Municipality of Velenje

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Contact
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Mestna občina Velenje
Titov trg 1, SI-3320 Velenje
Phone386 (0) 3 896 1600
Bojan Kontič, Mayor



Phone386 (0) 3 896 1604





The Municipality of Velenje covers a total area of 83 square kilometres and has a population of 33,011 people (2002) living in 25 settlements. Located in a coal mining district, it is one of Slovenia's eleven urban municipalities which function as regional centres.

Velenje is the fifth-largest city in Slovenia. It is an industrial centre of the Savinjska region with important administrative, educational, cultural, commercial and other functions.

Together with four other Slovene towns Velenje is a partner city in the Maribor, European Capital of Culture 2012 project.


Funding

The Non Profitable Public Activities Office is responsible for social and health care, education and sports, as well as for cultural activities. The accessibility of cultural programmes and projects and the protection of cultural heritage is thus provided by the municipality, which creates conditions and encourages the development of cultural activities with funding opportunities, co-operating with various societies in numerous municipal programmes.


Cultural institutions

Velenje Museum is the only municipal institution which receives regular funding for its basic activities from the state budget, although the other Velenje institutions compete for one-off project funding from the Ministry of Culture and raise additional funds from sponsors. Prior to 2004 the library, museum, gallery and event organisation section of Velenje Urban Municipality were incorporated within the former Ivan Napotnik Cultural Centre, but following the reorganisation that year Velenje Museum, Velenje Library and Velenje Gallery were established as separate institutions in their own right, supported by Velenje Urban Municipality.

Other important cultural institutions funded by the municipality include Velenje Youth Centre (MC Velenje) and Fran Korun Koželjski Music School, Velenje. As there is considerable publishing activity in the region, the Municipality has also established the Velenje Literary Foundation. Numerous significant events take place annually in Velenje, including the popular Pika's Festival, Kunigunda Festival of Young Cultures and Velenje Artists' Colony.

The Union of Cultural Societies of Šaleška Valley plays an important role in the cultural life of Velenje, uniting 39 cultural societies from Velenje Urban Municipality and the neighbouring municipalities of Šoštanj and Šmartno ob Paki. It embraces amateur theatre groups, choirs, photographic and film clubs, visual artists and the brass orchestra, to name but a few. The activities of the Union and its constituent organisations are funded by Velenje Urban Municipality. The local branch of the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia (JSKD) also facilitates the activities of numerous cultural associations.

See also

Festivals

External links