The aim of Palacký University Olomouc’s project Park It! aims to enliven the parks and other public spaces of Olomouc. Its seventh season begins this weekend. In the months to come, Olomouc parks and the city ramparts gardens walls at the UP Arts Centre on the premises of the Jesuit Convictorium will feature dozens of open-air film shows, concerts, quizzes, and sport activities.
As part of the Park It! programme, Olomouc residents can look forward to multiple Anděl award winners Lenka Dusilová and Thom Artway, a high school art festival, and busking at the Flora exhibition grounds.
Park it big
The main format of all the events taking place under this initiative this year will be Park It! fests, i.e. half-day mini-festivals combining music performances, film screenings, and a rich accompanying programme for the whole family. “Most of them will take place either in the Convictorium garden or in the Bezruč and Smetana parks, almost every Wednesday. For example, next week on June 10, we are featuring a concert by singer Dan Vertígo with his band, sports equipment and board games rental, readings by the winners of the UP Student Literary Contest, an arts zone, a non-traditional get-together, and an evening screening of the cult film Falling Down with Michael Douglas,” explained the Park It! initiative coordinator, Ondřej Martínek.
During the summer, the project will also welcome the bands Billow and Hope Astronaut, singers Amelia Sibu, Thom Artway, and award-winning Lenka Dusilová, who will perform at the UP Arts Centre on July 23. The organising team, consisting mainly of UP students, is also preparing two two-day mini-festivals, workshops, and tournaments in ring toss and badminton. “We are working in collaboration with artists from Chaoscompany, with Slackline Olomouc, swordsmen from Non Sancti, jugglers and pyrotechnics, and the Olomouc Workshop,” said Kristýna Slováčková from the Park It! team to illustrate the scope of cooperation.
Together for culture
On Saturday June 6, the project will “park it” at an event called Park It! in the Open Air, located in a non-traditional courtyard off Sokolská Street, where visitors can enjoy DJs, good food and drinks, an art zone for both children and adults, or a board game all afternoon. “This first event is also a manifestation of our collaboration in the post-coronavirus era, which will be pursued during the entire season. Not only will the university participate in the realisation of the event; it is also the work of the organisers of the Olomouc Club Night, i.e. the Na Cucky Theatre and the owner of the 15 Minut and Vertigo clubs. The premises were provided by the Centre for Movement Olomouc,” added Martínek.
Other projects will be taken care of by the organisers of the Michalský výpad Festival, local companies and associations, or even high school students who are preparing the second year of their St-Art festival by young artists at the end of August in cooperation with the university. Thanks to Park It!, talented musicians should also appear at the Farmers’ Market, organised by the Flora Exhibition Grounds, or directly in the city streets. “Perhaps we agree that it is time to move culture out of the living room and park it back among living people. For example, over twenty teams signed up for the open-air pub quiz special next Tuesday,” said Martínek. In addition, local refreshment suppliers will take turns serving at individual events to be helped out, at least symbolically.
All events are free of charge.
More information on the zaparkuj.upol.cz website or the Park It! Facebook page. You can get an idea of what is in store by watching this video.