NEW TIMES NEW MODELS Conference in Cultural Centre Pekarna

Pekarna Magdalenske Mreže in cooperation with Trans Europe Halles, Savez za centar za nezavisnu
kulturu i mlade, Institut des Villes and Artfactories/AutresParts
Funded by European Cultural Fundation and Mestna občina Maribor

is organizing an International Conference on governance models of independent cultural centres
MARIBOR, Slovenia 28/29/30 January 2010

The international conference NEW TIMES, NEW MODELS will investigate models of practice in the way independent cultural centres develop

a) specific self-governance models;

b) relationships with statutory bodies and the private sector with the aim of improving such relationships for the betterment of cultural development in Europe.


Independent cultural centres first appeared in the 1960’s - Ateneu Popular Nou Barris (Barcelona); Kaapelitehdas (Helsinki); La Friche la Belle de Mai (Marseilles); Melkweg (Amsterdam) to name a few. In more recent years a new wave of independent cultural centres have come on stream following the collapse of the Soviet Union, centres such as A38 (Budapest), Fabryka Trzciny (Warsaw) and Pekarna (Maribor).

By definition, a lot of these post-industrial buildings were in abandoned areas of cities, such as docklands, army barracks or previous manufacturing sites; with amazing resilience and creativity they not only rejuvenated buildings but also their surroundings and communities.

Independent cultral centres are often met with distrust from public authorities and lack of support and cultural policies supporting their development. In short: outdated cultural system where both operating and financing cultural infrastructure is mostly in the hands of the public sector is suppressing their artistic, cultural and social impact. Such a system is inert, difficult to change and passive, and so are its cultural products.

In Europe property development, civic amenity, and the importance of cultural, need to be addressed again, anew. There is already a growing number of bottom-up indicators that the Public Private Partnership (PPP), which emerged in Western Europe in the 1990’s and was adopted by more recent members of the EU, demands re-evaluation and that a new type of partnership, the Public/Private/Independent Partnership, needs to be forged. The danger is that outdated cultural systems that are based on public institutions and their programs (sometimes both operating and financing cultural infrastructure) will become inert, difficult to change and passive, while, at the same time, stifling independent growth though lack of funding and bad relationships.

Therefore it is necessary to provide new, hybrid models and interventions within the system that will support and enable the sustainable development of independent cultural initiatives, serve as inspiration and research of possibilities and this is the core issue that New Times, New Models wishes to address and communicate throughout Europe. Such a collection of cases, discussions and real-life laboratory would surely contribute not only to development of independent cultural centres, but also to new, fresh cultural policies.

Project is based on a growing number of bottom-up indicators that the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in culture demands re-evaluation and that a new type of partnership, the Public/Private/ Independent Partnership (PPIP), needs to be forged.

Solutions will be sought via combination of experiences and innovative thinking from ICCs from EU and Western Balkans, the latter being often underrepresented in EU networks and policy making.

Opportunity to test such new model in real life conditions, case of Pekarna-magdalenske mreže, in Maribor, Slovenia, on borders of official EU, is unique. All this will happen in what is becoming unprecedented period of economic change, and the questions surrounding the function of a cultural centre and its role in the community as well as the reassessment of property development, civic amenity, and the importance of cultural space, need to be addressed and invented anew even more.