We have been participating in this great event to support children's reading regularly since 2018 (except for 2020, when the event could not take place due to the pandemic). This year's event was purely a girl's affair, but that didn't matter at all. Some children participate in this event regularly, so the introductory part, which is always dedicated to a closer introduction of H. Ch. Andersen, after whom the entire event is named, was, rather than a monologue by educator Pavlína, a dialogue in which everyone contributed some information about this famous storyteller.

Another regular activity within this event is sending postcard greetings to various personalities. The beautiful postcards that we receive every year from the organizers of the event, the Bedřich Beneš Buchlovan Library in Uherské Hradiště, children can decorate and add a message. We then send postcards by post to, for example, the president, his wife, the mayor of the city of Jihlava, the Danish ambassador, and this year also to some of the artists who inspired us in our creations.

After the initial acquaintance with each other and with the personality of H. Ch. Andersen, everyone drew one person to whom they would send a postcard. We planned the actual writing of the messages for the morning, so that the children had time to think about what they were going to write.

After that, we moved to the exhibition Trans naturalis by the young artist Vlastimil Nenadál, which is currently taking place in the Alternativa gallery, where we were inspired by a plant called Acanthus. Everyone then cut out their own Acanthus, in which they wrote their wishes. We then went to hang them on an ornamental apple tree, which we planted last year as part of the Night with Andersen in cooperation with the Department of the Environment of the municipality of Jihlava. We also lit candles by the apple tree and repeated the rhyme calling for spring several times.

After returning to the gallery, the main creation awaited us – based on the exhibition Once upon a time, specifically we were inspired by the work of Klaudie Hlavatá and her collages on plexiglas. We looked at the paintings thoroughly, talked about myths and memories, and then it was time to create some art. Despite the late hour, we still had a lot of energy, and absolutely amazing, creative works were created that Klaudie herself would surely appreciate.

The whole evening flew by very quickly, before we snuggled up in our sleeping bags and started reading fairy tales, we still had time to look at the works of Radka Bodzewicz and their new dimension thanks to special mobile app.

Even though it was close to midnight, some of the children still had enough energy, so in addition to Pavlína, some of them read us a story for good night.

The morning was then spent writing messages and decorating postcards to the personalities that the children had drawn the night before. But there wasn't much time left, it was almost nine o'clock when the parents were supposed to pick up the children. So we hurried to pack our sleeping bags, pyjamas... those who were quick still had time to decorate the candle that we lit by the fairy tree in the evening.

And the sixth year of Night with Andersen in the gallery is behind us... if we can judge both by our own feelings and by the anonymous feedback that the children wrote to us, the event was once again very successful. The greatest credit for this goes to the gallery educator Pavlína Pitrová, who prepared everything perfectly. Thank you, Pavlína!

And of course the children themselves, without whose enthusiasm and creativity it simply wouldn't be possible.

Thank you very much to everyone and we will look forward to seeing you again in a year, if the planned reconstruction of the gallery allows us...

Jana Jarošová, March 2024