Involvement in the arts, culture, entertainment and media activities is one of the important motivating factors for young people to live in a certain city. It builds self-esteem and confidence, develops creativity, motivate thinking. Arts activities also help for developing leadership and decision-making skills, and provide young people with a means of self-expression and self-understanding. The more creative and cultural opportunities there are on a city level, the more chances are provided for the young people to live and work in the city.

This is why an important angle of urban transformation processes through culture and arts should be to address young people through diverse educational programs for all ages, linked with creative events. Here are 6 selected examples:

JOHAN Centrum is based in a former railway station in the City of Pilsen, Czech Republic and serves as a studio for theater makers, artists and musicians. The meeting between different art forms (theater, performance, visual art, music, video art, literature) and artists from different countries using diverse creative methods and their blending has become an important feature in the life of the Center. In the last 12 years, the Center develops its activities along three main lines:

• artistic projects (festivals, theater and paratheater projects, production, consulting);
• social work (street work, contact and information center for problematic youth, primary prevention of pathological phenomenon, re-socialization projects and work with volunteers) and
• educational projects (concerned with methods based on educating by art, aesthetic education, drama education and personal and social development).

The Center offers possibility to encounter current artistic trends within performing arts through a series of open creative workshops and is trying to create a space and conditions for other original and independent works. One of the main projects is the creation of a space for cultural-social contacts Open Space for Communication Moving Station in the empty building of the railway station Plzen –South, which functions as a creative laboratory (project Alternative on the rails, festival Big Stocktaking).

In 2004 the old city power station - Elektro Ljubljana (Stara Elektarna) was acquired, with the help of the Ministry of Culture. The building has more than 100 years of history (dating since 1898). The building is now protected as a cultural, technical and historical monument. The programming ranges from cultural management courses to learning dance techniques and multimedia productions. The space is divided into three “packages”:

• programs of artistic creation (incl. artists residence programs);
• education (workshops, seminars, round tables and lectures); and
• artistic presentations (both domestic and foreign performances and festivals, multimedia events, etc).

The Ministry of culture of Slovenia anounces every three year the public tender searching for the NGO that would manage the place as an infrastructure for contemporary arts. Already for the second time the tender has been won by Bunker- a multi-purpose non-profit organisation, producing and presenting contemporary theater and dance performances, workshops and other educational programs, research, as well as one of the most established international festivals Young left (Mladi Levi) The organisation encourages the mobility of artists and their works, both in Slovenian and the international arena, and the interplay between different artistic disciplines by creating a space that allows the exchange of experiences, skills and interests, both between artists and with their audiences. Bunker operates the programming and educational programs located in the building of Elektro Ljubljana.

An excellent example of combining pedagogical activities and programs for children with artistic experimentation is Passerelle – a 4500m2 space, located in an abandoned industrial site in the city of Brest, France. On one hand, the “raw” space enables artists to do diverse experimental work, playing also with the site itself. On another hand, workshops with visiting children from schools are organised often, using different pedagogical methods to open children’s imagination, observation, expression and critical mind.

The association of young museologists “Kontraakcija” in Croatia is a group that brings together students and young scientists whose interests include museology and museological activities. This is an example how the promotion of modern museological trends and cultural enlightenment could be based on involvement of young people and an active communication with the public. The organisation is very young, formed in April 2008. The name is based on the basic principles of the modern museum, which acts as a mirror of society, so it is less of an institution, and more of an action and counteraction at the same time. Some of the planned activities include:

• promoting a contemporary look at heritage (non material and material);
• encouraging the care for heritage, it's values and related disciplines;
• conducting research related to heritage;
• bringing the need for cultural progress closer to the general public;
• identifying issues and needs of the community by initiating various projects, actions and exhibitions.

The unique feature is that the projects have a proactive, multidisciplinary approach to the question of cultural transformation of communities. By merging local, artistic and scientific circles and individuals into one community based initiative, young museologist and scientists aims to preserve and advance local cultural identity. The key to understanding and bringing something new to such a community is communication with the local population and a very involved approach in actualizing different projects on location. This approach generates a self sustaining network of local individuals which can later generate cultural content and initiatives on its own, with minimal, or completely free of outside influences.

The Junction is an emblematic, well known, vibrant center of youth culture in the mid-Anglia region. It is one of the premier venues of its kind in Britain. The building is placed on a former cattle market site. The primary programming focuses on live performing arts – popular, innovative and enjoyable types of events targeting an audience up to 30 years of age. The organisation supports and develops new generations of artists, by commissioning and presenting their work and encouraging understanding of, and participation in the arts and entertainment industry, through an education and participatory program.

Common features

Despite of their uniqueness in the mission, programming areas, target groups, location and organisational structure, these venues/centers have several common features:

• Multi-disciplinarity. Majority venues present diverse arts forms (visual arts, performing arts, cinema, photography, media art, community art, etc.);
• Balance between tradition and innovation. The reason for setting up of such venue is connected with the aim to preserve the heritage and traces of history, as well as you support contemporary artistic expressions.
• Openness and freedom. These centers are considered as free spaces, “autonomous cultural zones” where artists use the spaces in a creative and unusual manner.
• Multi-functionality. In most cases, the new spaces offer indoor and outdoor spaces for multiple purposes: rehearsal studios, cinema halls, theater and dance stages, rooms for workshops, classes and lectures, spaces for debates and round tables, restaurants and bars, open green areas for relaxation and leisure activities.
• Encouraging emerging artists and supporting artistic mobility. Providing spaces for artists’ residences as part of the overall operational capacity is a common practice.
• Combining culture with leisure and entertainment. Majority of these venues offer peripheral services to their cultural programming, such as: bars, restaurant, shops, outdoor fun, family events, etc.

All these centers contain young energy and flavour in their programming and therefore attract young people. They work regularly with schools on educational programs. A common practice is engagement and interaction with the audience by offering diverse workshops, classes, public debates, open forums, etc.

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Image: The Junction website: http://www.junction.co.uk/news/