PROGR - Cultural Production Centre
Overview
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Hint
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Intro
More than 150 artists from every discipline work in this studio in the heart of Bern, from graphic designers to choreographers and filmmakers. People meet here to produce art, but also to drink coffee, sell pictures and talk about books.
PROGR takes its unusual name from the schoolhouse it once was: in 2004, the premises of the Progymnasium – also known as the “Proger” - became vacant and were set up for temporary use as a cultural centre. For years it was unclear exactly what would become of the historic building in Bern's Old Town: at one point it was to house the contemporary art department of the Bern Museum of Fine Arts, then there were plans for medical practices and treatment rooms. It was only in 2009, after an emotional public vote, that culture won through: the PROGR Foundation received the planning and building rights to the property for 30 years.
Today, artists from a variety of disciplines work in about 70 rooms – all just five minutes from the main station. The ground floor is open to the public and a meeting place for culture lovers. Appropriately, the staff room is now a café bar that also serves as a bookshop and gallery. At weekends, the former gymnasium with its cosy green courtyard hosts parties and concerts by performers including Bernese icons such as Stiller Has and the Kummerbuben.
Contact
PROGR - Zentrum für Kulturproduktion
Speichergasse 4
3011
Bern
Switzerland
