Galaxie na Háhy Cultural Station: what ongoing research shows

The research is carried out by Creative Prague in cooperation with STEM and focuses on default site status before full operation of the Galaxy. It follows the expectations of the cultural organizations involved, the needs of local residents as well as the wider context of the Háje housing estate.

Galaxies as an experiment outside the city center

Galaxie Cultural Station was originally created as a temporary solution for the Dejvice Theatre during the reconstruction of its home stage. It gradually transformed into Ambitious experimentthat tests how a large cultural infrastructure outside the historic city center can function.

Five diverse cultural organizations participated in the project — Dejvice Theatre, Four Days, Theatre Minor, DanceConnected and DAMU. Together, they are investigating whether and how it can to bring professional cultural production to a peripheral housing site and what impact this has on the local community as well as the organizations themselves.

South Town: a housing estate with its own rhythm

At the same time, the research describes in detail Local context of the South City, the largest Czech housing estate with almost 80 thousand inhabitants. The site is characterized by a high settlement density, an aging population, and a long-term lack of cultural infrastructure.

Field investigations show that local residents perceive the cultural offer in the neighbourhood as limited and often not adequate to the needs of different age and social groups. Nevertheless, it is noticeable strong attachment to the place and interest in its revival, especially through culture and community activities.

What the locals are missing — and what they expect from the Galaxy

Respondents in the survey repeatedly mentioned:

• lack of an accessible and varied cultural offer,
  
• poor awareness of cultural events
  
• Lack of quality public spaces for meetings.
  

From the Galaxy, many promise Changing the perception of the Gardens as a “periphery where nothing happens”, the revitalization of the metro station neighborhood and the emergence of a safe, vibrant place for different generations. An important topic is also time and affordability of the program — ideally in the early evening, on weekends and with admission prices friendly for families and seniors.

Cultural Organizations' Perspective: Opportunity and Challenge

The cultural organizations involved view the Galaxy as a unique opportunity: to reach new audiences, experiment with dramaturgy and collaborate across genres as well as institutional types. The diversity of actors is one of the main strengths of the project, according to the research.

But it also brings challenges — especially in the areas of coordination, different work cultures and operational expectations. A key success factor is proving quality of cooperation and personal relationships between the management of individual organizations.

Culture as a tool for site transformation

The interim report confirms that cultural infrastructure can play an important role not only in the field of culture, but also in the wider development of the urban district. Galaxie has the potential to become a catalyst for change — from revitalizing public space to strengthening community life to opening debate on long-term cultural infrastructure in Hájů.

Research will continue in the next phases of the Galaxy's operation, and its conclusions will serve as a basis for strategic planning of the city and inspiration for other similar projects in Prague and elsewhere.