Take a stroll through the history of YCFK and youth organisation efforts in the town of Velenje. Since 1998, the organizers of YCFK have been supporting musical tolerance, eradication of taboos, and all things unconventional. Read about the castle maiden fiercely dancing, gently singing, eccentrically exposing herself, skillfully rapping, widening her horizons, loudly screaming, writing a sad poem from time to time and shapeshifting into a thousand different forms.

2022

The central theme of the festival was the celebration of Kunigunda’s twenty-fifth anniversary. Over the years, we have explored diverse spectrums of cultural creation in music, visual arts, performing arts, and urban sports, attracting numerous interesting artists, creators, musicians, actors, and visitors to the city.

This year, together with two pre-festival events, the program comprised a total of 22 diverse events, including 6 genre-diverse concert evenings featuring some of the most outstanding and critically acclaimed bands like Repetitor, the charismatic Masayah, the versatile artist Vazz, and the underground legends Noctiferia. We also had the opportunity to visit four diverse exhibitions, enjoy an Ex-Yu stand-up evening, a dance performance, the theatrical performance “Breskvice,” and a self-produced fashion show called “Fešn na Titovem trgu” (Fashion at Tito Square). We delved into an important theme and, in collaboration with KID Comadres, organized a round table called “Homage Velikanom,” a three-part project addressing the topic of trees in the local environment. Additionally, there were two creative workshops, one multimedia workshop, a competition and presentation of entries for the “Worst Poetry” competition, the revival of the Tito’s skate session in collaboration with the Duša association, and the “Živa galerija: Velehood” event in front of the eMCe Club, where the bravest got a permanent memory under their skin. The festival featured a light intermedia installation. The festival featured the “Svetlobna gverila,” a light intermedia installation that added a special ambient to the festival.

2021

This year, still full of challenges for individuals and society, we asked who are we when we look in the mirror. This period was marked with discussions about the origin of the virus, protective measures for stopping the epidemic, vaccinations; conflicts also started in other social, political and economic discussions. We tried to highlight the importance of discourse and finding solutions for the common good. Most of our programme was dedicated to local Slovenian artists, forgotten by institutions, left during corona without work and means of income. We want to give them a chance to perform while also allowing the audience to see art in the flesh, to connect, relax and strengthen the body and spirit for life in the new reality. Kunigunda’s message: no matter the personal and social circumstances, we are all only human. We listened to six genre-distinct concerts, saw three exhibitions, carried out two workshops and two performances, a theatre show, a panel and changed the centre of town into a giant skate park during Tito’s skate session. Skaters, metalheads, rappers, dancers, performers, visual artists, visitors and passers-by; culture has once again shown its multiple facets and opened the window into society’s heart.

2020

The twenty-third Covidgunda was unforgettable for many reasons and despite all the complications, sudden changes, measures, restrictions and some nebulousness it maintained common sense and opened your heart wide!

The concert program took place in the Open-Air Cinema, where we saw performances from the sharp-tongued storyteller of our everyday life Damir Avdić, the legendary Vasko Atanasovski & The Uncles from The Dark, the unique embodiment of folk pop Alicia Edelweiss, Fanfara Station with their modern folk emotion sewn into modern electronic dance fabric, the twins Bratři, the rascals Čao Portorož and other excellent foreign and domestic artists.

We prepared the exhibition Sosežigalnica and wondered about the thermal processing of waste and the consequences it brings to our valley. Varuh krajine came to life, a new experimental project by local artist Alja Krofl, the eMCe plac Gallery hosted the art tandem Zavetišče za zavržene rastline and their exhibition ‘green point’, at the round table ‘Nov prireditveni prostor in oder ob jezeru’ we wanted and got information about this large and important project first hand, we traditionally squatted in Tito Square with skaters, made a distortion pedal and sound synthesizer in our konS workshops, watched the show Image snatchers present : The Life and Deaths of the HPD and the crime drama of local creators Corporation.

And you wondered if Kunigunda will be? Kunigunda IS!

