The Slovak Artistic Community Unites Behind the Slovak Heart Initiative

At today’s press briefing in Bratislava’s Pink Whale club, Michal Kaščák, Braňo Jobus and Michael Kocáb introduced the Slovak Heart initiative. It is an open call to artists, cultural spaces, and other supporting organisations to use various events to promote the vision of Slovakia that embraces the values of humanity. This initiative will take the shape of a nationwide festival running from 1 June to 29 August 2025.

21. May 2025

The idea for the Slovak Heart Festival was born during the recent tour of Bez ladu a skladu, Karpatské chrbáty, and Michael Kocáb in Ukraine at a time when the Slovak Prime Minister was visiting Moscow. It builds on two previous successful projects, Slovenská krčma and Slovenská Tepláreň. The initiators believe that the current situation demands an active response from the artistic and civic community, so that Slovakia remains part of the free world—a world in which human life is the highest value. Slovak Heart was launched by Pohoda Festival, and on the first day alone, over one hundred entities joined, including 6 festivals, 48 cultural venues, and the platform Otvorená Kultúra!. The Slovak Heart call remains open from today onwards to anyone who wishes to take part in any form.

You can read the full text of the call and sign up at www.slovenskesrdce.eu.

Braňo Jobus and Michal Kaščák announced the creation of the Slovak Heart Initiative. Michael Kocáb joined via telebridge

TEXT OF THE SLOVAK HEART CALL:

We believe that the majority of people in Slovakia value human life. The symbolic handshake between our country’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, and the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, is seen by us as a betrayal of the fundamental human values on which our civilisation is built—a betrayal of our country, of the European Union, and of the free world as a whole.

It is up to us to show that Slovakia is not the same as Robert Fico, that we do not want to belong to the so-called “rogue states” where war is labelled peace, where there is contempt for other nations, and where human life is weighed against the price of raw materials.

We want to reassure our fellow citizens in the European Union that we value the ideals on which this community is founded. We appreciate our membership in the family of democratic European nations and want to be its reliable and trustworthy partner.

We also want to express our respect for the people of Ukraine and their brave struggle for freedom and humanity, which we see as a contribution to the whole free world. We want to support Ukraine in every way we can, each of us according to our means. We want to be good neighbours, especially in these difficult times Ukraine is going through.

Slovakia stands at a crossroads. We will do everything we can to ensure our country remains on the right side of history, on the right side of humanity.

We want to show that the people of Slovakia have their hearts in the right place.

That is why we are organising the Slovak Heart Festival.

SIGNATORIES – ARTISTIC PROJECTS:

52 Hertz / Adalbert / Astris Lapsus / Bad Karma Boy / Besna / Bez Ladu a Skladu / Branislav Jobus / Bufet / Cup of Tea / Divadlo Š.E.M. / DJ Styller / DJ WYCHITAWACS / Dominik Prok / Evolet / Fire Your Boss / Folk&Bass Orchestra / Future Sound of Petržalka / Hlukar / Hmota / Charms Kids / Chris Ellys / Ján Hurtík / Jozef Lupták / Karpatské chrbáty / Katarína Zagorski / Kiero Grande / Kolektivni halucinace / Kvaskova / Longital / Malverde / Matej Smutný / Modré Hory / Muzička / Neon Manchester / Ničiteľ / Ondrey Zintaer / Rasťo Kotal / Róbert Fapšo / SBA / SCHMRNTZ / SILA / SpeechLess / Straky a nálezy / The Shaldos / The Wilderness / Toddler Punk / TrsniSi DJ / Uhol dopadu / Veľká Potreba / Veneer / Vivid Hues / Vydrapená bužírka punk system / Vyššie sféry / Ychabods / Zabiť Františka / Suzanne Verschueren / KTOVIE / Koscik Photos / Paskalia / The Ills / Ľubomír Hubčík

SIGNATORIES – FESTIVALS / EVENTS:

Atmosféra / Fraj festival / Hviezdne noci festival / Pohoda festival / Slanícky ostrov divadla / Vrbovské vetry / Labyrint Fest

SIGNATORIES – VENUES:

10bar, Trnava / Art Cafe, Banská Štiavnica / Artforum Košice / Artforum Pezinok / Boudelaire bar, Bratislava / Bukowski bar , Bratislava / Bukowski bar 2.0, Bratislava / Cafe bar Radnica, Pezinok / Citadela, Rimavská Sobota / Cooltajner kultúrne centrum, Považská Bystrica / Cyklokuchyňa, Bratislava / Diera do sveta, Liptovský Mikuláš / Fabrika umenia, Partizánske / Fork Season Vegan Bistro, Trenčín / Hájovňa KTC , Banská Belá / Haliganda, Liptovský Hrádok / Hogo Fogo Jazz & Art Club, Banská Bystrica / House of Elizabeth, Košice / InkluCity, Bratislava / Katies Club, Košice / KC Kláštor, Rožňava / KC Priestor, Sereď / KC Wave, Prešov / Kino Úsmev, Košice / Klub za oponou, Modra / Mosquito coctail & music bar, Galanta / Nástupište 1-12, Topoľčany / Nová synagóga, Žilina / OZ Presahy, Modra / Pink Whale, Bratislava / Pivnica pri studni, Detva / Prügerka, Bratislava / Stanica, Žilina / Vinohlad Tatranská Lomnica / Wafle City, Bratislava / Značkový sekáč, Bratislava / Chyža CNK, Spišská Nová Ves / Rudavsky's Magic Garden, Bratislava / Chata Žiar, Rajecká Lesná

SIGNATORIES – SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS:

Bombing.eu / Bystriny OZ / HOUSEMUSICsk / Hudba.sk / Otvorená Kultúra! / Mier Ukrajine / OZ Presahy / HendiKup / Albatros Media Slovakia / Real Something

For an updated list of all signatories and participating entities, please follow this link.