Magdalena decided to support Czech art schools as a unique concept of arts education by establishing an endowment fund bearing her name at the beginning of 2016. "Primary art schools are the roots of our culture, our love for art. On a global scale, they are a completely unique educational system that needs to be cherished, developed and supported," says Magdalena.
There are 507 primary art schools in the Czech Republic, where 248,000 pupils study. They currently offer four basic courses – music, dance, fine arts and literature and drama. The mission of the Magdalena Kožená Endowment Fund is to support the building of the position of primary art schools as a prestigious and unique system of modern art education. The Fund systematically extends its activities to support children and young people whose lives are affected by health handicaps or social disadvantages. This support takes the form of tuition fees, hiring or paying for musical instruments, materials or support for further artistic education. This fund's projects were also the subject of a gala Benefit Concert of Magdalena Kožená and primary art schools on 28 May at St. Nicholas Church in Prague, which was broadcast live on Czech Television and streamed worldwide. (The attached photo taken during the concert shows Magdalena together with the symphony orchestra composed of pupils of primary art schools, violinist Josef Špaček and conductor Jan Kučera.)
The most visible event of the fund is the ZUŠ Open festival (Art Schools Open Festival), which this year offered over 600 concerts, performances and events prepared by young artists from primary art schools. Over the course of eight years, the festival has developed into a fortnight-long nationwide professional showcase with a number of accompanying programmes, which regularly involves prominent artists, cultural institutions and other festivals. The aim of the annual festival is not only to present the work of individual schools, but also to draw attention to the irreplaceable role of arts education and to contribute to the development of its quality. The ZUŠ Open programme is free of charge for the general public throughout the Czech Republic. More information is available at www.zusopen.cz.
David Mareček, General Director of the Czech Philharmonic, is also a member of the Fund's Board of Directors and a co-patron of ZUŠ Open Festival.
