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888.272.7881 (toll-free in US)
802.258.3212
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PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Road
Brattleboro, VT 05302 USA
Czech Republic: Arts, Community, and Transition
Program Overview
Czech Republic: Arts, Community, and Transition
In the SIT Czech Republic: Arts, Community, and Transition study abroad program, students examine the relationship between the arts and Czechoslovakia's social and political development during the post-war and communist periods and how this history is reflected in arts and society in the Czech Republic today. Students engage in research and comprehensive coursework to cultivate an in-depth understanding of the complexity of the communist past and its relation to contemporary society; as well as an appreciation for the current challenges of this post-socialist period.
The program gives students the chance to interact with local artists, academic specialists, representatives from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and community leaders. Through discussions, readings, film screenings, and performances, students gain insight into the Czech Republic's vibrant yet volatile arts scene and how it has evolved to reflect the values of Czech society. Students are immersed in Czech culture through language instruction and homestays with host families, providing them with an inside view of contemporary social issues and the lasting impact of communism on Czech society today.
"For a Cultural Prague"
The program's base in Prague offers students an historical and artistically prolific environment in which to study the interplay of art and society in the Czech Republic. The city's ongoing cultural crisis regarding state-level funding for the arts is the most recent example of how unprecedented rapid social change and delayed public reforms of post-communist society have brought Czech culture to a critical turning point. Like the Czech film and publishing industries, the formerly dynamic visual arts and theatre communities have been challenged by the pressures of the burgeoning commercial and tourist markets, deeply entrenched corruption and outdated public funding structures that bear the marks of the recent communist past. Students observe the debate surrounding cultural policies and study the recent petition prepared by Czech theatres entitled "For a Cultural Prague," which calls for the city of Prague to take responsibility for the creation of conditions that support cultural development.
Students also observe the parallel crisis in the NGO community, where many civic and community initiatives for social change in the 1990s are now struggling in the face of more limited funding and public complacency.. These crises draw attention to the broader challenges in politics and society creating a unique angle for study of the uncertainty of post-socialist society in Central Europe.
Students learn about the country's complex communist past and its relation to contemporary society as well as the impact of globalization and tourism on the Czech arts scene. Visits to rural areas in the Czech Republic and to Slovakia and Poland expose students to the cultural differences among regions within the country and beyond its borders. Lectures from local artists, NGO leaders, and academic specialists provide insight into the synergy between history, the arts, and current social issues while opportunities for volunteer work with local theaters, artists, and NGOs enable students to contribute to the Czech community.
