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In the Czech Republic there has been a growing interest in education in nature [výchova v přírodě] in connection with accreditation as a field of study. Outdoor experiential educator Jan Neuman, who died in April 2021, was instrumental in the development and formalisation of Czech education in nature programmes over the past 50 years. The aim of this review is to highlight the culturally unique, holistic and multi-disciplinary approaches of the concept of education in nature within the Czech environment, comparing this term with outdoor education internationally. Such cross-referencing of different cultural and indigenous variants aims to enhance outdoor physical activity opportunities in natural environments. We define education in nature in the Czech Republic and highlight the historical development of education in nature, with a focus on turistika activities, summer camps [tábory], and holistic dramaturgy approaches that elaborate on the cultural heritage and unique Czech approach to education in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses Czech puppet theatre dramaturgy in its historical development from the late eighteenth to the present. Apart from the historical overview, it also analyses recent trends in Czech puppet theatre - an aspect that has not yet been concisely addressed. It also points out opportunities that puppet theatre could explore in future productions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an auto-ethnography or narrative of self related to the development of international experiential education programmes in nature developed by Vacation School Lipnice (VSL) in the Czech Republic. The paper provides the cultural background that influences the course design and provides examples, through participant observation, of the international development of VSL's Intertouch courses over the past decade (1997-2007). VSL is a non-profit, non-governmental organization of about 100 active members-volunteers coming from all over the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other countries. Since 1991 VSL has been a member of Outward Bound International, a global experiential education organization. The aim of the VSL courses is to provide ways for further development of the capacities of body and mind using the 'dramaturgy' approach to course design, which brings together the distinct elements of art, music, drama and adventure. Courses consist of body-and-mind challenging activities, creative art workshops, discussions and contemplations. Dramaturgy goes beyond traditional interpretations of adventure training, allowing for the integration and balance of physical, social, creative and reflective/emotional 'waves' that can change according to the needs of the group. The concepts presented aim to provide examples for creative programming practice and applications to develop more holistic outdoor and experiential courses for youth and adults globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1941, the Czech garrison town of Terezín (or, in German, Theresienstadt) was selected by the Nazis to serve as a ghetto and transport camp. But Theresienstadt is perhaps most well known as the stage upon which the Nazis enacted a massive charade. Imagined as a 'model ghetto' since the Wannsee Conference of January 1942, Theresienstadt was eventually 'beautified' in preparation for a June 1944 visit by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Danish government, as well as to serve as the set for a documentary about life in the camp, filmed that same year. In this paper, I draw upon Erving Goffman's (1993/1959) dramaturgy and Pierre Bourdieu's (1990a, 1990b) practice theory to identify various mechanisms of misrepresentation that made possible the adoption of a 'normalizing performativity' within Theresienstadt's carceral space. This theoretical approach serves two purposes. First, it is used to describe the technical details of how the Nazi regime attempted to foster and manage a false impression of Theresienstadt. Second, the performativity of Theresienstadt is argued to offer a compelling frame for understanding contemporary biopolitical life, and therefore is presented as a competing metaphor of 'camp', which Agamben (2000: 44.5) describes as the 'new biopolitical nomos of the planet'. In particular, it is suggested that Agamben's figure of the homo sacer reduced to bare life fails to capture the persistence of human agency and performativity (homo dramaticus) in even the most regimented and brutal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]