The APSIM project (Applications of Situated Simulations) aims to promote the Greek culture using innovative technologies, assisting both the general public and the new generations to get familiar and love the archaeological wealth of Greece. Using an Augmented Reality (AR) application, visitors of archaeological sites and museums will have the opportunity to enjoy a completely different tour-experience in the archaeological sites, resembling one of a video gaming!

Through the Augmented Reality application CirculAR, cultural heritage sites are transformed into immersive, interactive experiences that connect the past with the present. By combining scientifically documented content with advanced 3D modeling, spatial mapping, and gamification techniques, CirculAR enables users to explore monuments in their original form directly within their physical environment. Using a smartphone or tablet, visitors can visualize reconstructions, navigate around monuments, and engage with historical narratives in a dynamic and intuitive way. The appliation is available free of charge for Android devices via the Google Play Store and for iOS via the App Store.

The creation of the CirculAR application was the result of multifaceted collaboration among scientists from different fields: archaeologists, historians, computer engineers, interface designers, educators, and specialists in cultural policy development. It was developed within the framework of the European APSIM project, coordinated by the I-SENSE research team of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTU), with the participation of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, the Department of History and Archaeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (University Excavation of Dion), the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, and the companies “GEOANALYSIS S.A.” and “Comic IKE.” The project is implemented under the “Research–Create–Innovate” action of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, co-funded by the European Union.

The island of Delos- sacred in antiquity serving for millennia as a cultural, economic, and religious center - comes to life once again with the help of the innovative Augmented Reality application CirculAR. Using a simple smartphone or tablet, users of the application can experience an augmented reality journey: they can bring the monuments of Delos to life, view them in three dimensions, rotate them, walk around them, and enjoy a completely new, immersive visiting experience. The Temple of Apollo, the Stoa and the House of the Naxians, the Propylaea, the Terrace of the Lions—all those monuments that today are discernible only through their architectural remains—are revived through augmented reality and the use of scientifically documented content.

By using the camera, sensors embedded in mobile phones, and spatial mapping and positioning algorithms, the application “reads” the landscape and digitally places monuments or traces of the past exactly where they once stood. “The user participates, learns, and forms an emotional connection with the monument, transforming historical memory into a personal experience. And this is precisely the goal—so that we can creatively reconnect with the past,” notes researcher Dr. Tina Katika, Head of the XR Department at I-SENSE. (Source: apsim-project.eu,  amna.gr)

APSIM’s Pilot Demonstrations in Delos Island

According to Dr. Angelos Amditis, project coordinator and Director of Research and Development at ICCS/NTUA, speaking to the Athens–Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), “We are effectively bridging today’s imagination with life in the past. Through the application, you don’t simply see stones or foundations—you see stories, you see architecture, you see human activities. As a result, the application becomes a means of interpretation and understanding, as well as an educational tool grounded in scientific accuracy, essentially transforming the ordinary citizen from a passive observer into an active explorer. In this way, every visit becomes a process of discovery, navigation, knowledge gathering, interaction, and connection”. “The greatest value of the application is that it functions as a bridge across time, carrying the past into the present and the present into the future. In this way, it helps us preserve not only the material but also the intangible dimension of History—creating knowledge and experience, and forging a meaningful relationship between people and place.” (Source: amna.gr)

The application is not limited to Delos. Through the same technology, users can also explore other monuments across Greece. The aim is to incorporate additional monuments into the application in the future.

The Episcopal Basilica of Dion in Pieria.  The ancient Dion, in the region of Pieria, was a sacred site of the Macedonian kingdom. The Roman colony of Dion flourished during the imperial period, particularly in late antiquity. Dion became an episcopal see, which reinforced its importance as an urban centre for the wider region. Near the centre of the ancient city and at a short distance from the Forum, the so-called Episcopal Basilica was built in the 5^th century CE, with at least two successive building phases.

The Philo’s Arsenal (Skeuotheke of Philon), located in the port of Zea (Piraeus), is a significant building preserving the technological memory of ancient warships. In 347 BC, the Athenians decided to construct a building in Piraeus to store the equipment of the military fleet—such as sails, ropes, and tents—during the winter months. The rectangular building, 130 meters long and 18 meters wide, called the Skeuotheke, was designed by the architects Philo and Euthydomos. Ancient writers considered the building the most eminent among the structures of ancient Greek architecture. Its virtual reconstruction was based on a surviving marble inscription, now exhibited at the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, which has been preserved in its entirety.

I.A.

The post The CirculAR Application by the National Technical University of Athens Research Team — Bringing Ancient Greece to Life appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Endeavor Greece was launched in 2012 as part of the global Endeavor Network to support high-impact entrepreneurs. Founded in the beginning of a critical economic turmoil, Endeavor Greece aimed to serve the country’s entrepreneurship and help it flourish at the exact moment it was most needed. Since then, it has been at the epicenter of the Greek Innovation Ecosystem, by facilitating local and global entrepreneurial development through mentorship, services, and programs that help innovative founders enter hard-to-access emerging markets, and make economies thrive. (Cover photo: amna.gr)

Its mission is not simply to support startups, but to back high-impact entrepreneurs who can scale, create jobs, and strengthen the broader economy. Endeavor is neither an incubator nor a traditional accelerator; it selects, supports, and invests in founders through mentoring, global networks, and, when possible, capital via Endeavor Catalyst. Its ultimate goal is the Multiplier Effect—successful founders reinvesting their time, knowledge, and capital to help the next generation and build a resilient innovation ecosystem. As Endeavor’s leadership emphasizes, when successful founders give back time, knowledge, and capital to the next generation, the ecosystem gains depth and longevity.

By offering networking opportunities, access to capital and expertise, the Endeavor Greece programs help high-impact entrepreneurs with talent and innovative spirit to thrive, have a significant impact on their ecosystem and transform economies. An important role is played by the Scale Up Program, the early-stage support program, which in 2025 added two new cohorts and six new companies. Today it includes sixty active companies with founders in fifteen countries, reaffirming Endeavor’s goal of attracting talent to Greece and building global businesses from the country. At the same time, corporate innovation programs—from OPAP Forward, which has supported dozens of businesses and thousands of jobs, to the Visa Innovation Program Europe, as well as Rise Up, act as bridges between innovation and the real economy.

Recently, entrepreneurs, investors, executives of large organizations, mentors, founders, and representatives of the innovation ecosystem gathered at the former Hilton venue within the context of an Endeavor Greece meeting. The occasion marked the close of the year and focused on reviewing the year’s achievements and planning the next steps.

“2025 was a year of unprecedented technological acceleration,” notes the president of Endeavor Greece and co-owner and president of Phaea, Konstantza Spyrakou-Constantakopoulou, in her message on the Endeavor website. “Greek founders are no longer just riding the wave. They are helping to create it.” This phrase effectively served as the informal title of the gathering, because almost every discussion—whether about exits, investments, or new business plans—led to the same conclusion: the Greek innovation ecosystem has entered a phase of maturity, and with it comes a growing sense of responsibility.

2025 was a milestone year, as this model revealed its full potential. From the Athens Innovation Summit at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to the first TechCrunch StrictlyVC in Athens, Greece moved to the center of the global tech and innovation conversation, while strong presences at major international events - Slush, VivaTech, FII, Gulfood, Idex - signaled a country acting with confidence and a clear narrative.

Endeavor’s global reach—spanning 50 markets, over 3,000 founders, and $700 million under management—translated into tangible results in Greece. Endeavor Catalyst invested $18 million in 12 Greek founders. Two leading Greek AI founders were selected as Endeavor Entrepreneurs, with Endeavor Catalyst participating in their funding rounds, which attracted global interest. In 2025 alone, the Endeavor Greece portfolio raised about $470 million in new capital, with six Greek companies included in Endeavor’s Global Outliers Class, ranked among the top 5% fastest-growing in the global network. These distinctions are not an end in themselves, but an indication that the ecosystem is gaining international momentum and confidence.

