Frakcija Journal for Performing Arts has been providing a theoretical and critical support for projects that were of marginal interest to the (not only Croatian) mainstream media, theater criticism and official drama and theater studies. From the beginning Frakcija was concerned with representation of an aesthetic approach and stabilization of certain movements in performing arts practice and theory. One can say the journal is defined not by the initial interest of scholars of performing arts in reflection and theory, but by the practitioners' interest to disseminate knowledge about and within the scene they work in due to specific circumstances of the market.

My professional life is a mosaic of different professions in the field of performing arts. Unlike for most of my colleagues, my love for the theater did not start out at an early age by joining a school drama group or seeing a children's puppet show. I discovered it in my teens seeing theater productions aimed at adults and searching for an interesting read on theater. Sadly, no extensive or interesting publication was available at the time. And the scene was ripening – Zagreb's Eurokaz Festival, established in 1987, was discovering theater stars, presenting most inventive authors and companies (among them Rosas, La fura dels baus, Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, Jan Fabre, Societas Raffaello Sanzio, Needcompany, Francois-Michel Pesenti, Achim Freyer, Stanislas Nordey …); Dance Week Festival (founded in 1984) showed a glimpse of the contemporary dance scene to come in Zagreb; productions at the Zagreb Youth Theater and Theater &TD demanded attention, while several authors established their own companies.

Then a disastrous set back came. The nineties brought political and economical turmoil culminating in war hostilities. Still artistic production did not cease completely, a need for an innovative contemporary cultural scene was strong although most of Croatia's institutional production suddenly turned to traditional approaches and even a hyper-conservative takes on theatrical heritage – a shift visible in all aspects of everyday life in the newly established state.

Frakcija appeared in this difficult setting in 1995. Published by the just established NGO, Center for Drama Art, it announced a shift on the local performing arts scene to come. The publication sought to brake free from the non-innovative institutional theater establishment, as well as announcing the program of the then Magazine, now Journal for Performing Arts. It was founded by a group of dramaturges, theater theoreticians; critics and artists based in Zagreb, but has included contributions from internationally relevant authors, established firm partnerships with similar publications in the region (Mask, Ljubljana ; Walking Theory – TkH, Belgrade) and internationally (Performance Research).

From its first issue Frakcija has been providing a theoretical and critical support for projects that were of marginal interest to the mainstream media, theater criticism and official drama and theater studies. From the beginning it was concerned with representation of an aesthetic approach and stabilization of certain movements in performing arts practice and theory. The journal is defined not by the interest of scholars of performing arts in reflection and theory, but by the practitioners' interest to disseminate knowledge about and within the scene they work in due to specific circumstances of the market. The publisher of Frakcija, Zagreb's Center for Drama Art, is active not only in artistic content based activities but through constant and strong collaboration in the non-institutional scene and work in the field of cultural policy together with other organizations and initiatives (education of the scene's participants, research and work on thinking new policy models suited for our context).

I began contributing to Frakcija six years ago when it was already no longer a magazine, but a journal – a symptomatic change in circumstances of the performing arts scene in Croatia. When it started out, Frakcija needed to create a base for a now flourishing contemporary performing arts scene in Croatia. To speak of how the magazine created the scene and not the other way around, is not a conceited statement, but a frank admission. With the beginning of 2008, I take over the position of editor-in-chief of the journal. Time for a new editor in chief to pay back her debt – as an author, participant of the scene, but also as a grateful reader and spectator.

Ivana Ivkovic, janvier 2008