Theme: Escape Arrival

Every escape is only half the story. Sometimes, we need to take a step back to gain the clarity we need to move forward. Escape arrival is about coming back with a fresh perspective, a deeper understanding, and the courage to see things differently.

Nová tržnica / New Marketplace
Trnavské mýto 12
Bratislava, Bratislavský kraj, 83104
Slovakia

Barbora Grič

Copywriter

Barbora Grič is a copywriter who, in her book Takto láska nemá vyzerať (Love Shouldn’t Look Like This), openly explores emotional immaturity, trauma, and alcoholism. With courage, she shares her own journey of self-discovery, offering readers the chance to find a piece of themselves in her story. She studied screenwriting and journalism, but found her professional path in advertising as a copywriter. She loves books, writes poetry, and dreams of owning a henhouse full of chickens.

Diana Brocka Jakubíková

Lawyer

Diana is a lawyer who believes that a better Slovakia starts with better education. While studying law at Comenius University in Bratislava, she worked in the education teams at IBM, Orange, and YIT, and at court. Thanks to the Teach for Slovakia program, she taught at a primary school near Nitra for three years. She understood the needs of students and schools and co-wrote a book of recipes from students’ families. Now she works as head of DASATO Academy, helping high school and university students become leaders in innovation and education.

Dušan Ondrušek

Psychologist

Psychologist Dušan Ondrušek believes that conflicts can end without violence, and he enjoys the moments when it works out. He founded the organization PDCS (Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia), which focuses on supporting dialogue and finding alternative ways to solve conflicts, especially in communities and public spaces. He has worked as a facilitator and personal resilience trainer in more than 40 countries. He focuses on transforming value-based and intercultural conflicts. He wrote about his experiences in books like The Weather Is What You Make It, With a Pumpkin Tied to Your Leg, and Sop Sum Sum and the Yahoo Boys.

Jiří Stárek

Director of Elementary Art School

Jiří Stárek, the director of the Elementary Art School in Prague Hostivař, came up with an unconventional idea a few years ago: to open the school to seniors. In addition to children, now their grandparents can also learn to play musical instruments, paint, and dance at the school. The project “Academy of Arts and Culture for Seniors” was met with enthusiastic interest and had an unexpected impact on students, teachers, and the whole community.

Juliana Mrvová

Painter

Juliana is a painter, illustrator, and curator. She focuses on the theme of wilderness and its ecological value. She is interested in the relationship between people and nature, especially gardens and landscapes. While studying at the Academy of Fine Arts, she started creating large-scale paintings. She explored the connection between photography and painting. Later, she focused on landscapes and nature she discovered during stays abroad. She also organizes exhibitions and workshops for adults and children. She works with eco-cultural organizations in Slovakia and runs her own studio and a small gallery in Trstená.

Laura FAYE Ilečková

Singer and songwriter

FAYE is a singer and songwriter who mixes R&B, jazz, neo-soul, and electronic music. She started her music career in 2020 with producer FXTR and the Canadian label IAMHER. Later, she worked with Michal Eichler and the Beyond Music studio on songs like Stranger and Lunar Tips, which were popular with fans and critics. This year she released the song Nebo with Fallgrapp. She has performed at festivals like Bratislava Majáles, Bratislava Jazz Days, Sharpe, and SOZA Songwriting Camp.

Martin Petráš

Miller

Martin Petráš, a miller, fell under the spell of the ruins of a mill in Oblazy in the Kvačianska Valley while still in grammar school. He and his friends joined the rescue work, and for the past 25 years he has led its reconstruction. A trained structural engineer, he has become a restorer, miller, molinologist, historian, and respected populariser of water mills. He is also the author and administrator of the vodnemlyny.sk database. His need to preserve the value of this heritage has led him to immerse himself in the history of technology and the crucial role of the milling machine in civilisation's development.

Michal Matejčík

Harpist and Composer

Michal Matejčík is a harpist and composer who has performed with international orchestras including the RSO Wien, the Wiener Staatsoper, and the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra in Japan. Among his achievements are touring with George Michael’s Symphonica, collaborating with Il Divo, and guesting at a Depeche Mode concert. He is the author of music for Rozprávky pre malé Pastelky, which supports the Biela Pastelka fundraising campaign for the visually impaired, combining art with philanthropy. In recent years, Michal has focused on his solo career and projects such as interpretations of Philip Glass's works and collaborations with tenor Pavol Bršlík and actor Marek Majeský. He records music for Netflix and National Geographic.

Michal Tkáčik

Braille Coordinator

Michal Tkáčik, a Braille coordinator, is one of the main advocates of Braille in Slovakia. He actively supports its development, educates the visually impaired, and works to make information and textbooks accessible to people with visual disabilities. He founded a centre for transcribing textbooks into Braille and other accessible formats. He initiated the guidebook project SprieViDca, contributed to the European video The Importance of Braille, and helped produce the film I Can't See, which portrays life with visual impairment. Michal also develops a bookshop for the visually impaired at www.skn.sk. He combines his expertise, empathy, and organisational skills to create a better future for people with visual disabilities. He finds joy in his loved ones, successful projects, and his favourite fantasy novels.

Monika Kompaníková

Writer

Monika is a writer and the author of 5 books for adults and 5 for children. She has won several literary awards. Her novel Piata loď won the Anasoft Litera Prize and was named the best Slovak book of 2010. It was translated into 17 languages and made into a film that won the Crystal Bear at the Berlinale Film Festival in 2017. She also writes song lyrics for the band Toddler Punk, contributes articles to Slovak and international newspapers, and works as an editor for the publishing section of Denník N. She is also an active citizen.

Pavol Lacko

Critical Thinking Lecturer

Pavol Lacko is a lecturer of critical thinking and an occasional fact-checker for demagog.sk, where he enjoys exploring whether facts are in line with reality. He writes for the Romano Forum magazine about excluded communities and helps to develop appreciation for the White Crow award. He worked for seven years as an analyst with the Fair-Play Alliance and studied political science at the Free University of Berlin.

Roman Briatka

Sustainability and Waste Manager

Roman Briatka, a waste management manager, has long been devoted to finding solutions for reducing and recycling waste. In the retail chain where he works, he enlisted an unexpected ally to help in waste management: black soldier fly larvae. He contributed to the development of a globally unique technology for processing plastic films contaminated with fats and food residues, which until now could not be effectively recycled.

Zoubida Nemer

Geophysicist

Zoubida Nemer is a geophysicist who studies water sources and sustainable water management in the Sahara. She works as an assistant professor at Kasdi Merbah University in Ouargla, Algeria, focusing on the availability and quality of water to support sustainable water use. She believes that sharing knowledge can help create a better world through science-based solutions.

Zuzana Wienk

Civic Activist

Zuzana Wienk, a civic activist, publicist, and former journalist, has devoted her entire professional life to issues of transparency, anti-corruption, and civic activism. She founded the Fair-Play Alliance and co-initiated the White Crow award for civic bravery. Today, she leads Bystriny, an organisation that connects and supports active citizens and initiatives across Slovakia.