Behind the investment figures and headlines, however, lies another critical dimension. As Panagiotis Karampinis, Managing Director of Endeavor Greece, has pointed out, companies within the Endeavor ecosystem create new jobs, retain and repatriate talent, strengthen the country’s productive base, and contribute to the gradual transformation of the economic model. As was emphasized during the event, the goal is not only the generation of profits, but the diffusion of value across society, employment, and sustainable growth.

Endeavor Greece Video Interviews Series: Greeking Out 2.0

(Source: Endeavor Greece, amna.gr)

Government Startup Programs and Support in Greece

The Greek government has developed a range of programs and initiatives to support startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship. These programs aim to strengthen the national startup ecosystem, attract investment, and help new businesses grow both locally and internationally. Support is provided through direct government actions, public funding schemes, and cooperation with European institutions.

One of the most important government initiatives is Elevate Greece, which acts as the national gateway for startups. Managed by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation under the Ministry of Development, Elevate Greece maintains the National Startup Registry. The Registry aims at monitoring startup entrepreneurship progress based on specific KPIs, at supporting them with benefits and incentives, and to operate as a dashboard of metrics to attract investors from Greece and abroad.

In addition to Elevate Greece, the Greek government offers public funding schemes and grants, many of which are co-funded by the European Union through the ESPA / NSRF 2021–2027 programs. These grants support areas such as digital transformation, research and development, green technologies, tourism innovation, and competitiveness. Funding programs are usually announced in specific calls and may focus on certain regions, industries, or business sizes. Startups can receive non-repayable financial support, provided they meet eligibility criteria and investment requirements.

Another major pillar of startup support in Greece is EquiFund, an initiative of the Greek State and the European Investment Fund (EIF), created with the ultimate goal of accelerating the development of the venture capital sector in Greece. This objective is achieved by channeling capital from EquiFund to intermediary financial institutions—namely, management teams selected by the EIF with the appropriate expertise—which then, in a professional and independent manner, select the business ventures and ideas to be financed. (photo source: antagonistikotita.gr)

The Greek government has also implemented new tax incentives and has introduced investment-based incentives connected to startups. Through recent changes to residency programs, investments in innovative Greek startups registered with Elevate Greece can be used as part of long-term residency schemes. These measures aim to attract foreign investors while supporting job creation and business growth in the country.

Beyond funding, Greece supports startups through public incubators, innovation hubs, and science parks. These structures often provide affordable office space, mentoring, training, networking opportunities, and help with accessing public funding. Many of these hubs are supported by national or regional authorities and work closely with universities, research centers, and private companies.

Additional support comes from public-sector-linked initiatives, such as entrepreneurship programs run by national employment agencies, regional authorities, and development laws. These programs may offer startup grants, advisory services, wage subsidies, or support for young entrepreneurs and first-time founders. Startups may also benefit from innovation challenges, competitions, and accelerator programs supported or endorsed by government bodies.

Overall, Greece’s startup support framework combines registration platforms, grants, venture capital stimulation, infrastructure, and policy incentives. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to register their startups early, monitor funding calls closely, and engage with incubators and innovation networks. Together, these government programs aim to create a supportive environment for innovation, economic growth, and sustainable entrepreneurship in Greece.

I.A.

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Stathis Livathinos is one of the most influential directors of his generation. Former artistic director of the National Theater of Greece (2015-2019) and its Experimental Stage (2001-2007), he is especially known for his works with his acting company, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In June 2025, Stathis Livathinos was appointed a full member of the Academy of Athens to occupy the new Chair of Theater Arts.

From 2001 to 2007, Stathis Livathinos was artistic director of the Experimental Stage of the National Theater of Greece, where he launched an innovative educational initiative with the creation of Greece's first laboratory for theatrical direction. It was during this period that, through the laboratory's productions, an acting company with a relatively stable composition was formed, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Livathinos has collaborated with Greece's most important theatrical institutions (National Theater, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, Kefallinias St. Theater, Megaron Athens Concert Hall, etc.) and has directed some of the most notable productions of recent years, most of them with his troupe, including: Shakespeare's Love 's Labour's Lost (2002), It Never Ends: Greek Poetry of the 20th Century (2002-3), Euripides’ Medea (2003), Bulgakov’s Moliere (The Cabal of Hypocrites) (2004), Strindberg’s A Dream Play (2005), Dostoevsky's The Idiot (2007-8 and 2012), Vitsentzos Kornaros’ Erotokritos (2011), Homer’s Iliad (2013) -which toured to international acclaim-, William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton’s Timon of Athens (2017), Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz (2022), Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (2024), and Carlo Gozzi’s Turandot (2025). At the end of October 2025, Livathinos and his troupe will stage a production of Costas Taktsis’ The Third Wedding at the Greek Art Theatre Karolos Koun.

Our sister publication, GrèceHebdo, interviewed the director regarding his views on the art and ephemeral nature of theater, the importance of collective work and the timelessness of classical works.

On the occasion of the establishment of a Chair of Theater Arts at the Academy of Athens, to which you have been elected, I would like to ask you what this signifies for theater arts in Greece, on a broader basis.

It is true that theater does not require academic chairs to survive. It has survived without them even at the extremes of society and history.

However, any recognition and appreciation of theater as an institution is a positive step because, as I said in my acceptance speech, it validates its course, the struggle and the tireless efforts of so many generations of people from a time when theater was synonymous with frivolous entertainment.

The creation of the first academic chair for theater in Greece, the country where theater was born, is on the one hand symbolic, regardless of who occupies it (whether it’s me now or someone else tomorrow), and on the other hand can hopefully contribute to setting the conditions for interesting interventions, studies, and research, from which theater can only benefit.

That's what I want to believe, always looking at the bright side. I do that because that's how I am, and my personal goal is to make the most of all the potential opportunities that this academic chair offers, first of all in the field of education, especially theatrical education, a topic that interests me a lot. We're still at the start, but I already have many ideas, many thoughts, and it remains to be seen how all this will work out.

Speaking of the birthplace of Greek theater: we are a few steps away from the Theatet of Dionysus, considered to be the first theatre in the world, founded at the time of Athenian democracy. Why and how is the birth of theater connected to the Athenian democracy, why was it born here, at that specific time?

I don't think it could be any other way. It turns out that when a society reaches its heyday, it is in need of a mirror, an unsparing, accurate mirror. It is no coincidence that in very important periods of civilization, theater was always there.

I am neither a theater theorist nor a philologist, but what I can definitely say is that for theater to develop as an art, there need to have been phases of human evolution that inspire awe. Especially with regards to the evolution of spatiality, the concept of a public exchange of ideas and the birth of dialogue. Theater was not born on its own, but with it came literature, philosophy and -what's most important, since it encompasses all the above- language itself evolved with it.

And language is what keeps us alive in Greece. Because our history is full of surprises, setbacks and interruptions. But language preserves a continuity. This is a huge tool in theater, which -I believe and will always say it- is a national product. It is not simply a work of art, like, say, a painting or a piece of music.

Theater is a national product. It is directly connected to the nature of the people of each nation, who create it and perform it, and with their language.

I would like to ask you, what is theater for you? What is its contribution to the way we ask or answer life's questions?

Thankfully, theater deals with great issues that never concern just one person. They have to do with the fascinating, difficult and often tragic path of humans on earth. That is why certain works manage to survive and transcend the narrow limits of their time.

