Stadtwerkstatt & Co

O2 in Lambach, Rossmarkt in Grieskirchen or the Stadtwerkstatt Linz: in the 1970s, the foundation of cultural initiatives and associations experienced a boom in Upper Austria. The aim was the same then as now: to vitalise and to promote contemporary culture in the region, to establish an alternative (regional) culture, but also to call attention to important sociopolitical issues.

Field of Experimentation Beyond Traditional Culture (Locations)

Cultural initiatives and associations have a broad range of activities: they organize cultural events ranging from music to theatre and literature to film. They experiment with contemporary art trends, even outside urban areas.

Enriching the Regional Quality of Life

Cultural initiatives and associations create an opportunity to explore contemporary culture in rural regions as well. With their partly alternative cultural offers, they seek to reach a different audience apart from classical high culture – and at the same time try to overcome fear of contact with culture.

Stadtwerkstatt

The Stadtwerkstatt was founded in 1979 by University of Arts students. First initiated as a reaction to the main square being "concreted over", the Stadtwerkstatt developed into a culture and communication centre that was opened in the old part of Urfahr in 1990. The Stadtwerkstatt regularly holds music events and also organizes other artistic and cultural activities. With its performances, installations and actions, it contributes to designing public urban space. The Stadtwerkstatt building also houses the non-commercial radio FRO and the art and culture server servus.at.

KUPF – Cultural Platform Upper Austria

The Cultural Platform Upper Austria was initiated in 1982 and is the oldest still existing cultural initiative in Austria with an organisational structure. In 1984, it was officially founded as an umbrella institution, lobby and network of cultural initiatives in Upper Austria by three associations. In the first year alone, the number of participating cultural initiatives rose to 25. Meanwhile, KUPF unites 106 initiatives from the most diverse areas of contemporary culture. The aim of KUPF is the continuous improvement of the framework conditions for independent cultural work.

Active Support

The striking diversity and the large cultural potential of the independent art scene are an important component of cultural life in Upper Austria. For this reason, the independent art scene was anchored in the Cultural Development Plan of the City of Linz (KEP) as one of the focal points of cultural policies. Various funds, awards and scholarships from the Federal Province of Upper Austria and the City of Linz support independent cultural activists in their various fields.

The independent art and culture scene has an important function in Linz: it is a pillar of the innovative cultural development that uses space for experimentation, gives young talents a chance and can respond quickly to new trends and topics.The independent scene also plays a vital role in the local socio-political discourse and serves as a critical corrective. When the Cultural Development Plan was rewritten, the independent art and culture scene was actively integrated in the development of future-oriented topics and debates. The creation of frame-work conditions for the artistic production and work of the independent art and culture scene is an important topic in the process towards a new Culture Development Plan. This process includes spatial and financial resources which makes appropriate working possible in the first place, but also aims to make the independent art and culture scene visible to a broad public and to promote the cooperation with cultural institutions to mutually enrich and complement each other. The 'New Cultural Development Plan' project is an instrument that makes a modern discussion possible and that helps to develop and to implement measures.