Connected Through Creation: Poetry, Culture, Queerness

Poetry has a reputation for being incomprehensible or abstract, partly due to how it's taught in schools and (mis)represented in the media. But contemporary poetry shows the opposite: it's responsive, social and intimate, embodied and transcendent. It doesn't stay confined to books — it increasingly drifts through social media, cafés, concerts and art exhibitions. And most often it's born in artistic communities outside the mainstream, both in person and online.

Poetry isn't mass culture, but it is intense. And interest in it — along with its ability to shape the world — is growing. The role of communities and mutual dialogue is proving crucial precisely in today's world, where politics and public discourse are becoming radicalized and structures of power and violence are being reinforced.

Poetry emerges and lives in egalitarian encounters. Its community-based status isn't a margin but a mycelium. It's a strategy for (sur)vival. It creates space for new voices, for solidarity and for dissent. It offers a way of being together differently — more slowly, more attentively, and with greater sensitivity to what would otherwise remain unspoken.

Discussing poetry Dominik Ela Bárt – intermedia poet, translator from Polish and poetry editor Iryna Zahladko – award-winning poet, translator and performer

Moderated by Lukáš Samek – literary historian and member of Společnost pro queer paměť

Admission – free

Accessibility – suitable for children and teens, dog-friendly

Vibe check – quiet event (no loud music, shouting, etc.), seating available, indoor venue

Organized by – Společnost pro queer paměť, z. s. Společnost pro queer paměť is a non-governmental non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, researching and popularizing the past of queer people in the Czech lands. It comprises a museum with a unique collection documenting queer lives (including an oral history sub-collection), an archive of individuals and organizations, and a specialized library containing both contemporary literature and periodicals as well as valuable historical prints. The collections, archive and library are made accessible to researchers.