Mass support for the survival of Magacin
The Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia (AICSS) has presented, on December 12 at crowded Magacin in Kraljevića Marka Street in Belgrade, impressive results achieved in this cultural center in the past two years, with the support of numerous artists, cultural workers, public figures and citizens, and has announced that it’s not giving up the space that has been dedicated to independent culture more than ten years ago, and has re-called the authorities to regulate its status by formalizing the existing model of functioning, based on open calendar and availability to all.
The Association of Independent Cultural Scene of Serbia (AICSS) has presented, on December 12 at crowded Magacin in Kraljevića Marka Street in Belgrade, impressive results achieved in this cultural center in the past two years, with the support of numerous artists, cultural workers, public figures and citizens, and has announced that it’s not giving up the space that has been dedicated to independent culture more than ten years ago, and has re-called the authorities to regulate its status by formalizing the existing model of functioning, based on open calendar and availability to all.
An all night program "Save Magacin – the cultural center available to everyone," has presented the potential of all areas of this center in which almost a thousand events (rehearsals, performances, literary evenings, exhibitions, performances, film screenings, panel discussions, workshops, promotion, conferences, circus performances, meetings ...) took place last year only, with the participation of more than 60 organizations working in the field of contemporary art and culture.
The representatives of the AICSS, which coordinates the program in Magacin according to a model that was adopted two years ago after a public hearing, have expressed gratitude to all who supported the survival of this cultural center which is threatened with closure because of the decision of the Youth Center of Belgrade, as a formal user, to return the space at Kraljevića Marka 4 and 8 to the city authorities on the grounds of having no capacity to take care of it.
Earlier the AICSS had told at a press conference that the organizations that work and create in Magacin will not move out of the area, and has called upon Youth Center and competent city authorities to solve the problem regarding its status by legal formalization of the model which has been successfully applied for two years and is based on almost ten years of practice of civil society organizations in culture, that operate there.
"We believe that Magacin is an example that we can all be proud of and to preserve and improve it, that already functions well, that does not require any additional funding and there are no obstacles to its survival," said AICSS Chairman of the Board Radomir Lazović.
"This city does not have the luxury of closing a place like this, and the cultural scene did not deserve to experience such a lack of care towards it" said Lazovic.
(SEEcult.org)
