Portál Pražana
Prague City Gallery as a welcome space for foreign visitors
Foreign visitors are a very important target group for Prague City Gallery. What can the Gallery offer them? Foreign visitors include individual tourists as well as group tours, school tours and students from abroad, and also guests that the gallery invites when cooperating with foreign institutions and on international projects. The main points of interest for foreign visitors are the architectural and historic Gallery buildings in the heart of the capital and the fascinating exhibitions. However, it is not only Prague City Gallery's exhibitions that make it the most accommodating institution, but also its educational work, and the smooth-running of the gallery.
Language services
Bilingual services in Czech and English are standard for Prague City Gallery, and many texts are available in multiple languages, including exhibition labels, accompanying materials in exhibitions, promotional materials, orientation system, press releases, website, exhibition catalogues in the reading room and printed brochures. Communication with visitors from abroad and their involvement in educational, creative and artistic activities is equally important. The gallery employs speakers of English, German and French who can communicate in their respective languages. Some foreign language groups order tours in Czech and they have their own interpreters from Czech to other languages - such as Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Ukrainian, or Russian.
Workshops and other events
Workshops and artistic activities are the most effective formats for communicating with foreigners, as they can easily get involved with hands-on projects. Art is a universal language and with an inspiring demonstration, visitors can join in with their own work. Foreign-language speakers can spontaneously engage in these events with ease. Verbal communication is not strictly necessary, but is replaced by gallery animations and interpretation of the art.
Small children, students and schools
The gallery is now visited more frequently by school groups and classes, with some children who are only learning Czech, such as the children of foreign diplomats and entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic. Fine art is a great way for these children to actively participate in teams and communicate with each other. Foreign schools, which include a visit to the Gallery in their trip to Prague, make up another significant group of visitors.
Interesting foreign guests
Many interesting guests showed great fascination in the tour of the Slovanská epopej (The Slav Epic). This cycle of 20 large canvases by Alfons Mucha attracted high-profile visitors including the staff of The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture. Private tours for foreign visitors are also frequent, such as the Korean Ambassador’s visit to Trojský zámek (Troja Palace) with his family. Tours of Dům U Kamenného zvonu are organised for guests of various international medical and pharmaceutical congresses.
Continuous education of the staff
Many thanks to the curators and the instructors of the Prague City Gallery, who continuously attend various conferences and seminars about work with foreign audiences as they make an effort to expand their knowledge of the subject.