What is the Athens Festival? A great celebration that has lasted 56 summers, and that has hosted some of the leading lights of theatre, music and dance. From Mitropoulos and Callas to Rostropovich, Pavarotti, Leonidas Kavakos and Dimitris Sgouros. From Theodorakis and Hadjidakis to Savvopoulos, Protopsalti, Dalaras and Marinella. From Rondiris and Koun to Streller, Peter Hall, Noh theatre, Bunraku puppet theatre, and the Peking Opera. From Balanchine to Pina Bausch, and from Nureyev and Fonteyn to Martha Graham and Alicia Alonso.
Above all, however, it is a venture with an eventful past often clouded by events in Greece’s recent history. A venture that, over the last two years, has taken on a youthful vitality, and openness. But how did we come to this point?
Until 2005, Hellenic Festival events were staged at the following venues: the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the two ancient theatres at Epidaurus (at the Sanctuary of Asklepios, and at the ancient city), and the Lycabettus Theatre. In the summer of 2006, the company began a programme of expansion regarding the venues at which its performances are staged: property granted by the National Bank of Greece allowed for the creation of a new theatre through the renovation of Building D at the former Tsaosoglou Factory at 260 Pireos Street, while other venues around the city were used for the first time, such as Irini Pappas’ “Scholeion”, the Kotopouli Theatre, the Benaki Museum, the Faliro Indoor Sports Hall, the Porta Theatre, and others. A new theatre, co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and the Hellenic Festival, was created in 2007 through the renovation of Building H at the Peiraios 260 complex.
In addition to the creation of new venues for the staging of its performances, the company aims to broaden the audiences that attend its events, to highlight and promote the work of young artists, and to present contemporary trends in dance, music and theatre through the invitation of, and collaboration with interesting artists and performance companies. Efforts are being made to fall in line with the major European festivals of this kind.
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