The artistic inputs of students at the Creative centre of the Faculty has been an integral part of the educational, artistic and scientific activities at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. The aim of the Creative centre is to bring students of Architecture and Design study programs not only to these art areas but also to introduce them to other types of art. These knowledge and experience exchange reflects on the open-mindedness of art through the educational as well as programmes of public awareness, utilizing the latest technologies and various forms of communication (workshops, lectures, discussion panels, theatrical, cinematic, musical and other artistic performances).
Building on the recent research on opinion orientation of the university students that has shown a certain level of intolerance and hate speech against disadvantaged groups (foreigners and immigrants but also social, ethnic and other minorities in particular), the objective of the Creative centre is to educate the university and high-school students in the field of social, ethical and cultural issues in a peaceful and non-traditional form. The Centre has been aspiring to attract students from other schools of the arts as well as general public and thus creating an interdisciplinary and social platform for informal meetings, working contacts and creative activities reflecting the importance of the diversity of the cultural manifestations.
The Creative centre of the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology is going to participate in the grant call CULTURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CULTURAL HERITAGE AND CULTURAL COOPERATION (grants EHP 2014 – 2021 Slovak Republic) with a project EMPATHY IN ART (EMIA) in order to support diverse activities of the Centre in particular fields of art (performing arts, visual arts, reflection of arts and culture as well as interdisciplinary artistic and theoretical activities in the cultural and creative area).
Empathy – the ability to compassion with the needs of users of architectural objects of design products is one of the basic preconditions for the profession of architect or a designer. Empathy – the capacity to understand how it feels to be in someone else‘s shoes, is an essential prerequisite for accepting diversity, integration of marginalised groups and it is also a potential tool in the fight against extremism.
The project consists of 6 primary activities:
- Reflections of (Norwegian) architecture (and design) – theoretical lectures, discussions and a publication
- Ephemeral architecture – creation of a touring work of art with the participation of designers and architects
- Silent Generation – performing art reflecting the principal themes of the project
- Design-build Project 1:1 –workshop – creation of an object increasing the call for empathy and tolerance through the objects of art deployed in public spaces
- Development and sale of a socially-driven product – a workshop focused on cooperation of the design and business students, artisans and marginalised groups
- Coming to terms– a discussion panel about marginalised groups with the active involvement of the audience
The objective of the proposed activities is to develop and work with the audience of the Creative centre in the field of contemporary art and culture as well as to support the bilateral exchange and cooperation with partners from EHP in the activities covering the contemporary art:
Bergen School of Architecture (Norway)
Oslo School of Architecture and Design
