In the former prison in Brno, artists may find a base

Brno - Part of the former prison near the center of Brno may become a refuge for artists. A plan for the redevelopment of the rear section of the penal institution, which adjoins Soudní and Bratislavské streets, into a creative center, a kind of creative incubator with studios for artists, is being developed at the Brno city hall. Such a facility is lacking in the city. "For now, it's just an idea that is well received, and we are looking for ways to implement it," said Deputy Mayor Daniel Rychnovský (KDU-ČSL) to ČTK.
     Experts are watching the plan with interest. It would be a very activating moment for the artistic life in the city, said the director of the House of Art of the City of Brno, Rostislav Koryčánek, to reporters today. However, he fears that the project will still encounter many obstacles.
    "We want to prevent the outflow of talented people from Brno, to help develop their creative potential, and at the same time assist in the revitalization of a deprived part of the city," said city hall spokesman Pavel Žára. The extensive former prison building stands in a problematic district of Brno with a high proportion of socially weak individuals. The creative center is one of the options for revitalizing the area, said Rychnovský. In the part of the prison adjacent to Cejl street, there is already accommodation. The part of the building designated for the creative center belongs to the city.
    The center would provide support for graduates of art universities and secondary schools, for example, in the fields of design, arts and crafts, and architecture, as well as for starting entrepreneurs in so-called creative industries. The project also includes studios for fine arts, such as photography, painting, sculpture, music, and dance. A theater hall, a cinema, exhibition spaces, and eventually a café may also become part of the creative center.
    The part of the building that the city is considering is still in the state it was left in by the police after the fall of communism, said Rychnovský. No one has yet estimated the costs of renovation. The city wants to partially finance possible repairs from European sources.
    The foundation stone of the prison on Cejl was laid by builders in the 70s of the 18th century. The monumental building with a courtyard also housed a court and a chapel. It began to be fully used for prison purposes in 1854. There were 343 cells in the building, recalls a research paper on imprisonment that was recently created at Masaryk University.
    Political prisoners, including anti-communists, also suffered in the prison in the past. During World War I, poet Petr Bezruč allegedly spent some time there.