Festival of Nothing 2020: the non-existent art shows helping the Czech culture scene in quarantine

Prague has announced a “festival of nothing” to help independent art workers, as clubs, theatres, and galleries, shut their doors amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

NIC2020 (or Nothing 2020) will let art lovers buy tickets to non-existent events at venues across the country, with proceeds set to pay the wages of artists, sound engineers, stagehands and other workers across the arts sector. Prices range from 5,000 Czech krona (or £162) for VIP seats to 20 krona (or 65 pence) for balcony seats.

Dozens of cultural institutions are taking part in the initiative on 1 May, including Futurum Music Bar, Cross Club, Jatka78, KinoDlabačov, as well as bigger venues like Divadlo Archa, Lucerna Music Bar, Kasarna Karlin, and the contemporary art centre MeetFactory — many of which often host international artists.

The mastermind behind the idea, Prague’s Councillor for Culture Hana Třeštíková, joined forces with the ticket portal GoOut, to create an inventive nationwide crowdfund to support artistic venues.

“Artists across the Czech Republic are struggling with the coronavirus crisis,” Třeštíková said in a press statement last week. “Many of them are actively helping their communities, although their own income has basically fallen to zero day by day: theaters are closed, concerts are not held, galleries are not allowed, and online survival alone is not guaranteed.”

Grab your tickets here.