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Description
The project addresses the lack of social and cultural activities in the town and the surrounding region and encourages maximum innovative use and revival of the cultural monument of the Castle in Kostelec nad Černými lesy, which has been closed for decades. We are now looking for ways to open the castle to the public.
The project aims to revive this cultural monument through a multimedia permanent exhibition focusing on the forestry sector. The project responds to the needs of the local community by preparing a space for a leisure centre in a designated part of the cultural monument. Educational programmes for the general public will be developed in cooperation with the partner and implemented after the end of the project. Educational programmes for pupils of primary schools and kindergartens will be created using forest pedagogy.
The proposed project includes, in addition to the opening of new forestry exhibitions, the organisation of cultural activities aimed at community gatherings. There is no similar exposition anywhere in the Czech Republic that would map the forestry area in its entirety. 2 interconnected expositions form a logical circle approaching the forestry area from the tree seed to its protection and processing. Part of the exposition will be dedicated to minorities.
The project will be implemented with the involvement of partners from Iceland and the Czech Republic, who will enter the project either as expert consultants for sharing know-how (Museum of Kopavogur) or as implementers of cultural or community activities themselves (Za Radost). The project responds to the needs of the place and is in line with the priorities of the strategic documents at local and regional level.
Summary of project results
Project addresses regional needs and challenges: a lack of social and cultural activities, no forestry museum, limited leisure activities for children and seniors, few educational programs for schools, and the need for accommodation for school groups.
The exhibition on forestry covers its historical context, present, and future. Planned activities include cultural events, a community center, and forest pedagogy. The exhibition opened on May 25, 2024, including a panel on the involvement of ethnic minorities in forestry. The outdoor exhibition "Forest for Life" was created by the supplier Awocado s.r.o. and also opened on May 25, 2024. Community Center opened on December 4, 2022, with 108 events for children and seniors. Ten
forest pedagogy programs and five summer camps were created. Two press conferences were held, and promotional materials were created.
The project achieved its goals and produced significant outcomes. Key results include 5 interactive tools in the exhibition, such as LED monitors and augmented reality glasses, boosting visitor interest. Twenty-two staff completed training, enhancing their skills. There were 22 cultural events, and the community center offered 108 programs. The site attracted 27,182 visitors, showing growing interest and strengthening collaboration among local organizations with economic benefits.
Summary of bilateral results
Partner involvement was key to sharing best practices in building environmental exhibitions. Iceland, as a leader in these areas, provided valuable insights into effective public communication. Thanks to the visit to Iceland, final beneficiary was able to observe modern technologies and trends in presentation. We visited the nature museum in Kopavogur, which had a conservative character and helped FB understand the expectations of school children. Czech project promoters discussed the use of interactive elements for our theme. The PERLAN Museum in Reykjavík presented a technologically advanced solution that inspired us. Final beneficiary and Icelandic partners actively discussed the transfer of good practice to the Czech context and created a clear idea of the needs for interactivity and multimediality of new exhibitions. The visit fulfilled the bilateral cooperation indicators and contributed to the development of the project. The main result of the cooperation was to draw inspiration and examples of good practice in the design of exhibitions and communication of themes. The use of interactive elements proved to be key to conveying information to a wide range of visitors, which contributed to a better understanding of the chosen themes. The trip to Iceland was useful for creating an idea of an exhibition focused on forestry and the forest ecosystem. It brought ideas that were implemented in the opened exhibition, including audiovisual and sensory elements, augmented reality and graphic representation.