Model-Centre for Independent Culture and Youth Presented

Tomislav Domes
Multimedijalni institut

21 November 2005

Under the auspices of the Zagreb Culture Capital of Europe 3000 (ZCCE3000), and the series of public debates on �What kind of Cultural Institutions do we need?�, the model of the Centre for Independent Culture and Youth was presented on Friday, November 18 in Zagreb.

After the public debates of April and May of this year; the signing of the declaration by most political parties in Zagreb, on the eve of Local Elections; and the great success of the Operation:City, a public debate was initiatited on the models of hybrid open infrastructure public institutions and the process of management of civil society cultural programmes.

The Initiative Committee for the Centre for Independent Culture and Youth consists of representatives of the ZCCE3000, Clubture, Croatian Youth Network, as well as Zagreb clubs Mocvara, Attack and MAMA.

The newly presented model has four key notions. The first notion is its institutional status conceived at public-CS partnership. Ergo, this is a mixed type institution, with two founding entities: the City of Zagreb on one side, and the union of association of the youth sector and the independent culture sector on the other side.

The second notion is of partnership between two sub-sectors: independent culture and youth. These two sub-sectors share complementary needs and interests; mutual scope of activities, initiatives and organizations involved in the area of youth culture; and, overlapping programmes, participants, implementers and audience. The need to aim at joint efforts at solving problems, the problem of proper space and facilities being probably the most urgent, comes naturally.

The third important element of the model-centre is its multiple-locations structure. Namely, the solving of the problems of proper space for independent culture and youth activities in Zagreb requires the securing of several facilities that would be used for programming activities and for the basic activities for support of the functioning of programme carriers. Furthermore, the primary function of this centre would not be to product programmes, but to secure resources.

Finally, the fourth notion refers to the issue of sustainability of this centre. Commercialization of a part of its activities was proposed, as well as securing the private-public partnership in other activities that would prove significant for the programming improvement of the centre. This would provide for a certain level of financial sustainability and stimulate social and economic growth of the city.

Teodor Celakoski

According to Teodor Celakoski, from the Initiative Committee, this hybrid, mixed model of an institution overcomes the deficiencies of the other two possible models of public policies regarding the securing of working space for the needs of the youth and independent culture: (1) establishment of a completely new public institution; and, (2) distributing municipal facilities to a great number of organizations. Simultaneously, their advantages are maintained: stability and participation of all stakeholders.