discussions | literature | theatre | music | film | exhibitions | workshops | walks | reconciliation march | education

The Meeting Brno festival in 2023 will focus on the relationship of Czechs and Slovaks after 30 years since the division of Czechoslovakia. We are therefore pleased that this year's edition with the motto “Do we belong together?" will open with a discussion of the same name between the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel and the President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová in the garden of Villa Tugendhat and Löw-Beer. You can also look forward to further Czech-Slovak programme, the traditional Reconciliation March, an educational line or the topic of women in Church.

Divided nations, overlooked history, forgotten places, women of the church… but where to find hope? We live in times where every new topic seems to increasingly divide our society. Let’s come together. Meeting Brno unveils common history, discovers new stories, changes the World through art, encourages discussion and asks the question: Do we belong together?

A great number of Slovaks come to the Czech republic even after thirty years since the dissolution and they actively influence the public space. What did both nations come to after all these years? Are the places such as the subsidiary concentration camp in Brno a part of our history? Are we doing enough in terms of traumatic events and places of memory? Have we tackled the legacy of the secret church that kept faith during communist times? How has this affected the position of women in the church? How did we manage the integration of Ukrainian pupils and their parents into our schools? In what condition does our school system find itself and what are its limits?

Let’s meet with influential individuals of this time and the past, with places and their memories, with art and most importantly with one another. Let powerful tales speak to us and allow encounters to empower us.

This is Meeting Brno 2023 – because everything begins with an encounter.

The Meeting Brno festival is held under the auspices of the minister for European affairs, Dr Mikuláš Bek, the governor of South Moravia, Mr Jan Grolich, and the mayor of Brno, Dr Markéta Vaňková.

The project is financially supported by the City of Brno, the South Moravian Region, the Ministry of Culture, the Czech-German Future Fund and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Prague.

Please help us with your contribution to organize this year's festival edition and to prepare the next year's edition.
Thank you for your support!