Description
In 1978 young people squattered the buildings of a former slaughterhouse in the heart of Bremen. A citizen initiative was founded and the idea of an independent and non-profit culture centre was born. It was the time of social and political movements and all these groups were looking for places for cultural activities and rooms to meet and to discuss.

Today the Kulturzentrum Schlachthof is an independent and non-profit organisation with a honorary board of eight people. Since ten years we get an regular grant from the City and we employ 14 people full-time and a lot of freelancer. We organize every year about nearly 200 events and we have more than 120.000 visitors.
We are scheduling a music programme ranging from international to newcomer bands and local musicians. For young bands we have rooms to rehearse and we support them when they try to get on stage. We are initiating multi-disciplinary projects about social and political themes with the goal to bring different people together. The Schlachthof is the venue for school-theatre and youth theatre productions in Bremen. Every year we organize a international youth theatre festival with groups from all over Europe and USA.
Every month we make the ZETT - a culture-magazine - in cooperation with another culture-centre - with articles about cultural, social or political themes and with our programme.

Former use : slaughterhouse
Surface of the site : 1.836 m² / plus garden, skateboard field, open air stage
Location: City
Foundation year : 1979
Type of occupation: free-lending contract
Owner of the building : City of Bremen

Infrastructures

 Kesselhalle (hall for theatre, concerts, parties, discos / 437 m²,
500 seats - 1.100 standing place
 Magazinkeller (concerts, parties, discos, lectures, exhibitions/113 m²
250 standing places)
 Magazinboden (discussions, lectures, theatre, acoustic concerts/98 m², 80 seats)
 Turm Ebene II (discussions, performances, exhibition/ 90 m² 80 seats)
 Turm Ebene III (performances, discussions/90 m², 80 seats)
 Arena (Open-air stage) (concerts, theatre) 300 seats
 Bar and restaurant with 150 seats
 Rehearsal rooms for bands
 6 office rooms
 1 Studio
 Main hall (entrance)

DISCPLINES AND ACTIVITIES

 CONTEMPORARY THEATRE : Youth Theatre, Residencies -Production-Training, Workshop -Spaces rental-festivals

 MUSIC : concerts, Residencies, Training, Workshop , Spaces rental , Debates , festivals

 MULTIMEDIA : Workshop -Spaces rental-Debates/Lecture/Conferences

 CINEMA/AUDIOVISUAL : Production, Diffusion , Workshop , Spaces rental, Conferences , festivals

SOLIDARITY/CITIZENSHIP : Workshop , Spaces rental , Debates , festivals

LITERATURE/POETRY : Workshop , Spaces rental, Debates , Lecture

PRESS : PR for our events and the ZETT our culture magazine every month

Financial support
City of Bremen

Networks
Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Soziokultur Bremen
Bundesvereinigung Soziokultureller Zentren, Potsdam
TransEurope Halles