ESC: Connect & Create at KC Kláštor

Our civic association OTVOR DVOR started in 2012 with a series of soft activities in the public space of our town such as organising contemporary arts exhibitions, art film projections, organising local food market, etc. After some time, we felt the need to rent a single space where we could advance our activities. In 2016 we rented an abandoned Franciscan monastery in the historical centre of our town Rožňava from the local municipality. We signed a 20-year contract with an aim to restore the building step by step and to create an independent cultural-creative centre in its premises. We called this project Kultúrno-kreatívne centrum Kláštor (KC Kláštor) - transl. Cultural-creative centre "Monastery". So far, we have managed to restore a major part of the building with help of various sponsors and several international and national projects (we have already been supported by EU funds, Norwegian funds, the Slovak Ministry of Culture, Slovak Arts´ Council, etc.). In recent years we have opened an art café, a bookstore, a co-working space, and accommodation premises (2 apartments and 6 hostel rooms) in the building. We organise a lot of cultural events on an almost daily basis as an independent cultural centre (incl. concerts, public readings of authors, theatre performances, exhibitions, discussions on important topics, etc.) and work with the youth. Recently we have restored a section of the building that serves as a restaurant (kitchen and a dining room) and a rental office f