Serbia creates » Srbija stvara | 21 THE START OF WHAT WE CLEARLY RECOGNISE TODAY as the very authentic expression of the Drugstore nightclub first emerged in an unfinished house in the city centre. It was then quickly relocated to the old “Beko” industrial complex, only to find a home in the old meat industry slaughterhouse complex of “BIM Slavija”. Although this club has come a long way from its beginnings as a semi-squat underground venue to the most famous nightclub in the Balkans – with partners that include some of the world‘s biggest players in the entertainment industry (Boiler Room, Ministry Of Sound, Tresor, Arma17, Nuits Sonores, Sonica, Apgrade, Exit, Love Fest etc.) – this cultural hub has always had a DIY principle, and that principle can also be ascribed to the clearly anti-elitist and inclusive approach nurtured by this club. Everyone is welcome here, regardless of their financial status, skin colour, sexual orientation etc. This is probably the only club where you can see skaters and ambassadors jumping around to post-punk anthems at seven am. This club‘s influence and significance has grown greater by the day, with an impressive number of foreign stars having performed here or still waiting their turn. One of those highlights was the February 2020 performance of Richie Hawtin, perhaps the biggest name in electronic music. Despite the pandemic and the struggle to survive, last year was a significant one for the club due to its residents Svetlana Maraš and Branislav Jovančević (who performs under the stage name Kӣr and is engaged as the club‘s music editor) being chosen in the prestigious annual selection of artists of the “Shape” organisation, the body of the EU‘s Creative Europe platform. The latest news is that this club has joined forces with United We Stream, the world‘s leading streaming and crowdfunding platform, which provides assistance to club culture stakeholders imperilled by the pandemic situation. With the help of the Goethe Institute globally and the Serbia Creates platform nationally, the United We Stream Balkan regional platform has been established at this venue. This platform launched operations in January and provides a diverse and high-quality online programme that features representatives of the region‘s countries every Friday until April. One of the club’s highlights was the February 2020 performance of Richie Hawtin, perhaps the biggest name in electronic music UnitedWe StreamBalkan STORE The story of the Drugstore nightclub portrays the history of the cultural and urban upheaval of Belgrade over the past ten years
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