Kulturlounge – a project space for over 18 years – glad – electronic music from Leipzig

As a small club institution, the Kulturlounge has built its own place in the Leipzig electronic scene. You can read about who is behind it and why the Kulturlounge does not see itself as a club in the classic sense in our club portrait.

The area of ​​the Kulturlounge is so central and yet so hidden on the corner of Rechtsweg and Dresdner Straße. She has been at home there since 2011. A parking lot leads to an inner courtyard that gives me the feeling of a beer garden and an outdoor club area at the same time. I remember one or two evenings when I saw this outdoor area bustling with activity.

I receive a warm welcome from Steffi, Pierre, Basti and Christian. It's warm enough so we can sit outside for the conversation. The four of them introduce themselves to me and it quickly becomes clear that the culture lounge is a matter close to their hearts. It's not just the four of them who are doing the whole thing, but a whole group of friends are also involved.

The Kulturlounge dad Pierre, who is also chairman of the board and jokingly calls himself the “caretaker”, has been there since the beginning. He came up with the idea of ​​creating a project space, which has been operating as an association under the name of the Kulturlounge since 2005. The culture lounge, as Pierre describes, sees itself as a project space for cultural workers and not as a club. Not only parties or concerts take place here, but also other projects such as: B. the cooperation with the Leipzig Art Days.

Event concepts and the inseparability of “INAR”

Despite the fact that it is not a club, the focus of the culture lounge is on electronic music events – otherwise we would not have been itching to take a closer look at the place after all these years. The events are divided into 70 percent electronic music, around 20 percent concerts and around 10 percent other event formats.

There have been a wide variety of series of events over the past 18 years. All four of them have fond memories of a series of Thursday parties that took place regularly until before Corona. But you also realize that it's nice that you have regained Thursday as a crew evening and that you have time to plan weekend events.

Times have changed a bit: “In the beginning we were around 25 and now the audience is aging a bit too,” describes Basti. Pierre adds that this also implies that they don't have to follow every trend and that they don't reinvent themselves as a cultural lounge every year. Here they have preserved their “testing ground” in a small, family setting.

Pierre describes that the location is not a testing ground for party beginners. The events are aimed more at the 25 to 45 year olds among us. “We take the age range seriously. We also include young projects in the booking, but we also say that we like it when we have an audience of over 25 people here.”

Anyone who has followed the cultural lounge program may have noticed the name “INAR” on one or two flyers or event texts. The INAR collective has maintained a friendship that has existed for almost 10 years and the resulting collaboration with the Kulturlounge. INAR regularly curates electronic events and is, so to speak, a cultural lounge inventory. Musically, these events are mostly house, techno or minimal – but other genres are also represented. For example, Steffi curates an electro and breakbeat event series called “H25D”.

“I listened to it once. I really feel like working today.” – Why volunteering makes you want to

Why has the store been operating for so many years? The crew of the culture lounge remains true to itself and places great value on friendly relationships. And she has a great love for electronic music and a certain calmness. Not every trend has to be followed. It's more about having a good time together and a healthy curiosity for new projects and musical change. The culture lounge would like to keep a low profile overall and is happy about its position as a voluntary event location.

Pierre explains that this also takes pressure off: you don't have to pay fixed salaries and if there isn't enough capacity, you don't have to hold an event. He adds an anecdote from Anniko, who recently said: “Ah yes, I listened to that. I really want to work there.”

So people tend to come over on the weekend because they want to enjoy the music and being together. I ask the group why they still do this on a voluntary basis; after all, the whole thing is a lot of work. “I think it's nice to create a space like this for people. Of course, in the week before you sometimes think to yourself: Wow, it's really a lot of work, but then when the event is and people are having fun… that gives me an incredible amount.” I think a nice answer from Steffi, especially , because you feel that after so many years there is still the desire to continue.

Christian also agrees with these reasons, but also adds: “I come from the model stomach area, where you often sit in your quiet little room and make things – the culture lounge gives me a space that allows me to share that and at the same time be part of something bigger be.”

Wish box

Finally, I ask the four of them what they would like for the culture lounge. A very obvious wish immediately pops into the minds of the four of them: “Have a long, long existence.” I wish the same for the culture lounge.

I am impressed by how long the club and also the space have existed, which is not a given to be able to stay in one location for so long. So it is possible. This gives me hope for the east of Leipzig and its cultural landscape. What also gives me hope is seeing the commitment of the four of them and hearing how much they enjoy being here and how they have been volunteering for so many years to maintain and maintain this space.

Website Kulturlounge // Instagram Kulturlounge

Photos: Hannes Wittmann (group photo), culture lounge (exterior and interior view)