The community hub Kapelvej 44 is at the risk of closure after it has been announced that a new budget plan might cut the funding for culturehouses and libraries in the municipality.
In March the Culture – and Freetime committee of Copenhagen announced plans for an upcoming savings strategy, with the goal of cutting the budget of a number of cultural institutions. One of the institutions that could possibly be hit by these cuts is Kapelvej 44, which could mean the end for the well-known and locally beloved culturehouse. However, after an intervention by local party chapters, the fate of the community hub might not be sealed yet.
Kapelvej 44 has been one of the central community hubs for the residents of Nørrebro for several years now. The graffiti-painted walls filled with art and anti-authoritarian messaging have seen countless people attending community dinners, dance classes, parties and debates, all serving to strengthen the community spirit of Nørrebro and Copenhagen as a whole.
However, with a new budget cut plan that is being worked out in the Culture and Freetime committee of Copenhagen as a part of the so called KUBI-plan, that intends to set the direction of the administration of public libraries and culturehouses until 2028, the community house might lose much needed funding, which could ultimately result in its closing.
Additionally, with the possible budget cuts, a number of libraries and other culturehouses could likely face closure, or atleast a great reduction in their funding.
The announcement of the budget cuts in February caused an immediate backlash amongst the users of the community center, who sees the municipalities plan as a loss of local culture, which would be hard to regain.
“We would be closing down som environments, that would be hard to start up again”, Mogens Petersen, chairman of Nørrebro local committee told KøbenhavnLiv Magazine.
“We are losing gathering spaces that the locals actually use. It would be immensely sad”.
The appeals against the newly conceived budget have seemed to bear fruit, as the official Kapelvej 44 facebook page announced on the 14th of March, that several parties in the Copenhagen municipality are seeking to battle the budget cuts.
On the 13th of March a meeting held in the Culture and Freetime Committee at the Copenhagen City Hall, resulted in the parties of Enhedslisten, SF, the Socialdemocrats and Radikale Venstre questioning the budget plans.
In a protocol addition the parties wrote that throughout the planning of the new budget, they have been focused on fighting for the possibilities of locals for strengthening activities at various culturehouses, “which is why we can not accept the closure of Kapelvej 44, which alongside the byhøjskolens activities, is the trademark of a strong locally anchoring and activity.”
This objection, however, does not mean that Kapelvej 44 is safe from closure.
The four parties’ objection has led the plan to come under a public hearing which will last 8 weeks. Any citizen will be able to have their point made during this hearing about the subject, and can have an influence on the final result.
The hearing will end on the 10th of June, after which a final round of discussion will take place. Whether this will end in the saving of the local community center, or just confirm the already made plan, time will tell.
If Kapelvej 44 is to be closed, the locality will have six months of operation until the final closing day.
