Center for Artistic Activism alumnus, Gjorgje Jovanovik, has helped open a new space in Skopje Macedonia.

Their announcement

HISTORY

In 2015, the JADRO Association of the independent culture scene started an initiative for establishing a hybrid institution that is to be the first example of a working civic-public partnership.

With this initiative our aim was to not only redefine the economic, political, cultural and other needs of the independent culture sector but to also take on the structures that are inherently tied to the change of political discourse needed to give the independent culture sector more democratic capital.  

The idea for the SCS Centar-Jadro was born from the need to have a focal point, to have a space where urban life and contemporary socio-cultural practices could be freely expressed, a space that would facilitate autonomous, self-organizing programs, programs that reflect our urban, intellectual, critical, and creative capital. In other words, an institution that would have the capacity for stable and autonomous development.  

A physical space in the actual material structure of the city represents an important neuralgic focal point of every attempt in art and culture. It has a crucial role on a symbolic level, that is, in the production and communication of the meaning that circulates in the dynamic flux of social and political trends.  

This new type of institution that we conceptualized is important not only for the development of culture and critical thinking in the country, but also for the education and establishment of new forms of socio-cultural communities. This type of institution would approach space in a whole new way and redefine the way we use it and the way we curate it – with diversity and inclusivity rather than with homogeneity, uniformity and exclusivity. Above all, it would promote a new management model that embraces collaboration, unity, and public responsibility, and that capitalizes on the strengths of the democratic model of governance. 

This type of institution relies on the partnership between the local government and the civil network made up of NGOs, individuals, and informal groups. Its aim is to decentralize power and to weaken the existing practices tainted by party influence. That is the only approach that can pave the way to organizational and program autonomy in the field of culture, within the civil society sector and beyond. 

SCS Centar-Jadro was founded in October, 2016 and opened for business in 2019, on the premises of the Dane Krapcev community buildings in the Centar municipality in Skopje.

SCS Centar-Jadro is an open space that can be used for free by individuals, culture NGOs, informal groups, and associations that are part of the wider civil sector for any purpose related to the realization of their programs. Apart from being a physical space created to serve the needs of the independent cultural scene, SCS Centar-Jadro is, first and foremost, a space that strives to produce new social narratives.

SCS Centar-Jadro is an open space that allows cultural associations, art organizations, informal groups or individuals to use the centre’s resources to implement programs in the field of contemporary art and culture. The wider civil society can also use the resources of SCS Centar-Jadro to implement their community-oriented programs.

The users of the SCS Centar-Jadro can take advantage of the resources the centre offers if they operate in the following fields:

  • Contemporary art and culture
  • Educational and informational programs that aim to raise the quality of life for the citizens and the community
  • Educational programs designed to build the capacity of NGOs working in the culture sector

SCS Centar-Jadro can host events that belong to any field that falls under the umbrella of contemporary art and culture: exhibitions, theatre and dance performances, concerts, lectures, public forums, workshops, and seminars. Additionally, the space is intended to be used for cultural production, rehearsals, art residences, meetings, etc, on a daily basis. 

SCS Centar-Jadro welcomes both renowned names in the local and international cultural scene as well as young artists who are yet to establish themselves in their respective fields.