SUMMARY OF THE MINUTES OF THE 22ND MEETING OF THE DAMU ACADEMIC SENATE

13 April 2026 

This document is an English-language summary of the official minutes of the 22nd meeting of the Academic Senate of the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). It is intended to provide international students and staff with an overview of the main topics discussed and decisions taken during the meeting. It is not a full translation of the minutes. 
 

Attendance 

Senators present: 

• Jiří Adámek 

• Anastázie Dobrodinská 

• Doubravka Dostálová 

• Cyril Janeček 

• Marta Ljubková (joined online at 18:10) 

• Hana Malaníková (joined online at 18:08) 

• David Mírek 

• Tomáš Pavelka (left at 19:27) 

• Karolina Plicková (Chair of the Senate) 

Excused: 

• Eliška Drbohlavová 

• Lucie Nebeská Trmíková 

• Filip Novák 

• Kateřina Štefková 

Guests: 

• Daniela Jobertová (Dean) 

• Adam Homolka (Faculty Secretary) 
   

Main agenda items 

1. Support for the student initiative “We Stand for Culture!”

The Senate received an update on the activities of the student initiative We Stand for Culture!. One month after the demonstration organised by DAMU students, which was attended by approximately 2,000 people, a petition calling for the resignation or dismissal of the Czech Minister of Culture, Oto Klempíř, had gathered more than 16,000 signatures and was being prepared for submission to the Petition Committee of the Czech Parliament. 

The Senate also reviewed actions previously taken by DAMU bodies in support of the initiative and in response to recent actions of the Ministry of Culture: 

• On 2 March 2026, the DAMU Academic Senate adopted a resolution expressing concern about actions of the Ministry of Culture that threaten the system of public cultural funding and contradict the Czech Government’s Policy Statement. 

• On 8 March 2026, the Senate issued a public statement supporting the student-organised demonstration We Stand for Culture!. 

• On 10 March 2026, the Dean and Vice-Deans of DAMU issued their own statement supporting the initiative. 

• On 11 March 2026, the demonstration took place in Prague. 

• On 9 April 2026, the Dean’s Collegium joined a public statement issued by Czech theatre associations. 

• The Senate also noted broader reactions within the cultural sector, including the open letter We Are All SVĚTOVA concerning threats to the cultural grant system. 

Resolution adopted by the Senate 

The DAMU Academic Senate expressed its continued support for the student initiative We Stand for Culture!, which organised the demonstration on 11 March 2026 against planned cuts to the 2026 cultural budget and against what the Senate described as the demagogic rhetoric of the current leadership of the Ministry of Culture. 

The Senate stated that it considers it unacceptable that the Minister of Culture has attempted to undermine the legitimacy of grant committee members and interfere with their work. The Senate further expressed concern over statements made by the Minister that, in its view, attack the rights of minorities and are incompatible with the role of a public official in a democratic society. 

The Senate affirmed its belief that the Minister of Culture should foster an environment that respects expertise, encourages mutual empathy, avoids deepening social divisions, and upholds democratic principles. It also stressed the importance of preserving a transparent, fair, and professionally administered system of cultural funding and called on the academic community to follow developments in the cultural sector and actively participate in public debate. 

The resolution was adopted unanimously. 

2. Preparations for the 2027 DAMU Academic Senate Elections

The Senate discussed possible amendments to the DAMU Academic Senate Election Rules and a new election model intended to ensure broader representation of all departments. 

Among the proposals discussed were: 

• introducing departmental constituencies to guarantee representation of every department in the Senate, 

• reviewing the size and composition of the Senate, 

• clarifying the representation of doctoral students, 

• establishing clearer rules for replacing senators who leave during their term, 

• improving voter information and election procedures, 

• addressing the participation of international students and language accessibility. 

The Senate will continue discussions and aims to prepare draft amendments to the Election Rules, Senate Rules of Procedure, and the DAMU Statute for consideration in autumn 2026. 

3. Upcoming Senate Agenda and Reform of the Ombudsperson System

The Dean informed the Senate that the following matters will require approval in the coming months: 

• the DAMU budget, 

• the annual report, 

• admission procedure regulations, 

• a new disciplinary code required under new AMU regulations. 

The Dean also informed the Senate about ongoing discussions at AMU regarding a reform of the ombudsperson system. 

AMU is considering replacing the current faculty-based model with a university-wide ombudsperson platform serving all faculties. A model involving several ombudspersons working together is also being discussed. 

The proposed change is motivated by concerns about independence. Under the current system, faculty ombudspersons are employed within the dean’s organisational structure. Since the Dean is responsible for both employment-related and student-related matters, and the ombudsperson may receive complaints concerning both areas, it was considered problematic for the ombudsperson to operate as a subordinate employee within the same structure. 

For this reason, participants in the Rector’s Collegium agreed that the ombudsperson function should no longer be attached to individual faculties but should instead operate independently under the Rectorate. 

The current ombudspersons, Petr Polák (DAMU) and Pavlína Junová (FAMU), will complete their terms in 2027 and support the proposed reform. The exact structure and operating model of the future platform are still under discussion. The Dean informed the Senate about these developments at the request of the Rector, who encouraged discussion of the proposal at faculty level. 

4. Campus Infrastructure and Summer Construction Works

The Secretary provided updates on several infrastructure projects planned for the coming months. 

Current plans include: 

• revitalisation of rooftop and garden areas at DAMU, 

• installation of new security infrastructure, including camera systems and panic buttons, 

• renovation of the upper section of the DISK Theatre building, 

• refurbishment of the central atrium area inside the DAMU building. 
   

Because these works may affect the availability of teaching, rehearsal and study spaces during the summer, students and staff who need access to suitable facilities are encouraged to contact the Faculty Secretary directly: 

Mgr. BcA. Adam Homolka 
Faculty Secretary 
E-mail: adam.homolka@damu.cz 

Alternative spaces may be arranged, including facilities in the Na Tržišti building. 

Next meeting: 20 May 2026, 4:00 PM. 

Translation: AI (Anastázie Dobrodinská)