Arts Centre
About
In 2022, with funding support from the German federal funding programme TANZPAKT Reconnect / Neustart Kultur, Something Great established the SG Arts Centre, an international centre for contemporary performing arts in Ruhner Berge, a municipality of 14 villages in southwest Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Conveniently located just 20 minutes by car from Parchim, the nearest town, and 1.5 hours from Hamburg and Berlin, the centre is housed within a complex of outbuildings at Schloss Mentin, a historic 18.6-hectare manor estate of the Ruhner Berge. Since 2022, these outbuildings have been repurposed as workspaces and venues for the SG Arts Centre. They are set to gradually open to the public between summer 2026 and summer 2030.
Development
In 2022, SG Halle 1—a former barn at Schloss Mentin—was transformed into a performing arts studio and multipurpose venue. Since then, it has served as the centre’s main space, hosting international artist residencies and public events each spring and summer.
Between 2025 and 2030, other buildings within the estate designated for the arts centre will undergo phased renovations, with new venues gradually opening from summer 2026. These spaces will be converted into workspaces and presentation venues for contemporary performing arts, while some will also be repurposed to welcome projects in other art forms, such as visual and applied arts.
Alongside these venues, additional buildings within the estate have already been repurposed or will be renovated to serve as accommodation facilities for the centre. Next to an existing guest house, which has been operational since 2022, renovations will begin in 2025–2026 to expand the centre’s accommodation capacity. The former distillery building will be transformed into twelve new guest rooms by spring 2026, while a second guest house near the existing one in Mentin will offer five additional guest rooms. Another new building near the future SG Workshops will provide five more guest rooms.
Additionally, the main Schloss Mentin building, which is not part of the arts centre’s designated spaces, will undergo renovations in 2025–2026 and is set to open in 2026 as an international training centre for healthcare professionals. Managed separately by the estate owner, this facility will host intensive training programmes for healthcare workers preparing to work in Germany, focusing on German language acquisition and other essential skills. While primarily serving this purpose, the main building will also have the capacity to accommodate guest artists and visitors of the centre whenever available, particularly during major public events.
The diagrams below illustrate the location of all our spaces . Soon, you will also be able to explore our current and future spaces in more depth through our Interactive Google Earth map, which will be online shortly.
1 – SG Halle 1: Performing arts studio and multipurpose venue (Operational since 2022) / 2 – SG Open Air Stage (Opening Summer 2026) / 3 – SG Galleries: Exhibition space for visual and time-based arts (Opening Summer 2027) / 4 – SG Workshops: Construction workshops & Applied arts workspace (Opening Summer 2028) / 5 – SG Halle 2: Future main venue with performing & visual arts exhibition spaces.
1 – SG Yellow Houses: One operational guest house (since 2022) and another planned for renovation in 2026-2027 / 2 – SG Distillery Guest Rooms: 12 guest rooms with private bathrooms, available from Spring 2026. / 3 – SG Workshops Guest Houses: Five guest rooms with private bathrooms, available from Summer 2028. / 4 – Schloss Mentin: Additional guest rooms, available when not in use by the educational facility.
Timeline
Winter 2025 - Spring 2026
Renovations at SG Halle 1 and Distillery Building
Construction of the Open-Air Stage
Summer 2026
Reopening SG Halle 1 & Opening of Distillery Building
Inauguration of the Open-Air Stage
Winter 2026–Spring 2027
Renovations at SG Galleries Building
Summer 2027
Inauguration of the SG Galleries
Winter 2027–Spring 2028
Renovations of the SG Workshops Building
Summer 2028
Inauguration of SG Workshops Building
Fall 2028–Spring 2030
Renovations of the SG Halle 2 Building
Summer 2030
Inauguration of the SG Halle 2
Renovations at SG Halle 1 and Distillery Building
Construction of the Open-Air Stage
Summer 2026
Reopening SG Halle 1 & Opening of Distillery Building
Inauguration of the Open-Air Stage
Winter 2026–Spring 2027
Renovations at SG Galleries Building
Summer 2027
Inauguration of the SG Galleries
Winter 2027–Spring 2028
Renovations of the SG Workshops Building
Summer 2028
Inauguration of SG Workshops Building
Fall 2028–Spring 2030
Renovations of the SG Halle 2 Building
Summer 2030
Inauguration of the SG Halle 2
Aerial photograph of Mentin, September 2024. © Christian Binder
Activities
The centre’s activities are structured around four key areas:
Associated Artists
As an arts centre, Something Great develops gallery-style collaborations with associated artists. These collaborations are multifaceted and adapt to the artist's evolving needs, ranging from international representation of their work to co-commissions, artistic research support, presentations at our centre, co-curatorial programs, publications, and more.
Residencies
Through its residency programmes, the centre welcomes artists and cultural professionals from diverse backgrounds, offering space for artistic research, creation, and collaboration. With a retreat-like setting, our facilities provide an ideal environment for focused creative work, professional exchange, and interdisciplinary dialogue.
Community
The centre is actively involved in developing local community programmes. Through artistic education initiatives, participatory projects, and community gatherings, we aim to strengthen the connections between the arts, culture, and community life while facilitating meaningful dialogue and cultural exchange.
Festivals & Public Events
As part of the gradual opening of its venues from summer 2026, the centre will launch a series of festivals and public events presenting contemporary performing arts and multidisciplinary art projects across the various spaces of the centre at Schloss Mentin, as well as in other locations throughout Ruhner Berge.
Background
Schloss Mentin and its estate have a history dating back to 1338. The current neo-Baroque manor, built in 1912, replaced an earlier Ritterhaus. Over the centuries, the estate has served as a noble residence, a centre for craftsmanship, a maternity home, a GDR-era children’s home, and briefly, a hotel. Later, it was renovated with the ambition of becoming a five-star resort, but the project was never completed, leaving the estate unused for a decade—until our arrival.
Learn more
Learn more