The Czech government has just extended the state of emergency to April 30. The good news is that our stringent restrictions and our mandatory mask policy seem to be working. Our infection rate is slowing, our healthcare system is coping well, and our fatality rate is low. This is the most important thing, and it's great to see that the government is going such a good job on it.
On the other hand, the Czech government has yet to bring in any time of financial assistance for small businesses, the self-employed or any of the independent cultural spaces that you been shut down. As the government hasn’t stepped in, the cultural sector is doing it themselves, and have a created NIC2020, Festival of Nothing. You can buy tickets for exhibitions, concerts, shows, tourists, films, tours that won’t take place. The idea is to ask the public to support these venues so that they will be able to survive the shutdown and come back to life on the other side. Otherwise, there is a real danger that they will be wiped away by the pandemic, and Prague will be a poorer place for it.
It’s also given us the idea of a Tour of Nowhere. The state of emergency and the prolonged border closure poses an existential threat to our small company. Therefore, we’re selling tickets for a tour that won’t take place at 11am on 1 May. The funds raised will be used to provide a basic income for our guides during the crisis. We will also send a Postcard from Nowhere, with a handwritten thank you note, to anyone who buys a ticket.
I would urge to you consider buying a ticket for a Festival of Nothing and/or a ticket for a Tour of Nowhere. I know that it isn't possible to travel at the moment, but the support of armchair travelers now will make all of the difference in the survival of the cultural life of this city.