About Us

YESTERDAY

Mediterranean Dance Center (MPC) is located in Svetvinčenat, in the building of a former community center. It was founded in 2010, when major construction works were carried out to transform the space into a hall suitable for contemporary dance. The initiative to establish the center came from the Zagreb Dance Company (ZPA) and its then leader, dancer and cultural manager Snježana Abramović Milković, and was realized through a public-private partnership with the Municipality of Svetvinčenat, which provided the space and infrastructure support. The space was initially named Art Center, and in 2013 it took the name Mediterranean Dance Center.

In the initial phase, MPC focused on artistic residencies and educational programs, with an emphasis on supporting the development of original dance practices and providing space for creative work. Over the years, MPC continued to grow, focusing on improving infrastructure and expanding its programs.

Since 2014, Petra Glad Mažar, who had been involved in the center’s work since the first residency of Popcorn Machine by the French company My!Laika, took on the leadership of the Zagreb Dance Company (ZPA), thus becoming responsible for the further development of the center. Until the end of 2021, she collaborated with Snježana Abramović Milković in shaping the center's program, and in 2022, Petra Valentić, a dancer and producer, joined the team, actively contributing to the program's further development.

A significant milestone for MPC occurred in 2016, when infrastructure investments were completed, including the installation of ventilation and air conditioning, making the space functional year-round. These investments allowed for a greater number of residencies and also resulted in the first official premiere – "Staging a Play: Tartuffe" in the choreography of Matija Ferlin, produced and performed by the Zagreb Dance Company (ZPA), marking MPC's establishment as a production center.

By the end of 2024, MPC had hosted 116 residency projects, organized 90 educational programs, including seminars and workshops, and presented 52 performances, mostly during the Dance and Nonverbal Theater Festival.

TODAY

Since 2025, the Mediterranean Dance Center has entered a new developmental phase: by taking on the legacy of the Dance and Nonverbal Theater Festival, the center is transforming into a year-round programmatic center. The program for 2025 is being shaped by Petra Valentić and Petra Glad Mažar. The program will include residencies, upgraded to a higher level thanks to new technical resources, including a theater and equipment for lighting and sound, enabling an expansion of production capabilities. MPC continues to be a space for creation, but also for public events and a variety of formats aimed at the public and its development.

The center will become richer in content, more open, and more accessible – not only to artists but also to the surrounding community. MPC remains focused on contemporary performing practices, experimentation, and interdisciplinary approaches, further positioning itself as a space for work, exchange, and curiosity.

TOMORROW

The vision of the Mediterranean Dance Center is focused on further strengthening a sustainable model that supports artists, connects the local and international community, and contributes to the development of contemporary art in Istria and beyond. MPC remains a gathering place for research and creation – as a house of movement in the broadest sense of the word.

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