U-LEAD with Europe in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast received a lot of questions from municipalities about cultural centres and the organisation of the work in the industry. Olena Tertyshna, Head of the Regional Office, told more about this.
“The Office held a partnership meeting between representatives of the municipalities and experts from the Department of Culture, Tourism, Nationalities and Religions of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration. The establishment of a basic network provides the basis for the further development of this direction, and expert help is always necessary at the beginning.”
According to Nataliia Pershyna, Head of the Culture Department of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration, at the end of 2022, the Ministry of Education and Culture published guidelines on the establishment of centres for cultural services in municipalities. She spoke about the main documents that regulate the operation of such institutions. In addition, the participants received guidance on reorganisation, merger, liquidation and withdrawal from the basic network.
The speakers focused on the specific issues of the establishment of these institutions of a new type and the basic principles of their operation:
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barrier-free space and services, convenient location and hours of operation;
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modern architecture and interior design;
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multifunctional environment;
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services that are easily adjusted according to the needs of the population;
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polite and qualified staff.
Olena Pred, head of the local art school and a member of the local city council, shared the experience of establishing the Centre for Cultural Services in the Pereshchepyno municipality.
“We started back in 2021. Having analysed the activities of the municipality’s institutions, we found out that they need significant repairs and funding, so we drew up an action plan. Our cultural centre in the central estate — Pereshchepyne — meets the requirements of the Ministry for Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Then we started forming branches. This is how our aerobics and boxing classes, Vilna Women’s Club, youth co-working space for IDPs, art workshop, etc. came to be. These classes are hosted by internally displaced professionals who volunteer here.”
The Centre for Cultural Services in the Pereshchepyne municipality
Olena Pred warned her colleagues against unnecessary formalities and stressed that it was not enough to simply rename your old cultural centre to the Centre for Cultural Services. Decentralisation of the sector involves studying the feedback of the population and taking into account their needs.