The city of Nova Gorica is now enriched with the centre for creative practices, established to connect creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, art, education and research. The centre will promote innovation in the cultural and creative industries, experimental research including advanced workshops, development projects and productive socializing. Xcenter is so one of the main projects of the European Capital of Culture 2025 and is part of the long-term, comprehensive strategy of the Municipality of Nova Gorica, promoting development of the economy in this region. It also represents one of the point formation of the konS.
The prototype opening week, which will take place between 1 and 4 June, will be held according to the MVP principle (minimum viable place), which is borrowed from the entrepreneurial profession of product development. It represents a version of the product with just enough functionality for the basic operation and use of the first users and the collection of their ideas for improvements. The next development phase will take place in September as part of a municipal holiday. The municipality has allocated 185,000 euros for the investment in Xcenter, and the future programs will be financed from open funding and sponsorship funds.
The synergy of different ecosystems in the Goriška region in Ekscenter connects the activities of many actors: Municipality of Nova Gorica, Youth Center Nova Gorica, University of Nova Gorica, Institute for Culture, Arts and Education Kersnikova, Business Solutions, GOAP, Instrumentation Technologies, Arctur , Editor, Advansys, LED Luks, Ollo Audio, Intra Lighting, Spintec, Primorski tehnološki park, Saop, Gostol-Gopan, MAHLE Electric Drives Slovenia, Gameart, Akeo, NEPTUN digital, GOInfo, Intermunicipal Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Nova Gorica, School Center Nova Gorica, C-Astral and others.
Jurij Krpan, Artistic Director of the Kersnikova Institute, invites us to reflect on society and time in which we live: “In Xcenter every month the konS platform will set up a new exhibition, that will inspire visitors with difference, presenting nowadays art to encourage people to think about how we live in this new technological society. Furthermore, how we see the opportunity in all of this and understand the technology in the way that we use it, not that the technology uses human society. Through these projects, we will also conduct workshops for research learning for all generations: children, youth and adults. We will also carry out the process of educating mentors, who will then develop their own workshops in local environments and with these workshops connect fifth places representing hubs. Beside Ljubljana, Nova Gorica is currently the second most developed hub, with Xcenter as an example of good practice. With that big move we would like to encourage other local communities to accelerate the establishment of new hubs for such cross-sectoral integration in other cities as well”.
Representative of the educational sphere dr. Peter Purg emphasized the importance of educational activities for all life stages: “The Xcenter will try to include the whole life of a person, future artists, designers, future employees or those who wish to establish company, NGO, any citizenship or private initiative that will bring new and better. And a better future will definitely not run away from the periphery, from the countryside, but will at most connect cross-border internationally and interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral. How are we planning to manage that? We already have programs for primary schools, where pupils will be able to attend workshops in e-house, get introduced to the basics of science, technological development, creativity, art. High school and college students, young people are next important key group, which we hope will spend more time at our cultural events, round tables, learn about business, get to know high-tech spheres in combinations of art and science, that is not so accessible in the high schools, although they are also improving. Xcenter represents a very important actor in non-formal education, which can support the development of those real human potentials and personas, who are actually employable or who also have their own incentive to create, to be entrepreneurial, which does not mean just to establish companies. For instance, they can create new ideas that are representing a part within larger organizations, or they can be creative in the public sector. Another very important aspect is lifelong learning. Adults are welcome here and all those, who are in a change of their jobs and looking for further learning possibilities. Here in Xcenter diverse programs will be offered in the coming years, not only artistic and cultural, but also civil -social, sports, tourism and similar projects and programs in the frame of the European Capital of Culture. This is where Xcenter will show its true value. ”
Until the end of this year, the Xcenter Gallery will host interactive and intermedia exhibitions of domestic and foreign artists, including “Cosmic rain/Kozmični dež” – Tilen Sepič (Ljudmila), We need to talk about AI/ Moramo se pogovoriti o AI – Dr. Julia Schneider and Lena Kadriye Ziyal (Axiom), Moss Gallus gallus roboticus – Daniel Brownell & Miranda Moss (MKC Maribor).
Numerous workshops and activities from various fields will be organized for young people, including the training of young mentors for konS workshops. More information about the program and workshops can be found on www.ekscenter.si.