Lokomotiva - Centre for New Initiative in Arts and Culture was founded in 2003 in Macedonia, Skopje as a non-profit organization playing the role of a multi-purpose platform for education, reflection, discussions, creative projects and critical thinking. It is a small organization, but is a very active participant in the building and development of the democratic socio-cultural space in Macedonia and ex-Yugoslavia region. Through its activities, Lokomotiva aims to widen the access of citizens to arts and cultural events and projects and to influence the development and support of the contemporary, dynamic art and culture as incentive in the development of the democratic society.
Lokomotiva is one of the most reputable non-profit organizations in the field of arts and culture in the region of ex-Yugoslavia as well as in Europe. Its reputation is due to development and successful implementation of many projects, such as films, performances, education, capacity building and training programmes, debates, discussions, exhibitions, researchers, advocacy activities and events etc. Lokomotiva is co-founder of Nomad Dance Academy project network (2006), JADRO - Association of the independent culture scene in Macedonia (2012) and Koopreativa – Regional Platform for culture (2012), founder of LocoMotion festival for contemporary dance and performance (2008). Lokomotiva is partner and co-organiser in two 5-years European project Jardin d’Europe (2008-2013) and Life Long Burning (2013-2018) supported by EU Culture Programme 2007-2013. Since its establishment, the organization is very active in the development of local cultural policy. In the frame of the Programme for Decentralised Cooperation between the region Lower Normandy (France) and Macedonia, Lokomotiva was programme developed and published the first Regional strategy for Culture of the Pelagonija Region in Macedonia (2013-2016). In 2015 together with Theatre of Navigator Cvetko, Lokomotiva founded KINO KULTURA - project space for contemporary performing arts and culture, with the support by the municipality of Centre that holds programs for performing arts as well as for civil society and community.
Lokomotiva has been awarded by Swiss Cultural Programme in 2013 The award was given for Lokomotiva's work, added value and excellence demonstrated in the filed of contemporary dance in the Balkan, realised through the cooperation project NOMAD Dance Academy, implemented in October 2007 – December 2010 in partnership with Stanica (Belgrade), Tanzelarija (Sarajevo), Tala Dance (Zagreb), Fico Balet (Ljubljana) and Brain Store (Sofia).

Lokomotiva’s founders in 2003: Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulavkovski, Iskra Shukarova, Natasha Dimitrievska, Ljupcho Tanurovski and Ilcho Cvetkoski

Members and Programme Collaborators (2016- )
Full members of the Lokomotiva Assembly
Natasha Dimitrievska, Katarina Donev, Aneta Ilievska, Violeta Kachakova, Biljana Tanurovska Kjulavkovski, Kliment Poposki, Iskra Shukarova and Ljupco Tanurovski
Associated members of the Lokomotiva Assembly
Elena Risteska, Dragana Zarevska and Sabirna Zeleznik
President
Violeta Kachakova
Managing Board
Katarina Donev, Aneta Ilievska, Violeta Kachakova, Biljana Tanurovska Kjulavkovski, Kliment Poposki
Executive director
Biljana Tanurovska Kjulavkovski
External continuous collaborators
Jana Acevska, Aleksandar Georgiev, Viktorija Ilioska and Kire Miladinoski
(The names are listed in alphabetical order)

Vision
Lokomotiva is a centre that enables creative realisation of ideas and critical thinking, which acts as a platform for education and support of the development of contemporary arts and culture in order to achieve progressive socio-cultural change in the community.

Mission
Lokomotiva is civil society organization that creates new opportunities for creation, development and work for professionals in the field of contemporary arts and culture.
Lokomotiva achieves this by generating new models of collaboration, research, advocacy in creation of developmental cultural policies on local, regional and international level, as well as development of needed capacities in the community.

In its work the organization respects the principles of openness and access to information, transparency in work, continual internal (through team meetings) and external (through websites, social networks and media) communication, accountability for the work done by preparing annual narrative and financial reports, mutual respect and respect of fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens and all cultural, religious and gender communities, promotion and support of the cooperation with institutional and civil sector in the country and abroad.

The main goal of Lokomotiva is to develop new models of management and collaboration in the field of culture, cultural policies and cultural production through activities in the field of contemporary arts and culture, with the focus on the contemporary performing arts, as well as in the filed of contemporary visual arts and film. To influence on the reformation of cultural policies and working conditions in the filed as well as on the larger socio  - political development through research, critical reflection, capacity bulging of the cultural sector (public and civil), participative efforts and advocacy activities. 

Specific objectives:

• To encourage the development of civil society in the field of culture - creating of new and dynamic civil society in Macedonia that will participate in the processes of creating public cultural policies;
• To support decentralisation in culture;
• To initiate and encourage partnership and collaboration between central, regional and local authorities and institutions on one hand, and civil society, on the other;
• To work on development of new models of cultural institutions;
• Capacity building for cultural professionals from civil sector and public cultural institutions;
• Facilitation in the process of development od cultural policies on local and national level;
• Creation and implementation of new models of education and knowledge sharing in the field of contemporary art practice and theory, which are not represented in the formal education system in the country;
• Stimulation of contemporary artistic production;
• To support development of strategies for international collaboration in the field of culture;
• Affirmation and presentation of the Macedonian contemporary art and culture aboard;
• Presentation and affirmation of international artists and art and cultural works in the country, and distribution of arts projects and works on international level;
• Networking at national, regional and international level;
• Knowledge transfer;
• Building up its own structure for development of projects and programmes for creation and dissemination of the contemporary art and culture;
• To encourage critical thinking and development of cultural needs;
• Education and audience development;
• Organization of humanitarian events for collecting funds for charity.