Circle of Words – Reclaiming Dialogue in Public Space
PRAHO! project
Czech Republic
Circle of Words is an artistic public installation designed as a circular structure for anonymous civic dialogue. Building on PRAHO!’s long-term experience with participatory urban interventions, the project invites citizens to share reflections on division, trust and coexistence. In times of polarisation, it creates a safe, non-confrontational space for listening and collective meaning-making in everyday public space.
Circle of Words is a site-specific artistic installation structured as a circle of rotating panels placed in public space. Visitors enter through a turning board and step into a semi-enclosed environment encouraging reflection. Inside, they encounter curated questions addressing division, distrust, belonging and coexistence in contemporary cities.
Participants anonymously write responses, react to others’ words or observe. As panels rotate, private reflections re-enter the public realm, symbolically reconnecting individual thought with collective dialogue.
The 2026 Up Grants follow-up will focus explicitly on dialogue in times of polarisation. Between May and October 2026, the project will be implemented in collaboration with local partners and accompanied by moderated public dialogue sessions. A concise open-access toolkit documenting the format and methodology will be developed for socio-cultural centres.
The project builds on PRAHO!’s experience of gathering over 36,000 public contributions since 2021, translating tested participatory practice into a structured democratic dialogue model.