At the same time, when we observe life, we see that we need theater and mimesis to offer people something more, something that contains a different appreciation of life. Theater offers something extra, without losing sight of what is vital and fundamental. For me, theater is always an interesting, exciting game, but with great substance.

Are the great issues you mentioned the same issues that are the subject of philosophy? What is it that ultimately makes classic works timeless, whether it is Homer and ancient drama or Shakespeare?

Our lives are permeated and defined by specific issues that can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Usually they are love, death, creation, doubt…

But strangely enough, our lives are governed by small things. Our short lives pass in this fatal contradiction. And on this fact, I think, theater forms its own questions every time. Theater does not provide answers, because there are no answers in life. Life is a way someone asks questions and feels human because they think, because they are curious, because they wonder, because they are not satisfied…

Let's turn to what I would call, if you allow me, Stathis Livathinos' "obsessions", which are theater education and teamwork.

I wouldn't use the word obsessions. I have the luxury of usually being able to choose -up until now at least- the people I work with.

The team I work with has been relatively stable for the last 25 years and I have witnessed notable young people evolve into great artists. But I have of course worked with other people as well, including Betty Arvaniti and the Kefallinias Str. Theater or the National Theater of Northern Greece, etc.

I've been able in general to choose interesting people to work without losing myself pursuing too many things. I have always wanted my collaborations to be limited and meet certain criteria to make I would call honest, living theater, regardless of whether I always succeed or not.

What are the criteria for this type of theater?

They involve doing research and working with people whose character, talent, approach to creation, indicate that we share a curiosity and an interest in values, such as teamwork. This is not to say that individuality is banished from our work, quite the contrary.

But I don't believe I'm the first to engage myself with this kind of theater. This is what great stage directors, who I profoundly admire (like Strehler or Brook) have worked towards, and we shouldn't forget that. Not to mention great Russian masters of theater, who taught dramatic art as a collective work, and tried to save theater from the pit of self-promotion.

This began at the start of the previous century. The effort to get theater out of what we call a pit.

What would you call "a pit"?

It's the theater of the leading actor, the type that serves personal ambition and functions exclusively as a means of self-promotion. I am only interested in the kind of theater where even the last supporting actor will shine on stage, regardless of whether I always succeed to make that happen.

Would you say that this approach to theater changed thanks to the Russian method?

Yes, absolutely, that's what really changed things. Although I think that the great figures in the history of theater, such as Molière for instance, also needed great and talented people to work with.

I believe that the more talented someone is, the more they wish to work alongside other talented people, instead of the opposite. I think this is more of less obvious if you look at the history of theater.

I consider it very cheap and petty to collaborate with people you consider inferior just so you can easily outshine them.

 I think that real talent lies in being able to assert yourself among people from whom you have something to learn and with whom it is worthwhile sharing your secrets.

In your productions with you troupe, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, it is evident that a lot of hard work has been put into it, only to address an audience for a few hours. Is the ephemeral nature of theater -and fleeting time in general- an issue that you are concerned with?

I am always concerned by it, and nowadays we should be even more concerned, because we have found a powerful rival: image. Image as in those sweet, anodyne moments of scrolling, which can distance us from the charged moments of stage time.

We often find ourselves in a state of attention deficit.

Absolutely. And the things that tend to disappear in our days are those exact things that are essential for theater to function; and I believe that theater is what will ultimately preserve the humanity in us. Because time in the theater has real value; people are constantly trying to “buy” time, whereas a theatrical production takes place within a fixed time frame and demands total attention.

What's more, moments on stage or an actor's presence on stage are much more weightful, much more meaningful. A second on stage can be worth a century, while a second in everyday life can seem like nothing.

However, you are also concerned with the past. Judging by your recent book (Three Ages, Patakis Publishers, 2022), I think you want to honor the people who left their mark on you.

That is my true inheritance. And that is every person's inheritance. It didn't just appear out of thin air.

I was lucky enough to meet wonderful, remarkable people, and I feel very fortunate. Also, in a way, every person leaves something inside of us. If your life is meaningful and you give it substance, that leaves something inside of us. So yes, that's what I wanted to write about.

Finally, drawing on the title of one of your productions with the National Theater’s Experimental Stage, It Never Ends: what is that which never ends, in theater, in life?

This title works on many levels. Language never ends, and neither does theater, after we go away.

Until the time comes when it all ends. And we know when that moment is, when we cease to exist and we return to where we started, and someone else takes our place. That too is a way that things go on.

What actually never ends is the mysterious, special, strange thread that is part of the vibrant and sensitive people who care about language, theater, the stage, and art.

The post Stathis Livathinos: “Theater doesn’t provide answers, because there are no answers in life” appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

"Your Greek Word On A Sunday" is a popular, award-nominated, bite-sized podcast hosted by bilingual actress Emmanuela Lia, where she introduces a new Greek word each week, explaining its origins, etymology, and connection to Greek history and culture. The podcast is available on various platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Soundcloud.

Emmanuela Lia is a Greek actor, translator, and podcaster, who has worked at the National Theatre of Northern Greece and performed in numerous venues in London, including The Barbican and The Lyric Hammersmith; she has appeared in films such as Brides and Alexandria, as well as TV series, including Netflix’s The Sandman II. Alongside acting, she has translated of Helen Kostopoulou’s play "Σαν να μη συμβαίνει" (As If Nothing Happened), and her translation of Andreas Flourakis’ 'Ασκήσεις για Δυνατά Γόνατα' (Strong Knees) was staged at the Omnibus Theatre in London.

Each episode of your "Your Greek Word On A Sunday" is intentionally kept short, typically under two minutes, as Lia aims to provide an enjoyable piece of information rather than a formal lesson. The podcast, which recently has reached 300 episodes, has garnered a significant global following, reaching monthly listeners in 193 countries, with the majority of its audience residing in America and Europe, and as of recently,

Emmanuela Lia spoke to Greek News Agenda* about the creative process behind Your Greek Word on a Sunday, explaining how she chooses words that resonate with current events, holidays, or stories that personally fascinate her and her listeners. She reflected on why international audiences connect with the podcast, noting that people discover Greek to be less intimidating than its reputation suggests, especially when words are linked to familiar concepts, myths, or cultural references.

The episodes of your podcast “Your Greek Word on a Sunday” are wonderfully concise—just about a minute long. How do you go about choosing the one Greek word to feature each week, and deciding what historical or cultural thread to highlight?

Thank you! That’s a very good question. I try to make the episodes as relevant as possible. World news is the first thing I check when planning and, I always leave a little gap in the recordings, in case something happens and there’s a word I can link to that. Big holidays are another standard. Most of the time however, is the same way as choosing what to highlight within the word’s history. I focus on what I would find interesting to listen to. What would fascinate me in a story, a myth, a culture or a connection to my language and so far, thankfully, my listeners seem to agree with me.

The podcast is award-nominated and has developed an international following, reaching 193 countries, with most listeners in America and Europe. Why do you think international listeners connect with these explorations of modern Greek language and its influence on English?

I have Shakespeare to thank for! By popularising the phrase ‘it’s all Greek to me’ in his Julius Cesar, he made Greek feel extremely difficult and confusing. And although it’s partially true-it is, after all, a different alphabet- Greek language as a concept is not that confusing. And I think that’s what people realise when listening. They can see the mechanics behind the words in a way that is not a language lesson (something I actively tried to avoid) and then make the connection, work backwards in a way; you start by what you already know and connect it with something new and, you might be told a myth or two in the process.

Many of the words you explore have travelled from Greek into English and beyond. What’s one word whose journey across languages surprised you the most?

It’s not so much a journey across languages but rather a journey across humans. The word Encyclopaedia (ep. 222). I call it 'a human error word’. It was created because a Roman, translating from ancient Greek, read three words as one and then Greeks found it convenient and started using it themselves. I love words that carry the human element beyond their original creation.

