Open doors week, April 2025
City of Women invites student groups, self-employed individuals in culture, non-governmental organizations, and all those interested in feminist art and cultural activities to the Open House Week, which will take place from April 4 to 12, 2025. This year's Open House Week is dedicated to exploring ways of engaging diverse audiences in art, with a special focus on collaboration with school groups and support for the self-employed and NGOs in culture.
The first part of the program is intended for school groups, who will explore social issues related to remembrance, feminist history, and contemporary digital culture through artistic content. The exhibition "Remembering for Tomorrow" by artists Vesna Bukovec and Ana Čigon opens a space for reflection on past struggles, activism, and feminist creativity, while the performance "Sukeban" by Varja Hrvatin places themes of online sexism and women's emancipation in the digital space into an interactive game format.
The second part of the program is aimed at self-employed individuals in culture, NGOs, and creators who face questions of funding, audience development, and post-production of artistic projects. Through practical workshops, participants will learn about City of Women's experiences in securing funds, establishing collaborations with educational institutions and international partnerships, and the specific challenges of independent post-production. The workshops are part of the project "Strengthening Support Professions in Cultural Production," supported by the Ministry of Culture.
Vesna Bukovec & Ana Čigon: "Remembering for Tomorrow," exhibition
Friday, April 4, 2025, at 19:00
Alkatraz Gallery, Masarykova 24, Ljubljana, in collaboration with Red Dawns (KUD Mreža)
Exhibition viewing: Mon.–Fri., 12:00–18:00 (free admission)
Free guided tour for school groups: Monday, April 7, 2025, 12:30–13:30 (Additional appointments for free guided tours for school groups can also be arranged).
Applications for school groups: info@cityofwomen.org
The exhibition "Remembering for Tomorrow" presents the works of artists Vesna Bukovec and Ana Čigon, who, through their artistic practice, highlight the importance of feminist art and social critique. The exhibition is both a commemoration and reflection on the activities of two significant festivals – Red Dawns and City of Women, in which the artists have actively participated over the years, contributing to the development of feminist art in the local environment.
In light of the recent 25th anniversary of Red Dawns and the 30th anniversary of the City of Women association, the exhibition opens a space for remembering past events, struggles, concepts, and individuals who have shaped the feminist cultural landscape. Remembering here is seen as a way to deepen the understanding of one's relationship to the community and to seek alternatives to neoliberal models of operation.
Since 2021, the artists, in collaboration with curator Tia Čiček, have been developing the project "Work in Progress," within which they explore the significance of memory as a tool for uncovering and connecting overlooked stories. Their work intertwines art and activism, which, through reflection on the past, raises questions about the future of feminist creativity and social engagement.
The exhibition emphasizes the importance of feminist themes in art and simultaneously pays tribute to the longstanding work and engagement of both artists.
Varja Hrvatin: "Sukeban," performance
Friday, April 11, at 15:00 and Saturday, April 12, at 19:00
Duša Počkaj Hall, Cankarjev dom
14 EUR, 12 EUR for those under 25 and over 65 years old, and retirees.
For school groups, the price is 5 EUR.
Applications for school groups are accepted at: production@cityofwomen.org
The title "Sukeban" originates from the Japanese term for female delinquents and women's street gangs, as a consequence and feminist response to the inability of women to join male street gangs. "Sukeban" is a fantasy-performative production that experiments with positions of anonymity and control in the online environment through the format of an interactive game. It takes as its content starting point women's gangs and online movements that actively and engagedly problematize the representation of women and the female body in the virtual environment. By exploring the phenomenon of "incels" and related forms of online sexism, "Sukeban," in an aesthetic and narrative intertwining of manga, anime, and video games, depicts a fictional world of superheroines fighting against discrimination. "Sukeban" is a fantasy about modern female vigilantes who, through communal playfulness, establish their own rules of the game, playing, fighting, revenge, and free space of the female gaze.
Viewers can merely watch the performance or actively and anonymously participate in it – for this, they need a smartphone with a charged battery and internet connection capability and/or data transfer capability.
Urška Jež: "Securing Funds for Cultural Projects," presentation and workshop
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 10:00 – 13:00
The workshop is designed for artists, cultural managers, and organizers who wish to improve their skills in finding and securing financial resources for their projects. Participants will learn about various sources of funding. We will discuss public sources and develop strategies for securing funds through collaborations with other sectors and establishing lasting partnerships with donors and sponsors. Concrete experiences and strategies developed by City of Women in securing funds for its program will also be presented.
Applications are accepted until April 3 at: info@cityofwomen.org
Eva Prodan: "Longevity of Artistic Productions," presentation and workshop
Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 10:00 – 13:00
Intended for artists, producers, and other cultural workers who wish to deepen their knowledge of production and post-production processes in performing arts. Participants will gain knowledge on how to plan for the longevity of artistic productions, both domestically and internationally. The workshop will also present how the City of Women approaches the post-production of its artistic projects and what challenges and solutions come with working in independent cultural production. We will also work on your own cases.
Applications are accepted until April 3rd at: info@cityofwomen.org
Sara Šabec: Audience Development and Working with Educators_, presentation and workshop
Tuesday, April 10th, 2025, 10:00 – 13:00
The workshop is intended for cultural workers, artists and educators who are interested in audience development and cooperation with educational institutions. Participants will learn about examples of good practices in audience development based on the projects Dancing in Your Shoes and Hidden Curriculum, developed by the City of Women. Various pedagogical approaches that the organization uses to engage school audiences will be presented, as well as methods of working with educators in creating content that encourages critical thinking and active participation. We will also apply the reflections to your own situations.
Applications are accepted until April 3rd at: info@cityofwomen.org
