Through the eyes of those involved
Press Release - Prague - 16 February 2023
Which was the shortcut to school and what is the strangest note you can find in a student's book?The corridors and classrooms of the first public school in Smichov (Na Bělidle 34) come alive with the theme of school everyday life through the exhibition Through the Eyes of Those Concerned.
In the summer of 2021, Elpida, a Prague-based organisation helping the elderly, moved into the building of the first school in Smíchov, Na Bělidle 34, which dates back to 1857. Elpida runs an educational and cultural centre for the elderly there. Thanks to this, the house is once again used for education, but its history is also coming to life.
"Gradually, our clients' first memories of their school years in the local primary school in the 1950s began to come back to us. The stories, stories and photographs began to connect with the present. We learned where the assembly hall, the headmaster's office and the gymnasium were," says Jan Bartoš, the head of the Elpida Centre.
As the material grew more and more, the idea of a series of at least three exhibitions called Archaeology of a Vanished Systemwas born , which will map the context of the site, the history of the old school building and its hidden stories hidden in the memory of today's seniors.
In the second exhibition of this series, entitled Through the Eyes of Those Concerned, curated by artist Eva Jiřička, Elpida offers a subjective reconstruction of the place and time through the memories and old photographs of those who attended the school as children. Questions posed by Eva Jiřička and the exhibition's producer Kateřina Zadáková were answered not only by seniors but also by current pupils of Drtinova Primary School. This created an interesting intergenerational mix that connects several time levels.
We invite you to a journey into the school everyday life of Smíchov and the opening of the exhibition, which will take place on 22 February at 16:00 at Na Bělidle 34. The exhibition will be on display together with the first exhibition of this series until the end of April.
Download photos here.
The first exhibition of the mini-series is entitled Through the Historian's Eyes (November 2022 to January 2023). The author is the historian Pavel Fabini, who has brought out from the archives the historical context of the founding of the oldest school in Smíchov, the development of educational methods and the names of important directors and figures of the education system of the time. There was also an overview of the changes of the Na Bělidle building from its foundation to the present day.
Media contact
Iveta Čížová ~ PR ~ iveta.cizova@elpida.cz ~ +420 773 480 505
Elpida means hope in Greek. But it is also the name of an organization that helps seniors remain a confident and respected part of society. In the spirit of the motto Old's Cool, Elpida is changing the way people look at old age - it runs the ElpidaEducational and Cultural Centre for seniors from all over Prague and the SeniorCrisis Line, it founded the brand Socks from Grandma and publishes the magazine VITAL. In short, she strives for Czech seniors to lead a fulfilled life.