The aim of the Otvorený Úsmev project was to launch an inclusive film education programme for children and youth, to support the internal development of the civic association CINEFIL and to make film screenings accessible to various vulnerable groups. Openness and inclusion are fundamental values that Kino Úsmev wants to promote and raise awareness of in the long term.
Activities
Inclusive film school Klapka, Úsmev!
The school introduces participants to various methods and approaches to filmmaking, creating an environment for their creative self-realization. They are intended for children and youth interested in filmmaking and its components – camera, editing, directing, dramaturgy, sound, screenplay, scenography, graphic design and visual arts in film, animation, costume design and the basics of expression in front of the camera. Participants will go through the entire film process and at the end of the semester, they will present their unique film work in the cinema hall at Kina Úsmev. We opened the film classes for the first time in February 2020, but due to the pandemic, we had to move the school to the online space. In autumn 2020, we did not start the classes at all, and in 2021 we managed to open them for only a few weeks. We are currently working together with lecturers, Natalia Brzáčová and Róbert Rampáček, and partner organizations on the curriculum, planning the further course of the classes and consulting on how to work with vulnerable groups.
Open screenings
Since 2019, we have been organizing inclusive film screenings (not only) for autistic people and seniors with cognitive impairments on a regular basis. These screenings are specifically tailored to the needs of vulnerable groups with the programme, volume and lighting. Our goal is to create a pleasant and tolerant environment where these groups can feel safe. At the same time, these screenings are accessible to everyone free of charge, thus eliminating financial barriers, but also motivating the general public to visit these screenings.
Organizational development
During the project, we also focused on educating and improving processes within the civic association CINEFIL, which operates by Kino Úsmev. We held several workshops for employees and consulted our activities with the Norwegian partner Tou and their director Per Arne Alstad.
Development of partner organizations
We organized a series of educational workshops for partner organizations in the field of film education and inclusion, including workshops on marketing with Michal Kucht, inclusive education with Dušan Ondrušek from PDCS and Jiří Forejt from Free Cinema.
Green cinema
One of the outcomes of the project is an architectural study from the ZeroZero studio, which should contribute to green solutions within the Kino Úsmev´s building with regard to its future operation and sustainability. The studies were carried out in collaboration with the French architect Jean-Marc Lalo (Atelier Lalo) and the association’s association.
Partners
- Usmej sa na mňa, o.z.
- ETP Slovensko
- Keď môžem pomôžem, o.z.
- Tou (NOR)
The project is supported by the ACF – Slovakia programme, financed from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021 and managed by the EKOPOLIS Foundation in partnership with the Open Society Foundation and the Carpathian Foundation.