Your podcast has recently approached its 300th episode and has been running for eight years. Have there been any changes in your goals for the podcast from when you started until now? Looking ahead, what are your plans for this podcast, or for any new projects/podcasts relating to the Greek language?

I started this podcast without thinking much. I just wanted to do it and dived straight into it. I learned how to produce, edit, publish and market a podcast without any help. So, for the first couple of years my goal was to make it to the next season. Then it was upgrading my production value and refining the writing. And now, yes, there are a few things I’d like to do. First of all, I would love to make it available to more people. The deaf community is a priority for me. I’m looking into creating videos with sign language and, I’m currently trying to figure out how can this happen in a bilingual, cross-alphabet way.

Another thing I’d like to start doing is promoting small businesses. I’ve been running all these years without sponsors and earlier this year Audible (the audiobook company) came on board as an affiliate and that helped me a lot. I think now, I can give some time to promote small companies and have created some really affordable plans to benefit everyone. As for another projects , right now, between acting, translating and, running the podcast, my time is very limited but, my phone is full of notes for new things and I will get to all of them, eventually.

*Interview to Ioulia Livaditi

Examples of words discussed on 'Your Greek Word on Sunday'

Syringe: Explains the origin from the Arcadian Nymph "Συριγξ" and Pan's musical instrument.

Stigma: Discusses its ancient Greek meaning "to mark" and its use as a "mark of disgrace," including historical examples from Herodotus and ancient tattoo removal methods.

Telegraph: Breaks down "Τέλε" ('something far away') and "Γραφείν" ('to write'), detailing the historical progression of long-distance communication technologies, highlighting "years of collaborations and building upon other people's ideas."

Talisman: Explores "Τέλεσμα" ('a ritual') and "Τελετή" (modern Greek for ritual), its journey through Arabic meaning "enigma" or "lucky charm," and its ancient use as divine protection.

Idol: From Ancient Greek "Είδω" ('I know' or 'I see'), describing an image or statue of gods, later associated with paganism in Christian texts.

The post It’s not all Greek to you: Emmanuela Lia on her language podcast “Your Greek Word on a Sunday” appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

The Maria Callas Museum in Athens was inaugurated in October 2023, on the occasion of the centenary of the artist’s birth. It is the first one dedicated to the Greek soprano who became an opera legend, aiming to introduce the general public to the career and personality of the internationally renowned soprano, while highlighting the elements of her technique that made her unique.

The museum project was implemented by the “Technopolis” cultural organization of the Municipality of Athens, using modern museological approaches. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the world of “La Divina” and her unique interpretation of some of the most emblematic roles of her career. Through objects, texts and audiovisual footage, visitors to the museum can follow Maria Callas’ entire career: her first steps, her years in Greece, her international career and major roles, her social and personal life, her emblematic personality, and the legacy she left behind.

Τhe Maria Callas Museum has been shortlisted for the prestigious European Museum of the Year Awards (EMYA) 2025. From a pool of 41 nominated museums across Europe, the grand winner will be announced in May 2025 at the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok, Poland. With the museum having completed one year since its official opening, and on the occasion of its nomination, our sister publication, GRaktuell, spoke with Maria Florou, Director of the Maria Callas Museum and Head of the Museum Department of the Technopolis of the City of Athens.

Maria Florou studied History and Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Museum Studies at the University of Leicester in England. In 2004 she was employed at Technopolis of the City of Athens in the sector of Visual Arts and Events. In 2011, she became Head of the Industrial Museum Sector, and took over the coordination of the museology team as well as the project management for the realization of the current Industrial Gas Museum. She was a member of the Board of Directors of OPANDA (Organization of Culture, Sports and Youth of the Municipality of Athens), 2017-2019. In 2022 she took over the project management of the Maria Callas Museum and since 2024 she has also been the Director of Museums at Technopolis.

How was the idea for the creation of the Maria Callas Museum initially conceived?

The story behind the establishment of the Maria Callas Museum goes back several years. The Municipality of Athens acquired the core collection in 2000 and housed it in the then newly founded Technopolis, a unique cultural space located in an industrial monument. Shortly afterwards in 2011, under the management of Kostis Bitzanis, as a part of restructuring and redefining the strategic objectives and given that the collection was believed to not be properly showcased in this industrial setting, it is decided that this issue should be further considered. The ultimate goal was to house it in a modern museum, ideally in the centre of Athens and most importantly, following the international standards of an integrated and modern museum institution and not just an exhibition. A preliminary study was therefore commissioned (done by Andromache Gazi, Erato Koutsoudaki-Gerolympou and Alexandros Charkiolakis), which would include both the museological and museographic design. The building at 44, Mitropoleos Street was acquired by the Municipality of Athens in 2010 and was immediately decided that it was appropriate for housing this collection. From the outset, it was intended to be a modern and sustainable museum, with spaces for events, educational programs, the installation of a bistro and a gift shop.

How long did it take to plan out the permanent exhibition, to staff the museum and plan its activities?

The actual planning, implementation and actualization took part from the end of 2020 until October 2023. New members were brought into the museology team, such as Niovi Andrioti (currently the Museum's Collection Manager), Despina Andriopoulou, who was actively involved in the management of the project and ran the museum in its first months of life, and myself who was the key implementation manager of the whole project and now runs the museum.

The core collection - which in 2000 consisted of about 300 items (letters, clothes, accessories, records and sheet music, press cuttings and a photo album, etc.) - comprised about 1200 items by 2020. During that same period, final decisions were taken on how to present the collection, while he museum's design studies were updated as were the architectural plans for the spaces beyond the exhibition halls, i.e. for the storage rooms, the café and the gift shop. We then worked intensively (over the course of about a year) at all levels to implement the museological study, the necessary construction works and adjustments to the exhibition spaces, and of course everything needed for the museum to function properly once it was open, such as staffing and drawing up its initial activities and strategic plan.

Please describe to us the building and the current exhibits that attract Greek and foreign visitors; how would you sum up the museum’s first year of operations?

The Maria Callas Museum, housed in an imposing three-storey neoclassical building in the city center, opened its doors to the public on October 26, 2023. The permanent exhibition spans the first and second floors, while the ground floor houses the museum's café and shop. The third floor serves as a multipurpose hall, a space for temporary exhibitions and educational activities. The Museum's collection includes Maria Callas's personal items, letters, posters, programs, theatre costumes, clothes, jewellery, photographs, audiovisual material, sheet music, records and works of art inspired by her. Within a year of operation, the collection was enriched with more than 40 new items, reaching a total of 1,200 items.

The Museum now attracts new donations and collaborates with internationally renowned institutions such as the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House Collection, Metropolitan Opera, The Dallas Opera House, V&A Museum, while in Greece it cooperates with the Ministry of Culture, the Athens Conservatory, the National Conservatory, the Athens Concert Hall and Lilian Voudouri Music Library, the Benaki Museum, the ELIA-MIET Archive, etc, and it loans items from its collections to other institutions and foundations such as the National Opera, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival and the National Library of Greece. In addition, the Museum has developed educational programs for children, families and schools, while it is active in various areas of cultural outreach, such as synergies with institutions working in the field of Cinema, cooperation with the Radio and TV network of ERT, hosting journalistic broadcasts in the Museum's premises, hosting artists from the entire spectrum of the Arts, permanent cooperation with University Institutions, such as the University of Panteion, etc, the co-creation of musical events with Conservatories of the city, giving a platform and promoting young musicians, etc. Through lectures, workshops, film screenings and inclusion activities, the Museum has established itself as a vibrant space for cultural and artistic creation, combining unique exhibits with contemporary initiatives.