2019

On our cosmic journey we visited five concerts, four exhibitions and workshops and got to explore the Kunivesolje. We mixed everything form dance, mysticism to diverse musical genres and adrenaline adventures. Noctiferia performed a boutique-style acoustic concert with a larger ensemble in the magical Huda luknja, in Letni kino by Škale lake Velenje’s rappers had a hip-hop reunion and performances by Krešo begalka and Mrfy, on the terrace of eMCe plac the magical duet Ätna from Germany performed under the stars and we saw other fantastic local and foreign artists. On Velenje Castle we got to watch the always relevant show Animal farm, in the city centre the traditional Tito skate session, this time with the group Urban roof, the leaders of urban sports in Slovenia, we drew nudes live on Tito square triggering excitement as well as outrage. Kunigunda puts the mirror in front of society and individuals and still excites, entertains, satisfies, educates and sometimes even shocks. The way it should be.

2018

Kunigunda fights for young cultures and has marched head on with culture for the 21th time! The extensive musical selection included international stars, among the performers were Jeru the Damaja (ZDA), Bolesna Brača, veterans of Slovenian alternative music Demolition Group, excellent local and other artists, music once again echoed in the Huda luknja cave, artist Tilyen Mucik exhibited on the Velenje castle and Nejc Smodiš did the same in the eMCe plac gallery, SNG Drama thrilled with the play Svetlana Makarovič; Bloody Smokers, the exceptional Art Bakery once more opened its doors to Kunigunda with exhibits by Society Kolektiv gibanje and Tomi Vezjak. We released the book The Unfettered Heart, a retrospective of the 20th anniversary of the festival, we lit the Light Guerrilla and we destroyed stereotypes in the Living library.

2017

On the twentieth anniversary of the Kunigunda festival, the tempo of Velenje’s pulse was dictated by Repetitor, Stoka, Kaoz and The Stroj. Pekarna, the old bakery, morphed into a multipurpose exhibition and performance space, sheltering the beat of Kunigunda’s hear throughout the nine days. The first ever Kunikon was held this year – at the three day convention, we thoroughly researched geek culture and everything that comes with it. That, however, was not all Kunigunda researched this year: the festival’s home town was uncovered as well, with new exciting venues including the FBunker Gallery and the Coal Mining Museum.

2016

We put our hearts together with Dječaci, Matter, Sassja and Torul. Kunigunda’s notes echoed through Šalek Valley, whether it was the neck-breaking moshing to the tones of Within Destruction or the incredible acoustics of the concert in Huda luknja cave. We distanced ourselves from everyday filth and founded Autonomous Republic of Kunigunda, moved the boundaries of common events at the Conference on the (Un)Usual and observed the theory of our town through Francisco Tomsich’s eyes.

2015

As you do with an 18-year-old, we took Kunigunda for her first car ride. The culture was pumped through our veins by Elemental, Let 3 and Kiša Metaka. We got involved in an Arrangement of flexibility and pain, took a walk with (vprašaj Nino) and gave tribute to Brhki Robatec in Pekarna (the old bakery).

2014

Nervecell, Ana Pupedan, Edo Maajka and HouseMouse felt Kunigunda’s pulsating heart in this particularly cosmopolitan edition of the festival. We discussed the benefits of self-medicating and farming with marijuana, admired La Loba in the Bakery and crowned the new beatboxing champion.

2013

“The Wedding” performance was a celebration of love. We put best Slovenian beatboxers face to face for the national beatboxing title at the Outdoor cinema by the Škale lake. We were divergent with groups and bands like Velebor, Jimmy Barka Experience, Moveknowledgement, Fake Orchestra, Draganom Živadinov, Cladocero, and others.

2012

We proved we had balls. And so did Kultur Shock, Inmate, Senser and General Woo, who came to rock the coal under the Šalek Valley. There was a pleasant smell coming from the old part of Velenje, specifically Pekarna (The Bakery), but not of bread – instead, it smelled of culture the team had been spreading through the town centres. Yes, plural – the centre of Velenje with projects like the fashion show 7naK, and the centre of the new Water City.

–        2011 –

2011

The old klasirnica got a new image and the art that covers it was pronounced the biggest graffiti in Slovenia. By size, only the decibel indicators of Noctiferia, Kiril Džajkovski, Anja Bukovec, Terrafolk and Stekli psi could compare. Borut Veselko amazed us with the Lie, but lie fairly project and so did the musical workshop The Machinery.

2010

Even before the festival, Velenje gave its first tribute to musical legends with Radio Kunigunda coming to life. Only laughter at the mono comedy Čefurji raus, Katalena, Interceptor, Lollobrigida, S. A. R. S. and the rest of artistic creme de la creme at the 12th YCFK were louder.

arhiv-2010

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