Cultural Society ŠKUC on the occasion of its 50th anniversary (feuilleton)
STAAugust 3, 2022 – It’s been half a century HACK the society was a pioneer in Slovenian culture and wider society. It has developed from a student center into one of the most prominent cultural non-governmental organizations in the country. ŠKUC played an important role in the Slovenian LGBTQ movement and helped launch the careers of many artists who became household names.
ŠKUC founded various artistic collectives, which later took an independent path, such as the Studio Humanitatis publishing house. Many Slovenian artists, who later became world-renowned, presented themselves for the first time in the ŠKUC gallery, including Marjetica Potrč, Dušan Mandič and Duba Sambolec, association coordinator Jasmina Kožar told STA.
The association, which has its roots in the student movement, was also a refuge for musicians, many of whom recorded their first records, including the groundbreaking bands Pankrti and Laibach and singer-songwriter Tomaž Pengov.
There is almost no social or cultural area where ŠKUC does not play an important role. Social movements, visual art, music, literature, film, video, theater, festivals, LGBT activism and publishing – in all these areas ŠKUC left an indelible mark.
Its publishing branch specializes in LGBTQ literature and boasts award-winning authors such as Brane Mozetič, who twice received the Jenko Prize, the highest poetry award in the country, Nina Dragičević, another recent recipient of the Jenko Prize, Suzana Tratnik, winner of the Prešernov fund’s 2007 award and Nataša Velikonja, winner of the Župančič award 2016.
According to Kožarev, ŠKUC achieved its greatest achievements in the field of LGBTQ activism. Today, the association primarily opens space for the culture of the LGBTQ community and provides a safe and creative space for its members.
“Even today, this space is still needed, despite all the rights and everything we have achieved,” said Kožar. ŠKUC hosts the oldest LGBTQ film festival in Europe, which is also the oldest international film festival here and the only Lesbian Library in the wider area.
In addition, it collaborates with other Slovenian cities of LGBTQ activism, including Maribor and Nova Gorica, and with related organizations in Europe and elsewhere.
The association expects new challenges in the future. “I don’t think we fell asleep, but we had to adapt to new times and new challenges,” said Kožar.
ŠKUC wants to remain a relevant and current association. Despite limited financial resources, there remains a desire to continue quality projects, including non-commercially oriented activities with original music in the foreground.
There is also an ambition to publish a publication on the history of ŠKUC, but this would require additional funds, which are not yet available. They also want to bring the Biennial of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM) to Slovenia.
When the covid pandemic started in 2020, the future of the association hung in the balance, but they survived thanks to covid aid, Kožar said, adding: “If the market is open and we can work without problems, I think that the way it is now is quite good .”
This year’s ŠKUC festival, which ended recently, marked the 50th anniversary of the association, and 50 events took place. After two years of Covid restrictions, the festival has revived with many tourists and local visitors attending. “Contact with the audience and their personal reaction is something completely different,” said Kožar.