primarily provide space for teaching, but also unique exposure of students to artistic practice, which naturally also carries the potential for a creative connection.

“Light, sound, and their presentation in a live space have always been connected to the human race throughout all stages of its existence. The Galaxie project gives us the opportunity to experience, enjoy, and savour this for a moment in our busy lives, rather than just unconsciously absorb it. It offers us SPACE, not consumption, which we are oversaturated with and thus hunger for more and more.”
(Supervisor of the study programme, composer and teacher at DAMU, Vratislav Šrámek)

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