Varaždin: A neglected cinema becomes a Center of creative and cultural industries - a project worth over 5 million euros will be financed by EU funds
The Mayor of the City of Varaždin, Ph.D. Neven Bosilj, on February 8, 2023, presented 7 strategic pillars of development that include more than 50 mutually integrated projects important for the development of the Varaždin Urban Area, which consists of the City of Varaždin and 14 surrounding local self-government units. Project financing is planned through integrated territorial investments for the Varaždin Urban Area - ITU mechanism, for the duration of the financial perspective from 2021 to 2027.
Today we present to the public the project "CENTER OF CREATIVE AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES of the Varaždin Urban Area".
The goal of the project is to restore the building in the historic center of the City of Varaždin, the existing neglected building of the former "DOM" cinema in Kukuljevićeva Street, and repurpose it into a Center for Creative and Cultural Industries. The building is owned by the City of Varaždin with the registered right of management and use in favor of the Varaždin People's Open University with the status of protected cultural property. A valid building permit was issued for the building reconstruction project. The estimated value of the project is approximately EUR 5,570,000.00 (including VAT) and the initially planned duration of project implementation is 36 months. The project will be implemented by the Varaždin Public Open University in partnership with the City of Varaždin, its founder, and other local self-government units.
The Center for Creative and Cultural Industries will support the development of creative and cultural creativity in the City of Varaždin, but also in the entire Urban Area of Varaždin. By repurposing currently abandoned spaces owned by the City of Varaždin and equipping them with modern multimedia equipment, the capacities of the Varaždin People's Open University will be strengthened for the implementation of training and retraining programs for workers in the City of Varaždin, as well as for other types of education for the future jobs of the residents of the entire Urban Area of Varaždin.
The renovated facility will contain workspaces for creative and cultural industries and joint workspaces for entrepreneurs (eng. coworking spaces), exhibition and sales area, conference (cinema) hall with telescopic stands, a hall for meetings and other events, a small sound studio and other technical premises.
As part of the project, collaborative branches will be established and equipped that will specialize in certain areas of cultural and creative industries in the City of Ludbreg and the City of Varaždinske Toplice, as well as in the Municipality of Maruševec, Municipality of Trnovec Bartolovečki and Municipality of Vinica.
A video presentation of the conceptual design of the future Center of Cultural and Creative Industries in the City of Varaždin is available at the following link: https://dia-ck.hr/arhitektura/u-povijesnoj-jezgri/centar-kreativnih-industrija-varazdin/ (City of Varaždin)