Warehouse chic: Scene of the entrance to DEPO2015

IMAGE: DEPO2015.cz

Re-purposing an old transport depot, DEPO2015 provides a space for professionals, such as graphic designers, entrepreneurs to exercise and share their talents and wisdom for the greater social good. Start-up companies are provided with business incubator facilities and have the opportunity to be mentored by established cultural and creative professionals. They can either utilise shared working space or rent and office or a studio at very reasonable rates.

 

 

The premises

 

The DEPO2015 premises consist of two halls providing both large and small spaces suitable for a wide variety of activities. The first building, known as the Bus Hall, covers an area of 760m2 and primarily consists of an empty concert hall, coworking spaces, an open workshop and smaller offices and studios to rent. The second building is called the "Glasshouse" and houses a Forging Hall, a Woodworking Hall, a Plumbery, and the Greenhouse. No, not the type you grow your vegetables in, but rather a spacious hall ideal for holding exhibitions and events such as product launches. It also houses a large conference hall, which is suitable for live art, theatre and music events. Right now, there is a smaller exhibition called “TRIK – a Digital Playground for Curious Children” which is geared more towards children and family visitors. There is also a Courtyard and a Coffee shop located in the DEPO2015 premises.

 

You can find out more by visiting: www.depo2015.cz/en/

 

 

The Centre for Creative Enterprise

 

The Centre for Creative Enterprise is the place where business ideas can manifest into fully fledged businesses. Participants undergo an intense incubation programme which helps to hone their skills in business and helps them to connect to Pilsen companies from a wide variety of sectors, such as engineering, science and research. The idea is to get more businesses set up in Pilsen and to contribute to the growth of the local economy.

 

Its Makerspace creative workshop gives start-ups and creative individuals access to resources such as 3D printers and CNC cutters which they might not otherwise have the financial capacity to purchase on their own. Using the framework of support from well-established companies, the Centre for Creative Enterprise is set to propel budding young creatives into new heights of prosperity. As the Creative Industries Manager of the Pilsen 2015 team, Michaela Mixová, put it, "This year in June [2015], we hosted the first Design Thinking Festival in the Czech Republic. We offered participants inspirational lectures and stories of companies from the Czech Republic and abroad which gained a competitive advantage thanks to their interconnection with creative individuals, and thereby succeeded."

 

 

Opening Pilsen up to the European community

 

DEPO2015 not only supports the local community through nurturing talent and but it also seeks to create recognition with other European countries in a manner which benefits everybody. For example, the artist residency programme OPEN A.i.R. (Artists-in-Residence) opens up the Pilsen cultural scene to other European programmes such as Košice 2013 (Slovakia), Wroclaw 2016 (Poland), Kunstverein GRAZ e.V, Regensburg, Kulturforum Potsdam (Germany), Motel Spatie, Arnhern (Netherlands), Pécs, (Hungary), CEAAC, Strasbourg (France) to name but a few. Then there is the much celebrated European Neighbours' Day, now in its second year, which has helped to bring neighbouring countries together and helping to promote a wider European community cohesion.

 

We recommend that you keep your eyes on DEPO2015 as it continues to inspire the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs. 2015 and Pilsen's European Capital of Culture might well be over, but it looks like the real social and cultural impact of the city is only just beginning...