MAPA-MAPAZ
MAPA – MAPAZ( Moving Academy for Performing Arts – Zagreb) – is project that was initiated by Mirna Žagar and realized in collaboration and through support of Dutch artists, mime, pedagogue and producer Ide van Heiningen. This project was primarily, especially when it came to the organizational structure, a virtual, flexible and mobile model of alternative professional development opportunity for those in the performing arts. It was and is a project created by artists for artists. The teachers are students and students can become teachers in a stimulating environment fostering exchange of experience, creative ideas and expertise. The objective was to provide support to the independent theatre and dance artists (as well as those interested) that were active in the early ’90-ties in what was known then as Eastern Europe. The objective was also to strengthen and build bridges for collaboration between artists from the West and from the East, and to form a network which will support greater mobility of dance and theatre productions within the region.
MAPA(Zagreb) during its most fruitful years, as it was at the time also supported through efforts of Dutch colleagues and Dutch government initiatives, delivered over 50 diverse workshops – which were realized in a form of production laboratories which taught new skills, initiated opportunities for exchange in experience and for artistic collaboration across disciplines and sectors throughout Europe. The project assisted with moving hundreds of emerging and established artists who through these new avenues found not only ways to collaborate with colleagues from other regions/ countries but also opportunities for professional growth, education; working with established European companies. While a number of these artists returned to their respective places of origin, many stayed behind in the countries who welcomed them and where they found fruitful ground to continue to engage in creative activity. Several of these artists continue working abroad and contributing to the cultures that embraced their talents (Holland, France, England, Germany…)
Through the relative short, highly dynamic period of MAPA in Croatia, several novel initiatives were introduced to the cultural milieu including seminars and practicum in arts management; light design for movement theatre; project management for independent productions; along with numerous workshops in mime, dance, movement theatre, dramaturgy and dance. Even after the bulk of the MAPAz programming shut down with the official closure of the MAPAZ office, the collaboration of those who participated in the many projects remains live to date.
As a result of all these activities we saw the formation of an informal network of artists and art professionals from Croatia, Czech, Slovakia, Roumania, Hungary, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, France, Holland…with recent revived interest in the project the network has expanded into Serbia and Macedonia.
Since its official inception in 1992 to date, the numbers of those involved in projects differed – at times it grew and then declined – depending on interests of those involved. Regardless, the network acted as a glue and facilitator for those that invested resources, talents, were prepared to share and exchange ideas and expertise and creativity. It was at the time a very new way of working and offering professional development through a traveling curriculum; somewhat of an interdisciplinary practical laboratory for young artists which not only enhanced artists’ skills but more importantly thought them a new way of thinking about production as well as the very process of creation.
Even before the official opening of the office of MAPA in Amsterdam (June 30, 1993) the process in Zagreb and in Croatia was well underway and was hosted by the umbrella organization of Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance (Hrvatski institut za pokret i ples) which in 1990 was the first non-government not for profit in Croatia with the objective to assist the development of young artists in the independent dance sector; additionally the organization took to produce the international festival Dance Week Festival and also worked in areas of promoting Croatian contemporary dance (especially platforms and presentations such as the ones in Denmark and Sweden (1994), Holland (1996), Czech (1999), Italy (2006); archiving and documentation culminating in specialized publications including Dance News; and, in 1995 the publication of the first ever catalogue of Croatian dance and movement theatre (in English) distributed world-wide.
Numerous individuals active today in the Croatian cultural scene, as well as several that are successfully creating a name for themselves internationally have been involved in a number of projects organized and/ or produced by MAPAZ and by the Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance: Ivana Muller, Andreja Boži?, Branko Cvjeti?anin, Branka Cvjeti?anin, Alexandar Acev, Matko Raguž, Nataša Lušeti?, Edvin Liveri?, Žak Valenta, Mirjana Smoli?, Irma Omerzo, Sanjin Dragojevi?, Emil Mateši?, Slaven Dellale, Deni Šesni?, Vladimir Stojsavljevi?, Nensi Lazi?, Sergej Pristaš, Vili Matula, Stanko Juzbaši?…
A selection of early MAPA(Z) projects include:
- International Dramaturgy Forum -
(1994; 1995) – project leader: Sergej Pristaš
- Labin Project – Collaboraiton to revive an abandoned mime into a cultural house: Grff Theatre (Holland), Labin Art Express along with a number of Croatian artists (which incuded amongs others: Stanko Juzbaši?, Nataša Lušeti?, Deni Šesni?, Darko Rundek…) as well as artists from Italy, Czech, Austria, Holland, Spain…
- Light and Scenography for Movement Theatre (1993, 1994, 1996 – Zagreb, 1998 Zadar)
- Mime workshop with Wilfred van der Peppel
- Musicality of Movement (1994)
- Principles of Biomechanics with Gennadi Bogdanov
- Arts Administration (in collaboration with School for Arts and Media Management, University Utrecht)
- Presentation of Croatian independent theatre and dance scene at Het Veem in Amsterdam (1996)
- Light and Movement laboratory – Zadar (1998)
Publication:
“Moving Minds – a network of talent” (a report on the mission and work of the Moving Academy for Performing Arts (MAPA) compiled by Jan Middendorp, Amsterdam 1999.
