Recovering Everyday Life in the Era of Multiple Crises: Artists, Communities and Institutions in Prague 2025

In recent years, disruptive events such as the global health crisis have profoundly affected individuals and communities throughout Czech society. Many people now face the challenge of integrating these disruptions into their lives while dealing with various gradual disturbances. Factors such as prolonged economic insecurity, rising debt, and environmental changes equally impact established certainties in life. This research focuses on the lived experiences of individuals involved in Prague's cultural and creative sectors. While artists, activists, students, teachers, and others navigate their lives amid multiple crises, many are subjected to institutional-political discourses that advocate a way of existing in the world based on attributes like sacrifice, self-discipline, relentless productivity, and endurance. Rather than yielding to these dominant discourses, some individuals from the cultural and creative sectors adopt a contrasting approach. These artists seek alternative moments and spaces to highlight systemic violations and assert their worldview. In Prague’s vibrant cultural environment, the efforts of artists to live their lives amidst multiple crises manifest through unique local artistic forms.