Maja Voglar, MSc

Maja Voglar, MSc, believes that culture and the arts are not merely a reflection of society, but one of the key forces shaping the identity of places, connecting communities and co-creating the future of cities.

She is the Director of the Institute CELEIA Celje, a public institution operating at the intersection of culture, tourism and city marketing, which significantly contributes to shaping the cultural identity and development dynamics of the city of Celje. Her work focuses on creating an open and collaborative cultural environment where art, heritage, creativity and contemporary approaches to urban development intersect.
In her professional work, she approaches culture as one of the key building blocks of the sustainable development of communities. She advocates the connection of cultural institutions, artists, non-governmental organisations, the economic sector and the local community, and supports programmes that position art and cultural heritage within a broader social and spatial context. Under her leadership, the Institute CELEIA Celje develops projects that contribute to greater accessibility of culture, strengthen the city’s creative potential, and connect cultural content with tourism and urban development.
She places particular emphasis on the development of contemporary artistic practices, international cooperation and the creation of platforms for dialogue between artists, institutions and audiences. In doing so, she encourages partnerships that transcend institutional and sectoral boundaries and enable new models of cooperation between culture, tourism and local development.
By education, she holds a Master of Science degree in international economics. Her professional path combines an in-depth understanding of the public sector, economic systems and development policies. At the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia, she participated in the preparation of the state budget and the assessment of the financial impacts of legislation, which provided her with comprehensive insight into the functioning of public finance systems and the strategic planning of development policies.
Later, as Head of Asset Management at ZPO Celje, she was involved in the management of public infrastructure and the preparation of development projects, gaining extensive experience in investment planning, the management of public resources and the development of urban space.
Today, she brings together her knowledge of economics, public governance and strategic development planning in the fields of culture and tourism. Her work is based on the conviction that culture can make a significant contribution to social cohesion, quality of life and the visibility of cities within the wider European space. Through her activities, she fosters an environment in which culture is not merely a supporting activity of development, but an active and creative co-shaper of it.