Brno’s Cultural Strategy 2026–2035: Accessibility, Participation and Belonging

How Brno plans to make cultural life more accessible to people with different needs and different linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Taking part in a city’s cultural life begins long before someone walks through the doors of a theater, gallery, library, or community center. The first step is often much simpler: finding out what is happening, who an event is for, and whether its program and venue meet a person’s needs.

For international residents, the language in which information is available can make a real difference. Parents want to know whether they can bring their children. People with limited mobility need to know whether a venue is accessible. And those who are still unfamiliar with Brno’s cultural scene may simply wonder whether a particular event is meant for them.

These practical questions are reflected in Brno’s new cultural policy.

In 2026, the city adopted the Culture and Creative Industries Strategy 2026–2035 and its First Action Plan for 2026–2027. The Strategy sets the long-term direction, while the Action Plan outlines the first steps for the coming years. Key themes include access to culture, public participation, and social cohesion — areas that directly affect everyday life in the city.

Accessibility begins with information

Accessibility is one of the Strategy’s core values.

Culture and creativity should be open to people regardless of age, health limitations, financial situation, nationality, migration status, language skills, education, or access to digital technologies. The document also pays particular attention to young people, parents with children, and seniors.

Barriers can take many forms. Some venues lack accessible entrances, while elsewhere essential information may not be available in a language visitors understand. Registration requirements or the focus of a program may also be unclear.

Before attending an event, people need to be able to find a few basic details easily: what to expect, what language the program will be in, whether advance registration is required, whether the venue is accessible, and who the event is intended for.

Clear communication can make it much easier to navigate Brno’s cultural life.

Cultural information in more languages

The Strategy responds to Brno’s growing linguistic diversity and emphasizes the need to make cultural information available in more languages. It also calls for information to be clearer and easier to access for different groups of residents.

The Culture Brno (Kultura Brno) and Creative Brno (Kreativní Brno) platforms are expected to contribute to this effort. They are intended to provide practical information for artists, organizations, and creative professionals while connecting cultural information more closely with the city’s broader communication channels.

The aim is to make it easier to understand what Brno’s cultural and creative scene offers and where to find the information people need.

For international audiences, translating the title of an event is only the starting point. People also need to know what will happen, what language will be used, how they can participate, and what they should know in advance.

“Culture for Everyone”

Accessibility takes a more concrete form in Activity 15 of the Action Plan, called Culture for Everyone.

Its purpose is to identify what makes participation in cultural life more difficult for different groups and to find ways to gradually remove those barriers. The activity focuses, among others, on international residents and minorities, young people and seniors, people with disabilities, and those facing social or health-related disadvantages.

One barrier may simply be that people who are still finding their way in a Czech-speaking environment do not have the information they need in a language they understand.

For 2026–2027, planned steps include:

• identifying barriers within city cultural organizations and gradually removing them;

• adding accessibility details to the City of Brno’s interactive Where to Go for Culture map;

• publishing selected content in other languages and working with organizations that support international residents and other groups;

• researching how expats and ethnic minorities experience access to Brno’s cultural scene.

These steps are intended to turn long-term goals into practice.

Public participation and dialogue

The Strategy also calls for active public participation. Its preparation included consultations, thematic meetings, public discussions, and sessions of the Brno Cultural Forum. Draft versions of the documents were also published for public comment.

The Brno Cultural Forum is expected to continue as a place where city representatives, cultural organizations, creative professionals, and the public can meet. It should also provide an open space for residents to ask questions and share their ideas.

People who experience barriers firsthand can point out problems that are easy to miss in statistics or planning. Their perspective can help show whether communication is clear, cultural spaces feel welcoming, and the city’s cultural offerings reflects the diversity of the people who live in Brno.

Culture across the city

Distance matters too: how far people have to travel for cultural activities and what opportunities are available close to home.

Brno’s municipal districts differ in their infrastructure and community needs. The Strategy notes that some areas lack suitable cultural and community spaces. Library branches often help fill this gap by serving a broader community role.

The city therefore plans to strengthen local cultural and community infrastructure and improve conditions for organizing events outside the city center.

The City of Brno’s interactive Where to Go for Culture map helps people find spaces suitable for cultural and creative use. The Plug and Play project is designed to make it easier for organizers to stage cultural events in public spaces and gradually expand these opportunities to other municipal districts.

A more diverse cultural offer within individual districts can make it easier for residents to participate while also strengthening neighborhood ties and local community life.

From strategy to everyday life

The Culture and Creative Industries Strategy 2026–2035 sets the direction for the next decade. The First Action Plan for 2026–2027 shows what is expected to begin changing in the near future.

Together, the two documents show that participation in cultural life depends on many practical factors — from language and clear communication to physical accessibility, local infrastructure, and opportunities to get involved.

Ultimately, the impact will be seen in practice: whether people can navigate the cultural offer more easily, whether accessibility information is easy to find, whether more people are able to participate, and whether cultural life continues to develop across Brno.

The coming years will show how these plans shape everyday cultural life in the city.

Sources

This article is based on two official documents published by the Statutory City of Brno:

Culture and Creative Industries Strategy 2026–2035

Action Plan No. 1: Culture and Creative Industries Strategy 2026–2027