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Eva Hudečková, assistant at the studio of Comics and Illustration for Children at the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art, ZČU, was at the origin of the Pop-Up Hospital project. Its aim is to bring playfulness and distraction into the environment of the children's clinic through specially designed interactive books for children. "The Pop-Up Hospital project is unique in that it creates a bridge between two very different institutions in a very natural way - students bring books they have created for children and read and play together," says the author of the project, adding: "The students were able to experience how their children's books work - picture books with play elements that were designed with the needs of hospitalized children in mind, but most importantly, they were able to perceive that design, among other things, can help bring joy to places where it is much needed." The implementation of the project took place in the Book and Paper Shaping Studio, where books for young patients were created under the pedagogical guidance of Petra Soukupová and Eva Hudečková.

Throughout the winter semester, students worked on books designed specifically for the hospital environment. Their work was then presented at the beginning of June to the children at the clinic and to experts from the University Hospital Pilsen - play specialist Ludmila Romová, head nurse of the Children's Clinic Romana Sedláčková and the head of the Children's Clinic Prof. MUDr. Josef Sýkora.

Students could test the results of their semester work directly at the Children's Clinic of the Children's Hospital in Pilsen. They came here in order to present the books they had worked on, from inventing the stories, through the design and implementation of illustrations to the actual binding of the finished books, to the young patients and their parents. "What we were able to experience here was not just ordinary fun, it was not just about entertaining or distracting the children, but rather being there with them and involving them in play in such a way that they perceive that they are important and that they can approach life in a creative way, even in their weakness," comments Eva Hudečková on the contribution of the project. The resulting works are intended for children of different ages and contain play elements. The books were designed with frequent use and the specific environment of a children's hospital in mind.

"We would like to repeat the event not only next year, but perhaps in future years as well. We also perceive interest from the hospital, and we have already discussed together the possible involvement of students in the form of volunteering or creative workshops for patients," concludes the author of the project.