Pekarna Cultural Centre
Pekarna (‘Bakery’) is an alternative cultural centre located in a former military bakery in the centre of Maribor (the only one on right bank of the Drava River). With a total area of 6,000 square metres at its disposal it has become the largest alternative cultural centre in north east Slovenia. Cultural activities were started here in 1994 by three non-governmental and non-profit organisations: Friends of Dolphins, the Alternative Music Workshop Gustaf and House Gallery.
Today Pekarna's six buildings accommodate over 35 associations, clubs, and individuals; several of them focus on arts (music, visual arts, photography, video) while others focus on civil society activities or on sports. There are also two clubs, a second-hand bookstore called Ciproš, the large Gustaf Hall, Pekarna, some smaller concert halls (Kurd and MC Indijanez), gallery spaces (Hladilnica Gallery, Garage for Art Photography (gUF)), practice rooms, a cyber cafe and reading-room, and offices.
The complex hosts a very wide range of exhibitions, concerts, performances, film screenings, festivals and workshops, linking and publicising the work of different associations through its co-ordinating agency the Pekarna Magdalena Network, which manages primarily the cultural programme taking place at Gustaf Hall, Pekarna, visual arts activities and festivals (organising the NagiB Experimental Movement Festival and Etnika International World Music Festival as well as hosting and supporting the Magdalena International Festival of Creative Communication and DokMa International Film Festival). Pekarna Magdalena Network also represents the Pekarna Cultural Centre in the international Trans Europe Halles network.
Another feature of Pekarna Cultural Centre is the MISC Infopeka - Youth Information and Consulting Centre managed by Pekarna Magdalena Network, a daily information centre which collects, edits and disseminates information for young people, offers Internet access and organises various workshops. It is also a co-ordinator of the the European Volunteer Service (EVS) programme, one of its most successful projects being the visual arts initiative La Vitrine 2006-2008 (cf http://www.la-vitrine.eu).
Pekarna collectively has the status of a youth centre and a local information centre. Financial support for its activities comes from Maribor Urban Municipality, and programme support from various ministries and ministry bodies.
Hladilnica Gallery, Pekarna Pekarna Magdalena Network Gustaf Hall, Pekarna Garage for Art Photography (gUF), Pekarna
