HIDEPARK
Hidepark (operated by civic association TRIPTYCH) is one of the most important grassroots initiatives in Nitra which has grown over time into the largest semi-formalised community and independent cultural centre in Nitra. Originating in 2010, it was built on a volunteer basis. A group of young people revitalised the site of a former illegal landfill and it continuously grew into a fully-fledged community and cultural centre based on the principles of co-creation and co-management. The place is currently used by more than 10 organisations and groups: various non-governmental organisations, non-profit organisations, civic associations, foundations, interest groups active in various fields of culture and art, sport, ecology, education, etc. Hidepark organises and provides space for concerts, theatre plays, literary nights, experimental multi-genre performances, stand up projects, international projects, public debates, but also lectures and workshops focused on ecology, a zero-waste way of life, cultivation of crops on permaculture principles, alternative education, or cycling.
The site offers a space for other volunteers in the city; it provides a space for local alternative theatre, when they do not have access to rented facilities. The community organised within Hidepark helped in building the cycle track and it organised the collection of clothing for refugees. In cooperation with other NGOs, they organised an “Iraqi Pop-Up Dinner” aimed at increasing tolerance and inclusion of Iraqi families living in Nitra. The community centre is frequented by a lot of international students and foreign workers residing in Nitra and they cooperate with students and faculty of both universities located in the city. The community is active, open to new ideas and pro-democratically minded. Hidepark is part of the network of independent cultural centres “Antenna”.
In 2010-2014, Hidepark hosted more than 10,000 visitors and organised more than 50 events. In 2015, the centre participated in the Creative Europe Programme project “ACTIVATOR – the culture for space, space for the culture” and from then on, its activities grew. In 2018, in just one year, 54 of its events were visited by more than 6,000 visitors and 6,000 others visited the area outside the programme and this number grows every year. In 2019, the number of visitors increased to 15,000. Hidepark community has experience in managing smaller and larger grants, and crowdsourced funding, but most of its activities and results are based on volunteering.
Hidepark will be actively involved in all tasks in WP4, Reversible Multifunctional Open-source Urban Landscape in Nitra.