On Monday 19 May 2025 in the creative hub HERE in České Budějovice held another community meeting within the series Brunch KKO - this time on the topic volunteering in the cultural and creative sector.
The meeting was hosted by Creative Institute as a platform for connecting cultural and creative managers from all over the South Bohemia region. The morning discussion focused not only on practical aspects of volunteeringbut even at that, how to care for volunteers, how to treat them and how to see them as a full part of the team.
🧭 Main points of discussion:
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Legislation and safe frameworks -
Jiří Gabriel Kalima z Regional Volunteer Centre of the South Bohemian Region (RDC JčK) introduced the structure and frameworks of volunteering:-
volunteer recruitment and selection,
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records, training, supervision,
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insurance, contractual relations (sending vs. receiving organisations),
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accreditation and grant opportunities.
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Experience from practice -
We discussed how volunteers get involved in small cultural organisations, how to give them a meaningful role and what prevents them from getting involved in the longer term. -
Motivation and relationships -
The emphasis was on the fact that volunteering is not just "free help" but a form of commitment, personal involvement and co-creation. It was said that if the volunteer feels part of the team, feedback and long-term relationships come. -
Caring for volunteers -
Coordinators and organisations shared their experiences of the need for regular communication, thank you, supervision and human support. It turns out that in the cultural sphere there is often a lack of systematic care for relationships - not only with volunteers, but in teams in general.
🤝 Linking and next steps
Participants were invited to breakfast of volunteer coordinators organized by RDC JčKwhich offers the opportunity to network, exchange experiences and prepare together for bigger opportunities - for example European Capital of Culture 2028whose representatives were present at the brunch.
Special attention was also paid to cooperation with student initiatives in the field of culture - as an opportunity to create new links between young people and institutions.
✨ In conclusion
We thank all participants for their openness, sharing and willingness to find ways to to see volunteering in culture again as a relational and systemic value.
It turns out that obstacles are not obstacles foreverif we give ourselves the time, space and openness to overcome them - together.
"Volunteering is a bridge. Between people, between institutions, between generations."
- Jiří Gabriel Kalima, RDC South Bohemia
Thanks to Jakub Mace and Jakub Hardt for taking the photos.
