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Multimedia theatrical dance performance
THE DECISION
Our wish is that with the performance we open up space for thinking and deciding on organ donation after death, for this highly humane and solidary decision.
Life is a limited time, given to us with the intention of living it and being grateful for every minute, every moment, every touch of a fellow human being. Every time we breathe in, we give our body the opportunity to function, we fill it with energy that allows us to move, experience the world around us, educate ourselves, understand, create, love, be part of society. Our task is to understand that we are in this world for as long as it is meant for us, but we can do so much good and meaningful during this time that even when we are gone, a trace remains behind us. A trace that communicates that we were aware of who we are.
We can be more than that – we can be a possibility that means another breath, another moment to someone. All we have to do is decide that we want to become part of the network that makes this possible. Therefore, it is important to learn, choose and decide in life whether we want to be more than a HUMAN.
Katja Dance Company is proud to present a new charity dance-theater performance, created in collaboration with the Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Organ and Tissue Transplantation Slovenija transplant. The performance, under the artistic direction of choreographers Katja Vidmar and Mitja Popovski, produced by Albert Podrekar and under the honorary patronage of Mrs. Vlasta Nussdorfer, opens up space for one of the most important topics of contemporary society: the decision to donate organs and tissues.
Through contemporary dance, music and visual storytelling, the performance explores the moments when a person finds themselves faced with the most difficult questions – about transience, compassion and the power of donation. The performance invites the audience to reflect on autonomous, voluntary and informed decision-making and encourages an open dialogue about organ donation as a natural part of medical care at the end of life.
For many years, Katja Dance Company has been creating socially engaged projects that connect art and charity. We remain committed to this mission with this performance as well: a portion of the proceeds from the performances, after covering costs, will be donated to the Slovenian Transplant Society for the implementation of their tasks in accordance with the society's founding act.
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Humanitarian cause
Katja Dance Company has a three-point policy in place to donate funds from ticket sales to humanitarian causes. The proceeds from ticket sales for this performance will be donated to the Slovenian Transplant Society.
120
Around 120 organs are transplanted in Slovenia every year. The largest number is kidney transplants. All organ transplants are performed at the Transplantation Center at the University Hospital Center Ljubljana, where top experts provide the best possible treatment, postoperative care and lifelong monitoring of patients after transplantation.
55
In Slovenia, the average age of donors is around 55. In the last 20 years, the average age of donors has increased by 10 years.
In 2025, 1061 people decided to donate organs by the end of November.
10
In Slovenia, around 10 patients die each year. This is the lowest number within Eurotransplant, where around 1,300 patients die each year because they do not receive a suitable organ in time. These figures are proof that there are absolutely too few donors in all Eurotransplant member countries.
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On average, patients wait 12 months for a kidney transplant, 8 months for a heart transplant, 6 months for a lung transplant, and about 3 months for a liver transplant. In life-threatening cases, the waiting time for a heart, lung, and liver transplant is significantly shorter, usually a few days or weeks.
Source: Slovenian Institute for Organ and Tissue Transplantation Slovenia transplant
About the society
The Slovenian Transplant Society is a voluntary, independent, non-profit association that unites patients with transplanted organs and tissues, their relatives, people from the healthcare field and others.
It was founded in 2000 and has the status of an association operating in the public interest in the field of healthcare (since 2002) and also the status of a humanitarian organization (since 2006). With the establishment of the society, people with transplanted organs, their relatives and experts in the field of transplantation came together. This connection marked the beginning of awareness-raising about organ donation, where patients after transplantation took on this role and promoted the importance of organ donation and offered each other support and assistance.
The purpose of the society is to provide organized assistance to patients with transplanted organs, promote a quality lifestyle and thus increase the chances of successful transplantation.
Goals of the society
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inclusion of patients who are members of the association in the social environment and their destigmatization;
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informing and educating patients about life after transplantation (professional and general topics);
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recreational activities of patients who are members of the association;
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informing members about news regarding transplantation, health insurance and the operation of the association;
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promoting and raising awareness among the general public about the importance of organ donation and transplantation as the most modern form of treatment for end-stage organ failure;
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providing psychosocial support and assistance to members of the association before and after transplantation and their relatives with the aim of strengthening their strength, evaluating their experiences and coping with changes in everyday life brought about by transplantation.
The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Organ and Tissue Transplantation Slovenia-transplant (Slovenia-transplant for short) is a national competent organization that is responsible for the operation and development of the field of organ donation and transplantation. The Institute ensures organizational conditions, professional protocols and appropriate legislation to ensure that Slovenia has a successful, ethical, high-quality and transparent donor program.
It provides support to donor hospitals in professional dilemmas. It educates the professional public, informs citizens about the possibility of transplant treatment and encourages voluntary decision-making for organ donation. It maintains a national register of identified persons.
The premises of Slovenia-transplant house a central transplant coordination office, in which transplant coordinators coordinate and coordinate all activities on a daily basis so that patients on the waiting list for transplant treatment receive a suitable organ in a timely manner. Cooperation takes place at the national and international levels, most often between Eurotransplant countries. Slovenia-transplant also ensures traceability, quality and safety of all transplant treatment procedures.
The Public Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Organ and Tissue Transplantation, Slovenija Transplant, was established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (2002). It operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia.
On August 16, 2025, Katja Dance Company and Slovenija-transplant signed a Letter of Intent for Cooperation – an artistic project on the topic of organ donation.
Source: Slovenian Institute for Organ and Tissue Transplantation Slovenia transplant
Organ donation: your choice, your power
We make many decisions every day. Most are small, but some can have a huge impact – including on the lives of others. One such decision is whether to donate organs and tissues after death. It’s not an easy topic. It’s not something we like to think about. But that’s why it’s important to take a moment, stop, and make an informed decision about it.
Not because we should. But because we can.
Why is it important to make your own decision?
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Because organ donation is a voluntary, personal, and completely autonomous act.
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Because your decision can be the reason someone else gets a second chance.
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Because it’s right to base your decisions on such an important topic on facts – not hearsay.
Organ donation is part of modern end-of-life medical care. It’s something that saves lives. And something that can become a completely normal, accepted part of our society – if we talk about it openly, without fear, and without taboos.
Don’t fall for hearsay. Seek verified information. There is a lot of misinformation, myths and unverified stories circulating on the internet. That is why it is important to make decisions based on facts, not fear.
All true, verified and professionally confirmed information about organ and tissue donation is collected in an extremely transparent manner on the official website Slovenia-transplant. There you will find answers to questions that you may not dare to ask out loud – and information that will help you make a decision that is truly yours.
Your decision counts
Youth is the time when we form our values. When we decide what kind of people we want to be. Thinking about organ donation is part of this – part of a responsible, mature and supportive society. Take your time. Check the facts. Talk to people you trust.
And above all: make an informed decision.
Source: Slovenian Institute for Organ and Tissue Transplantation Slovenia transplant
