The Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities (JSKD)

www.jskd.si, daniel.leskovic@jskd.si

is a non-profit governmental institution for culture and art with experts at its headquarters in Ljubljana and 59 local offices in all major urban centres in Slovenia. By a governmental regulation the JSKD is obligated to support amateur cultural societies and their unions. It is functioning primarily as a focal point for education in culture and backs cultural projects. The JSKD prepares seminars for the members of various cultural groups, for mentors and school teachers as well as amateurs, interested in art. It organises annual reviews and festivals of non-institutional artistic and cultural activities. There are 2250 cultural societies with 79000 members in Slovenia. Most of them are engaged in choral singing. Once a year the JSKD announces a public call for financing of projects and programmes on the national level. Since 1999 the state of Slovenia has been allocating special funding for investments in culture (»kulturni tolar« – »the cultural tolar«). The JSKD is obligated to make two annual public calls for investments: one for investments to enhance the equipment of non-professional groups and the other for youth culture centres.