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8. 3. 2026
Play and Applied Theatre in Palliative Care
Podcast Jste normální?!
Acting and theatre have accompanied her throughout her life. She studied at the Prague Conservatoire, works as an actress and director, and is involved in movement-based collaborations. But Anička and Monika invited Míša Váňová to the studio for a very different reason.
She works as a child life specialist in palliative care for both children and adults. What does this psychologically demanding work bring her?
10. 7. 2025
“Every Child Needs to Play — Even a Seriously Ill Child,” Says Actress Michaela Váňová
Interview for Newstream
Actress Michaela Váňová, one of the first child life specialists in children’s palliative care in the Czech Republic, is dedicated to work that is still not widely known — yet profoundly changes the lives of seriously ill children and their families.
She is a child life specialist.
31.08.2024
"Whether a child is healthy or sick, they always want to play," says play specialist in palliative care Michaela Váňová.
Vlček Family Foundation Podcast
A healthy child spends most of the day playing. A child who is ill should have the opportunity to spend their time in the same way.
Play is a natural need.
Míša Váňová is a pioneer of a new profession in the Czech Republic — she is a child life specialist in palliative care. As she says in the podcast, child life has great potential also because its goals are so broad.
In child life, play is a tool for establishing and developing communication with a child who is ill. It is a way to distract the child and redirect their attention away from pain. Play helps families create memories, it can motivate, and it can also be educational — for example, helping prepare a child for medical procedures.
10. 7. 2023
“As Long as We Laugh and Cry, We Are Alive.”
On Theatre at the End of Life with Actress Michaela Váňová
A podcast by Cesta domů
How can a theatre performance help patients in palliative care?
“A hospital room is not a theatre hall, but closeness and trust can mean more than any curtain call, applause or ovation. Theatre about life and searching gives palliative patients a chance to remember and tell their own story,” says actress Michaela Váňová in this interview, describing the specific nature of theatre for people at the end of life.
Since 2019, she has been connecting theatre, education and support for others. Under the name Divadlem, she creates original theatre performances with a social dimension.
Hosted by Ruth Šormová, director of Cesta domů.