Jiri „George“ Sulženko is an experienced arts manager and creative producer. From 2013 to 2015 worked as a programme director of Pilsen – European Capital of Culture 2015, cooperating with more than 200 partners on local and international level. He also cooperated on the candidacy of Timisoara and Belfast for the ECoC title.
Jiri is a programme director of BLIK BLIK festival of light, that opened in 2015 in Pilsen and along with creative centre DEPO2015 is one of the most visible legacy projects of the European Capital of Culture in Pilsen.
Jiri is a creative producer behind interactive and educational exhibitions focused on children. He developed concepts for exhibitions on Czech history, baroque, digital playground or recycling plastic.
From 2007 to 2012 Jiri was a member of a team running a local cultural centre in the suburbs of Prague, getting a broad experience with a local cultural development and audience participation. He was a co-founder of a festival of art in public space called Street For Art, that run from 2009 to 2015.
He teaches at the theatre management department of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
After five exciting years with the ECoC and the creative centre DEPO2015 in Pilsen, he moved back to Prague to his family and a job as curator of Prague riverbanks, taking care of the programme and quality of life in one of the most exciting public spaces of the Czech capital. Novadays performs as a Director of Culture and Tourism Department of Prague City.
“I strongly believe, that culture is crucial in rediscovering local narratives and engaging people in dialogue. I like to work on projects promoting culture as an everyday need and must that should not be closed in institutions. I seek concepts, that build audience participation and co-creation.”