What are you and your partners most concerned with today ( e.g. collection maintenance and enrichment, digitization, etc.) and what are the main challenges you face?

The Maria Callas Museum is called upon to meet important challenges in order to preserve and enhance its unique collection. One of the key issues concerns collection policy, as the constant new donations that present themselves require systematic research and evaluation. Each new object must enrich the Museum's narrative while maintaining its connection to the present. The conservation of the collection is an ongoing challenge, as it is critical to safeguarding the cultural heritage of Maria Callas. At the same time, digitization is a goal of the Museum and has begun to be implemented in stages, ensuring access to the material for future generations.

The Museum's educational mission is equally important. Opera, although not as familiar to Greek audiences, can gain new momentum through educational programs aimed at younger generations. The aim is to highlight the timelessness of Callas' art, linking its history with contemporary issues and approaches, so that it remains relevant for today's audiences. As part of this we have this year launched a series of Masterclasses, taught by renowned artists from the world of opera, in the hope that it will become a staple for the museum. At the same time, we encourage the creative expression of young artists who are inspired by Callas and see her as an eternal symbol. Our goal is to achieve a continuous feedback of the life of the Museum, placing it on the cultural map of the country, but also fulfilling its multiple roles as a contemporary museum on a daily basis.

How would you describe your vision for the role of the Maria Callas Museum in the contemporary cultural landscape of Greece and Europe?

As we move through the post-covid digital era, we envision a museum open beyond national borders, which will be an active member of the wider contemporary cultural and museum network, both in Europe and the rest of the world. The Maria Callas Museum, as a biographical museum and at the same time a museum for music and opera, can be a focus of scientific research and a meeting point for different groups of the public, through a variety of activities, fulfilling the principles of inclusion and the educational role of museums (and promoting contemporary culture).

Our dream is that the Museum, inspired by the very special and unique woman-soprano-symbol that was Maria Callas, and by her rich legacy, should be considered a home of the arts, living and developing in its own time and being a center of attraction for different people and innovative ideas.

Can you, as a person active in the field of culture, describe modern Greece to us in one sentence?

The culture of modern Greece reflects the sensibilities, beliefs and desires of a society that has survived an economic crisis but remains creative, modern, tries to be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all of us.

Photo credits: Studio Kominis and V. Patsialos, Technopolis City of Athens

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Callas, La Divina; The Maria Callas Museum in Athens

The post Interview with the Director of the Maria Callas Museum and Head of the Museum Department of the Technopolis of the City of Athens, Maria Florou appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Brook Manville is a Yale and Oxford trained historian, writer and independent consultant who writes about politics, democracy, technology and business. Through a career that has combined university teaching, media, technology, and consulting, he has authored multiple books and publications on leadership, organizations and democracy, often emphasizing the lessons of ancient democracies for modern-world issues.

His latest book, emphasizing the lessons of ancient democracies for modern world self-governance is The Civic Bargain - How Democracy Survives(Princeton University Press, 2023), which he co-wrote with Josiah Ober, the Constantine Mitsotakis Chair in the School of Humanities and Sciences at the Stanford University. The two also collaborated on an earlier book, A Company of Citizens  - What The World's First Democracy Teaches Leaders About Creating Great Organizations. Manville now also writes a Substack newsletter, further exploring the ideas of his Civic Bargain book: https://civicbargain.substack.com/

Brook spoke to Greek News Agenda* about the role of Athens in the establishment of the democratic paradigm, the lessons that contemporary citizens can take from the study of ancient democracies, and the necessary conditions for democratic survival today.

While in college, what was it that made you switch your study area from pre-med to Classical Civilization?

I was schooled in the 1950s and 60s, when Cold War competition focused American public education on science and math skills. I brought that bias to college at Yale, which provided similar courses, and a path toward my initial goal of attending medical school. However, because of Yale’s historic liberal arts tradition, I also had the opportunity to be exposed to a broad range of humanistic subjects. When I was casting about for a class to fulfil my distribution requirements, my roommate—who was a Classical Language major—suggested a popular course on the basics of Greek philosophy. It was taught by a young, charismatic professor who opened my eyes for the first time to Plato and Aristotle. Their work resonated with me so much: it was clear but also penetrating—and so applicable to questions of the day. My intellectual interest grew, and I went on to take more courses in the ancient world. Upon graduation, I won a scholarship to pursue a degree in ancient history at Oxford—which only increased my enthusiasm. I later returned to Yale for my PhD in that subject, and then wrote my first book: the Origins of Citizenship in Ancient Athens.  

Can you say more about how your passion for ancient Greek civilization developed?

I was intellectually curious when I entered college, and as I got into the introductory courses about ancient Greece, I realized there was this whole world that I knew nothing about, but was also the basis of so much of western civilization. I had earlier studied American history, and various courses in literature -mostly American, some English- and suddenly I realized many of the questions posed across all the humanities were first asked by the Greeks.  Like the great scholars of the Renaissance –who had the vision of “going back to the sources”– I came to appreciate how special the Hellenic civilization had been. Because its peoples not only asked but also tried to answer those questions—for example, about existence, the good life, political concepts, and learning from history.

How did your collaboration with the historian Josiah Ober come about?

Before my first book, on Athenian citizenship, was to be published by Princeton University Press, it had to be approved by a panel of outside experts. Ober was a rising academic star who had recently joined the Princeton faculty and he was part of that panel. He liked the book, but thought it needed some revisions before publication—which he discussed with me, and I was happy to make. From those first conversations, we became friends, and over the years worked on several other projects together, each bringing a complementary perspective that made for an enduring collaboration. Our book, The Civic Bargain, was first hatched from a discussion he and I started when we were speakers at a National Geographic convention on the future of democracy, in 2016.

Your book, The Civic Bargain uses historical examples of democracy (ancient Athens and Republican Rome, the founding of modern Britain and America) to offer lessons for citizens today worried about democracy’s future. How easy is it to draw parallels among eras with such differing geopolitical characteristics, socioeconomic norms and technological advancement?

Well – it's not easy. But because we thought those comparisons could make a distinctive contribution to current debates, we wanted to figure out how to make them work. After a lot of research and discussion, we hit upon two hypotheses that helped us tease out lessons from our four case examples—despite the many differences you note. 

First, if we could look beneath the variations of time, institutions, technology, etc. of each of the four cases, and get to the deepest fundamentals about what democracy is for any organization, we could find enough essential commonality to compare them.

Second, the comparison could be more fruitful if we could also look beyond questions of why democracy has failed through history –or is now failing– which so much of the contemporary scholarship has emphasized. To use a medical analogy, instead of asking “when and why is the (democratic) patient going to die?” we thought we should ask, “when the patient grew up and became strong and healthy,” what can we learn from its ‘wellness’?” We pursued this idea because even though the ancient democracies did eventually collapse, each of them (Athens and Republican Rome), endured, or continue to endure, for hundreds of years.

On the first point about fundamentals, despite differences in institutions and historical settings, the four cases all exhibit some essential commonalities. For example, they all created some kind of system that allowed people to live and thrive free of the rule of an overarching “boss”—a king, tyrant, oligarchy, etc. Also, they all had to make their system work well enough to deliver what people expect of any kind of governed community, even as a democracy—basic security and welfare. Though their institutions varied in form, they all operated to make collective decisions, hold leaders accountable, and resolve conflicts when they arose. And they all designed their institutions to be led by citizens—which they had to define and defend as a concept.

On the second point, about wellness, we saw that in al the examples, the way the democracy arose, and the way it kept strong, was citizens accepting and acting upon certain shared beliefs and norms necessary for self-governance: willingness to compromise when needed for the common good; and maintaining an attitude of “civic friendship”—tolerance of disagreement, and refusal to demonize or use violence against political opponents. And finally, they all had a commitment to keep educating one another, and the next generation too, about the institutions and norms that make democracy work.

