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The Pionirski Dom (Pioneer Home) was founded in 1963 as a didactic educational institution but was relaunched a few years ago. It offers an array of creative outlets for Slovenia's children, allowing them to take part in cultural and language activities.

Youngsters from four upwards can visit the centre to learn foreign languages including English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and even more exotic tongues like Latin and Arabic.

PD also organises cultural days in the form of creative and adventurous workshops in the fields of fine arts, theatre, dance, music, science, and so on. In the music workshops, for instance, children can learn to play guitar and other instruments, create in jazz, rock or rap workshops, share musical stories, participate in the funky children's choir or attend a singing school. For children and young people who love visual art, the photo and movie workshops are essential as well as the novelties, such as animation film.

Another outstanding opportunity for a children's cultural day organized by Pionirski Dom is Festivalnice - concerts taking place in the Festival Hall each month. These offer concerts for children with high-quality music from various periods of music history, including jazz, performed by renowned local and foreign musicians and successful young artists.

In the Pionirski dom's Art Centre, sculpture, painting, graphics for children, young people and adults take place throughout the year. It is also a place where children from kindergartens and primary schools, mostly from the capital, display their works. Every year, they prepare at least ten exhibitions, which attract many visitors.

The programmes are carried out by highly qualified teachers and other staff. The selection is based on both staff expertise and skills in teaching; they are especially favour of younger generations of innovative educators.

Youth Festivals

Pionirski Dom organises four festivals each spring (the ZOOM film festival, theatre festival of children's dreams, music festival, young researchers festival), which kids love to watch and participate in.

Viktorija Potočnik, the former Mayor of Ljubljana, who now takes care of the image and programme of Pionirski Dom, likes to mention international recognition of good practices implemented there. Among all the excellent programmes on offer, she highlights the intergenerational projects - such as the sculpture workshop - where young and older people learn together. Parents and children often work alongside one another for these programmes. It is just one way in which Pionirski Dom is improving access to cultural activities in Slovenia.