Balbineum

Jičín

The Balbineum association came up with the idea of setting up the Balbineum educational center at the Jesuit college of Jičín. The baroque structure had been neglected for a long time and underwent significant renovation efforts which started in 2016 at the association’s behest. Gradually, other projects in the Jičín area started collaborating, creating a public art gallery which focuses on children’s art, as well as the SOL gallery of contemporary art. The objective is to create a community-oriented cultural center which would organize creative workshops, theater performances and residencies for art school graduates. Publication activities are also in the works. The Balbineum’s activities are supposed to connect art with crafts and ecology. The organization’s main initiator was Robert Smolík, scenographer, puppeteer, sculptor and artist. He has been active in Jičín’s cultural life since the 1990s, focusing on the conservation of landmarks, mostly of the Valdštejnská loggia of the Jesuit College. He is Assistant Professor at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theater of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. He comes from Jičín, where he currently works and lives with his family.