It was from these two themes that we developed the overall concept of the book—that democracy is really a “civic bargain”—a deep agreement (in some parts tangible, in some parts implicit) among citizens, that they will do what’s needed to rule themselves, delivering security and welfare, and remaining free of control by a boss. We saw in the examples that the formation of these democracies all emerged out of a willingness of citizens to accept such terms of freedom; and that these democracies flourished as long as citizens remained committed to their “bargain” with one another—even if it meant periodically renegotiating and revising certain terms of the bargain.

These two themes, about fundamentals and conditions of “wellness,” taken together, provide the core lessons of the book: that any democracy can remain strong and resilient if the citizens are willing to build, defend, and renew as needed, the basic bargain by which self-governance first arises.

You’ve said Athenians were not historically the first to gather, debate ideas and vote, but rather the first to “conceive, and put into operation, an explicit bargain that bound people to one another with a civic identity”. What factors led to this development in that moment of history?

Great question. First a general observation: any kind of innovation, from the Internet to pharmaceutical or bioengineering breakthroughs often happen in very unexpected places. Human ingenuity and the conditions that allow it to flower are hard to predict and hard to replicate; and it’s hard to explain why some renaissance or explosion of genius happened here and not somewhere else. In the case of Greece, and its great innovation of democracy, civic self-governance,  and broader democratic culture, arguments are made about many perhaps critical factors: distinctive leaders; its geographic centrality in a world of rising trade and exchange, the influence of supporting innovations like the spread of writing and improved metallurgy, or the striving and reflection among competitive poleis about the best way to build and manage a community—or some combination of “all of the above.” But these are questions bigger than what our book attempted to answer: about the lessons of its historical democracy for modern states.

In fact, many scholars argue other pre-Greek civilizations deserve the credit of the self-governance innovation. Anthropological and archaeological studies suggest that certain prehistoric communities in other parts of the world (and also pre-archaic Greece) operated with a king who was not absolute or even with no clear leader—perhaps a kind of basic democracy. But celebrating the innovation really turns on how you define democracy—is it simply evidence that some earlier people once made some decisions without a boss? We say that’s a necessary but not sufficient condition—that, what makes a democracy is when a relatively large population (when Athens launched its democracy it was at least 30,000 citizens), relatively diverse in terms of people's backgrounds, are governing themselves as free and equal citizens, under arrangements of some kind of bargain for institutionalized self-rule. There’s a discipline and system that defines democracy, beyond simple or occasional participative decision-making. This kind of more systematic approach, and the development of a bargain for citizens to govern themselves are difficult to prove before 6^th C. BC Greece. There were many “democratic” Greek states in the ancient era, but Athens is the most fully documented.

Whatever reasons might explain the breakthrough and timing of classical Greek democracy, what Athenians accomplished has been an inspiration through the history of Western civilization. It has always motivated me to think about what we can take away from the very special centuries of ancient Athenian greatness.

You’ve also written that ancient Athens was history’s “first high-performing knowledge organization.” Would you like to expand on that?

Well, this is a bit of jargon from the 1990s but the concept implied remains relevant. Over the last decades, the world has seen that to succeed in the modern economy the knowledge and the collective wisdom of the people is a competitive differentiator. In the age of the networks and human talent, the countries with the best network of specialists and expertise are the ones that will flourish and be most successful. And the same competition is now pointing to future battles about who will create the best artificial intelligence.

So, we realized that when the Athenians invented what became their version of democracy, it was organized around this very innovative combination of people being mixed together from different parts of Athens and brought together regularly in the center of city, in the agora and then later the Pnyx; it was all about getting the collective minds of the community discussing and debating in open form, to face various challenges. One of the famous examples was in the year 480, with the great threat from the Persian Empire. The people get together and they debate different strategies (fleeing on ships and starting a new polis, fighting them on land), but the idea that gained traction was to man the newly built ships and meet the Persians out at sea, which of course led to the famous Battle of Salamis, which was kind of a counterintuitive strategy that came about as a result of the debate in the assembly.

I think that little story is one example of a model of what is now called the wisdom of the crowd; when you get large numbers of people with different backgrounds together with enough of a culture of harmony and willingness not to always agree together but to debate in a civil way, so that the best answer comes forward, when you create that climate of what we call civic friendship, then great wisdom can come forward. And of course, the best ideas also are what helped create this incredible renaissance of Classical Greece, marvelous architecture, new ways of depicting the human body, theater and arts--it's this this climate of many people working together, debating, trying, testing and coming up with new ideas, new innovations, that individuals on their own would never have thought of.

So, what are the lessons we should draw from ancient Athenian democracy—about democratic collapse, and fortifying against future collapse for 21^st century systems?

If we return to the premise that began our book –and this discussion– collapse is really the result of failure to preserve and renew what launched democracy in the first place. Metaphorically, once more on analogy of the human body, failure to preserve and strengthen “wellness” explains much of what ultimately becomes death. Death for humans is inevitable but not necessarily for democracy—or at a minimum, we say it can be sustained for a much longer time than people realize, if citizens are willing to keep committed, and renew/adapt as necessary the “health” of their civic bargain with one another.

That's what we have to remember when we get into the debate about "is democracy dying"-- and the answer is yeah it might be but it's in the hands of you, the citizens, to understand what you need to do so that doesn't happen. Υes, there are people who are threatening our democracy today, absolutely right, but it's in the hands of the citizens understanding, with some grasp of history, about what keeps it strong: that is the best defense.

In practice, that means citizens staying committed to the essentials of their bargain—doing what’s needed, and making changes as necessary, so they can keep governing themselves without a boss. For example, it requires them to be very clear about who's a citizen and who's not, having norms of what we call civic friendship, and willingness to compromise with one another.

Look at most Western nations today, who are struggling because of massive immigration; many people are unhappy about that and the systems are being over overwhelmed, and then political debate gets very ideological and partisan: people say if you're against immigrants then you're racist or if you are for immigrants you're throwing away our heritage. And we’re too quick to destroy political trust by abandoning basic civic friendship—so we can find common ground on those important questions. If we don’t find our way back in today’s democracies, we’ll all end up in destructive civil war. 

Here again, we can learn from history.

We saw that in Greece and Athens, for example, at the end of the Peloponnesian War, there was an oligarchic revolution, the so-called Thirty Tyrants took over with help from the Spartans and there was a democratic uprising which forced them out. Now at that point the Athenians could have said "we're going to kill every one of those people and we're going to kill everybody who supported them--we're just going to cleanse our nation of these people who dared to do that.” But instead, they decided "no we're not going to do that, we're essentially going to have an amnesty, because it's better for the culture and viability of our democracy if we can say, look, we forgive you, let's just follow the democratic rules together, we won't chase you and pursue you like vigilantes, but we expect you to be part of this system again". And that's what they did and Athenian democracy flourished for another 50-60 years.

Another thing we talk about is civic education; there needs to be education so that every new generation understands that the traditions and pieces of the civic bargain are essential to keeping democracy alive. So, the content of the civic bargain is just the tip of the iceberg: citizens and future citizens must understand the norms and underpinning conditions that support it.

In contrast to the common trend of pondering the death of democracy, you express an optimistic view in your book. Are you optimistic about democracy today, and if so why?

When our book was published, critics described it as a more optimistic view of democracy’s future. Which perhaps it was, in contrast to all the “doom and gloom” being published, and still today. But in many ways, what was being described as our “optimism” was misunderstood.

