KONTEJNER is an NGO based in Zagreb, Croatia, dealing with art technology and science and issues of the human body in contemporary society The Zagreb case study revolves around experimenting with economic sustainability and community engagement for KONTEJNER’s new venue, a small centre for contemporary art practices.

The goal for KONTEJNER was to create more sustainable and diversified funding to support its new venue, and to foster community development by reaching new audiences and partners, and converting them into supporters of the venue. 

DI/S proved to be the right project for KONTEJNER to test innovative ideas and to question ideas for new revenue streams with the highly skilled group of consortium partners and valuable business coaching through CATALYST Agency.

KONTEJNER developed and tested a series of experimental actions, including launching a new company, monetizing spatial resources, designing membership packages for citizens and partners, and collaborating with architectural experts to explore new uses for the venue’s outdoor space. Instead of working with the usual ones from the cultural/creative, academic and scientific sector, KONTEJNER collaborated with new partners from the business sector such as private companies, professional associations and corporations. 

An important takeawy from the KONTEJNER case study is that innovative practices and development can be turned into a catalyst for a new organisational ecosystem that favours circular economy models and social entrepreneurship, generating new benefits for the broader cultural sector