Breakdance and Graffiti Jams in the City Centre
Upon completing compulsory or high school education, many of Ljubljana’s young adults find themselves completely marginalised. Those coming from deprived backgrounds are further excluded from artistic activities and lack cultural capital and social bonds. Those who enjoy Urban Arts very often face great difficulty acquiring a suitable venue for their activities.
In Ljubljana, the Bob Institute (Zavod BOB), an association with expertise in non-formal education, youth work, and credentials for applying to public tenders joined powers with the Gor Association (Športno-kulturno društvo GOR) which specialises in promoting hip-hop dance, music, and the movement as such. They recognized the needs of the young people and offered them a space in the underpass of Ljubljana’s main railway station. They call it ULCA Youth Center (Mladinski center ULCA) and seek to host hip-hop dance, graffiti classes, and other artistic activities throughout the whole day.
Of vital importance are ULCA’s youth workers, who are constantly available to provide all kinds of informal education and support. Its young leaders are simultaneously also experts and active practitioners of Urban Arts. Their enthusiasm is contagious and as Nežka put it:
“young people are attracted to that energy”.
As a result, they have managed to attract a wide range of young people from different backgrounds to participate in ULCA activities, which strengthen their social bonds and provide them with a platform for artistic expression. It is therefore of the utmost importance that committed urban artists get their place in the activities led by non-governmental organisations.
URB_ART spoke with Nežka Agnes Vodeb, the current coordinator of ULCA, social pedagogue and dedicated youth worker. The ULCA Institute (www.ulca.si), founded by the non-governmental organisation BOB (www.zavod-bob.si), offers young people a space to discover and develop their artistic potential.
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