We weren’t implying democracy will always live forever—don’t worry. What we were really saying was that doom is not inevitably pending—there’s still life to preserve and extend, if we face the challenge. Through history, great democracies have always struggled—but today, if we pay attention to what kept them going when they successfully rebounded in the past, it’s potentially in our power to do the same now.

The ancient Athenians made renewing changes to their democracy after their loss of the devasting 5^th. C. BC Peloponnesian War—they completely rehabbed all the commercial activities to compensate for the loss of their empire. They put in new laws, and changed how laws themselves would be made, to protect themselves against the sort of volatility of the crowd which had produced some disastrous decisions. So, adaptation and changes to the bargain are fundamental; if you can do that, there's a case for optimism but it's optimism, without a guarantee. If collapse is not inevitable, neither is eternal success. Citizens who cherish democracy holds the bargain on which it depends in their own hands.

*Interview by Nefeli Mosaidi and Christina Fiorentzi, with the help of the Public Diplomacy Office of the Embassy of Greece in Washington, DC.

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Rethinking Greece | Kostis Kornetis on the Democratic Transitions of Greece, Spain, and Portugal: Memory and Legacy; Bruce Clark: “The Acropolis never ceased to be a place of spiritual importance”

The post Brook Manville on what Ancient Athens can Teach Us about Democracy Today appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Evanthia Reboutsika is among the most famous contemporary Greek composers. She has created music for both instrumental pieces and songs, and is especially famous for her original music scores that have been used in films, TV programs and theater productions.

Reboutsika was born in Patras and at the age of six she began studying the violin at the Conservatory of Patras. She continued her studies at the Athens Conservatoire and the Greek National Conservatoire and later in Paris at the École normale de musique. From a young age she played with her brother and sisters as a quartet, touring in Greece and abroad.

Her works have been internationally distinguished, at the Rome International Movie Awards, the Cannes Indies Cinema Awards, the London Greek Film Festival, and others. The World Soundtrack Academy awarded her with the "Discovery of the Year 2006" for Çagan Irmak's film "Babam ve oglum" which was also awarded by Bosphorus University as Soundtrack of the Year. The score she composed for Tassos Boulmetis’s A Touch of Spice won the State Prize at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

She created original music themes, among else, for the bicentenary of the Greek War of Independence and for the play "The Ellinikon", while together with the lyricist Lina Nikolakopoulou she created the song "Hellenism", a hymn to the Greek Diaspora. She has been awarded the Golden Lion of the Order of Alexandria by the Patriarch of Alexandria.

Her latest project is called "Gefyres / Bridges Greece - Israel - Palestine" (with the participation of Israeli Ladino singer Yasmin Levy, Palestinian-Israeli singer-songwriter Mira Awad and Greek soprano Christina Poulitsi) conveying the message of peace coexistence togetherness through the healing value of music that aims to function as a bridge across nations and cultures.

What are your influences? What role has Greece played as a symbolic space of inspiration? And how are Eastern and Western melodies combined in your work?

Ever since I was a child, my life has been full of various types of music, since I grew up in my father's movie theater, a place echoing with film soundtracks from all over the world. In the darkened auditorium we had melodies from around the globe to keep us company, at home we listened to my father who was an excellent Byzantine cantor, at the Athens Conservatoire I pursued my studies in classical music and our daily life was permeated by traditions, local and beyond.

For centuries, Greece has been a source of inspiration for all people, all the more so for me since it is my homeland. My travels have brought me to distant countries but in each of them I have always found a common language, music.

I sensed Greece everywhere, its colors and sounds, its art and culture have influenced the whole world. The West and the East, whatever their differences, remain elements of the same humankind.

You have composed several film scores and TV sountracks; where do you get the inspiration for this kind of compositions?

A fleeting moment, a thought, a story I read, a memory - all of these can provide inspiration. Then the melodies flood the heart and become notes that give rise to new emotions. The journey of inspiration is unique to each person and may not be just about art. Connecting with the people of the Diaspora who sought out new homes without forgetting their roots, their own experiences and their stories, all of these are sources of inspiration.

I often like to create my own stories with my imagination and a melody is born to accompany each story.

You have composed the song "Hellenism" with the support of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy. What is your relationship with the Greek Diaspora?

I have always had deep emotions towards Diaspora Greeks, with whom I often come into contact through my travels and concerts abroad. Along with Lina Nikolakopoulou, who wrote unique lyrics and whose words caused hearts to beat louder, we created "Hellenism" as a minimal offer to Greeks abroad.

We wanted to give voice to the nostalgia, dreams and hopes of people who live far away but always have their homeland in their soul.

What are your views on contemporary Greek songmaking?

Songs are our friends and, as such, sometimes they have a lot to tell us. There are many songs worth discovering in a time when there is often low quality in cultural production.

Tell us about your upcoming plans.

I've always loved to travel, I've said many times that I had my suitcase ready for the most unexpected trips. This time I want to travel with the "Bridges" of music around the world. The start was made on October 4 at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, with the aim of using the melodies to speak about the necessity of togetherness and to underline the unifying and healing value of music.

Read also via Greek News Agenda: Filming Greece | Film Director Tassos Boulmetis: Strangely Enough, the Crisis Promotes Greek Cinema

The post Evanthia Reboutsika: “I have always had deep emotions towards Diaspora Greeks” appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou AM, a dedicated educator, human resources professional, and founder of the NGO Food for Thought Network, was born in Epirus, Greece, and moved to Australia in 1972. She began her career in Victoria’s Department of Education, initially as a teacher and author of textbooks for Greek language education. Later, she became a school counselor before moving into private-sector leadership roles in human resources. She has alse served as a sessional lecturer at Swinburne University, focusing on diversity in the workplace.

In 2001, Athanasiou-Ioannou founded the Food for Thought Network with a mission to empower and connect Greek women, a commitment for which she was recognized with awards from the Victorian Honour Roll for Women and the Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2004.

This September, Athanasiou-Ioannou and the Food for Thought Network organized the inaugural "Women and Hellenism" conference in Ioannina, Greece. Held during September 2-6, 2024, the event brought together 50 speakers, distinguished women from around the world—business leaders, scientists, authors, academics, and politicians—to discuss themes such as omen’s multifaceted identities and roles, Greek identity and heritage across generations and the sustainability of Hellenism in a global context.

The conference marked a landmark occasion in celebrating Hellenism and the role of Greek women in shaping a more inclusive and vibrant future for Hellenic culture globally.

Athanasiou-Ioannou discussed with Greek News Agenda* the impact of the Food for Thought Network in empowering Greek Australian women through community and cultural preservation. She reflects on the challenges facing the Greek Diaspora in Australia, the evolving role of women as community leaders, and her vision for an ongoing global dialogue through the Women and Hellenism Conference that can strengthen intergenerational Greek identity and foster global partnerships.

As the founder of the “Food for Thought Network,” how have you seen the organization influence the lives of Greek Australian women?

The Food for Thought Network has been a powerful catalyst for change in the lives of Greek Australian women by providing a platform for them to connect, share their stories, and offer mutual support, both personally and professionally. Through over 150 events, a Philosophy Café, an online interactive platform, and a self-published book, HER VOICE: Greek Women and Their Friends, which profiles the voices of 42 women, the network has fostered a vibrant community. Additionally, the Inaugural Global Conference has been a significant milestone in the journey.

By focusing on education and raising awareness about the barriers and enablers to women's development, leadership, and cultural heritage, the network has supported many in strengthening sense of identity, building confidence and in pursuing ambitions. Providing mentorship opportunities, referring women to relevant organizations, offering financial support to young women seeking to improve their lives. Like Soprano Christiana Aloneftis, sharing the role of Maria Callas with Angelina Jolie in the film MARIA.

