COFFEE TALK with Rui Silveira | December 5, 24

Rui Silveira on Something Great, a non-profit organisation and live arts centre in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

On December 5, 2024, we had a talk with Rui Silveira, founder and co-artistic and managing director of Something Great, a non-profit organisation and live arts centre in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Since 2022, the centre has operated as an international residency for artists and will gradually open its four venues to the public between 2026 and 2030. Located within a large complex of outbuildings at Schloss Mentin in Ruhner Berge – a rural municipality of 14 villages near Parchim – the centre is just 1.5 hours from both Berlin and Hamburg.

In this Coffee Talk, Rui shares the story of Something Great and its transformation from an internationally renowned performing arts touring agency based in Berlin into a cultural charity and live arts centre rooted in an 18.6-hectare manor estate in southwest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Dedicated to supporting, promoting, and presenting live arts, the centre primarily focuses on contemporary dance and performance art while also welcoming and supporting other art forms, such as visual arts.