Beyond its immediate activities, the network has helped reconnect women with their cultural roots, especially those who had previously “distanced” themselves from their heritage or let go. Many now attend events related to Greek culture, seeking opportunities for involvement and connection they once avoided.

What inspired you to organize the Women and Hellenism Conference ? How does it align with the mission of the Food for Thought Network?

The Global Women and Hellenism Conference was inspired by a long-held dream of mine to unite women from Greece and the diaspora to foster stronger connections and collaboration; fueled by the success and positive reception of my book, HER VOICE: Greek Women and Their Friends Global Forum and the thriving closed Facebook group, "Greek Women and Friends Global Forum." Both platforms highlighted the need for a global space where women of Greek heritage could come together to share stories, experiences and aspirations.

Aligned to the network’s mission, the conference was born out of a desire to celebrate and amplify the contributions of Greek women worldwide while reinforcing the cultural ties. With the aim to provide a unique opportunity for women to come together – to exchange ideas, explore their roles as leaders, cultural custodians, community change-makers, and advance women empowerment and leadership.

The Greek diaspora in Australia has a rich history spanning over a century. What are the biggest challenges currently facing the Greek diaspora in Australia, especially in terms of cultural preservation, integration, and identity?

The Greek diaspora in Australia, spanning over a century, faces several nuanced challenges such as cultural preservation, integration, and identity which vary significantly across generations.

For the first generation migrating in the mid-20th century, a deep anxiety exists about maintaining the Greek language and traditions. With over 400 thousand Australians of Greek descent today, (some claim 700 thousand) this generation is aging accentuated by a growing urgency to pass on their stories, customs, and values to ensure Hellenic “continuity”. There is a pressing need for community-based programs that preserve their language and culture while fostering new generational engagement.

The second generation, born and raised in Australia, faces different challenges around balancing co-existence (Australian society vs Greek cultural heritage). Many grew up speaking Greek at home while navigating a multicultural environment outside. In Victoria, Greek is still ranked higher when it comes to the language spoken at home, other than English. After Mandarin (221,798) and Vietnamese (118,801), Greek is in third place with 107,158 with a gradual erosion of the language among younger generations. This generation wrestles with maintaining identity amidst increasing cultural integration, especially as mixed marriages and diverse family structures—such as high divorce rates and single-parent households—become more common.

For the younger, third and fourth generations, growing up in an even more multicultural Australia, the connection to their Greek roots sometimes feels more distant. In a world shaped by modern global challenges, such as economic inequality and social change, cultural preservation often takes a back seat.

Ensuring younger generations stay connected to their Greek heritage, language, and traditions is a major community concern. Programs like Greek language schools, cultural/religious festivals, youth exchange programs, scholarships and community events are vital, however their reach is sometimes limited.

Without active and innovative efforts to engage youth, Hellenism sustainability is at risk. New ways of being connected to the heritage such as travel opportunities, technology, theatre, music and gastronomy were discussed at the Conference.

Women have always played a crucial role in maintaining cultural heritage within the diaspora. How do you see the role of women in the Greek Australian community evolving today?

Greek Australian women play a pivotal role in preserving cultural heritage within their community, often juggling careers, young children, and elderly parents, creating an exhausted "sandwich generation." Today’s women are well-educated, independent, and highly skilled at navigating the multiple challenges they face in both their personal and professional lives.

The economic crisis in Greece led to a "brain drain," but for Australia, it resulted in a "brain gain," with many educated, bilingual, and well-travelled women migrating to the country. Injecting fresh energy into the community, creating new organizations and enriching the cultural and social fabric.

Currently Greek Australian women remain underrepresented in leadership roles within both mainstream and community organizations, many of which remain patriarchal. Research shows that diversity in leadership, particularly gender diversity, directly correlates with more productive, innovative, and financially successful organizations. Studies by McKinsey and Catalyst have found that companies with higher levels of gender diversity on their boards outperform those with lower diversity by as much as 15-25% in financial returns.

Women-led not-for-profit service provider organizations, such as Pronia, Frondidha Care, and AGAPI Care in Melbourne, helmed by Greek Australian women, are thriving because they benefit from the leadership and decision-making approaches women bring; emphasising collaboration, inclusivity, and long-term strategic vision.

As Greek Australian women increasingly step into leadership roles across various sectors, as culture carriers they juggle the preservation of Greek traditions while advocating for gender equality and empowerment. Shaping the narrative of what it means to be both Greek and Australian and vice versa: blending tradition with modernity and driving positive change and impact within their communities and beyond.

In your experience, how have Greek Australian women acted as cultural ambassadors both in Australia and Greece? Are there any stories or individuals that stand out to you?

Greek Australian women, as culture carriers, are actively engaged in professional spheres and play a vital role in preserving Greek traditions through community events, educational initiatives, and cultural festivals. Notably, many have championed causes like bilingual education, ensuring that younger generations not only learn Greek but also embrace the richness of their heritage.

There are numerous examples of women who have excelled in leadership across various fields. Professor Vasso Apostolopoulos, a globally recognized immunologist, Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM, a national advocate for women's health, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos an advocate on the mediterranean “diaita”, prominent journalists Helen Kapalos and Patricia Karvelas, are just a few. Others, such as festival director Nia Karteris, Violet Roumeliotis AM have influenced government policies related to refugees and asylum seekers, and Chanel Contos who successfully advocated for consent to be included in sex education, stand out.

Politicians like Maria Vamvakinou, Jenny Mikakos and accomplished academics such as Professor Joy Damousi, Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis along with numerous businesswomen. Like Global diversity consultant Maria Dimopoulos AM, Penny Sahinis who mentors top female leaders who take a seat at the IMF and G20 table. Leading researchers and academics recognised for their significant contributions both in Australia and internationally.

Their efforts as leaders and advocates exemplify the essential role they play in connecting and enriching both cultures whilst advancing reforms in their field of work and creating noteworthy impact.

Looking forward, what is your vision for the Women and Hellenism Conference? How do you believe we can foster a deeper intercultural exchange and understanding of Hellenism, both within Greece and in the diaspora communities abroad?

The future of the Women and Hellenism Conference lies in expanding its reach and depth through ongoing dialogue between women in Greece and diaspora and reporting on tangible outcomes and impact.

A permanent global network of women who can collaborate across countries, sectors, and cultures to promote Hellenism and the role of women in leadership is nested with the vision.

Requiring financial support of the Greek Government to continue with regular global conferences in Greece (with economic benefit) and fostering intercultural exchange through mentorship programs, scholarships, cultural/business exchanges via collaborative projects to sustain Hellenism. As an aside, we can also play a role in facilitating strategic partnerships across academia, business and NGO level.

As I look back to on the conference, the women of the Greek diaspora arrived and were visible to their compatriots who were surprisingly taken aback and, equally, enveloped in our multifaceted identities.

So much to do we’ve just only started.

* Interview to Ioulia Livaditi

Read also from Greek News Agenda

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• Migration Routes: First Greek Australian Archive Underway

The post Empowering Greek Australian Women: Varvara Athanasiou-Ioannou on Diaspora, Female Leadership and Hellenism appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Olga Pozeli is a stage director, actress and writer; she is a prolific artist and arguably the most important representative of devised theater in Greece.

Pozeli has studied English Literature at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and trained as an actress at Roula Pateraki’s Drama School. She then took her MA in Drama and Theatre Studies, on a British Council’s and the Academy of Athens’ scholarship, at the Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London, with a major in Directing. On her return to Greece she formed a theatre company, NOITI GRAMMI, the productions of which she directs ever since. NOITI GRAMMI has presented several devised theater productions, but also plays by David Mamet and Steven Berkoff, among others.

Olga Pozeli has been nominated for two awards (one by the Hellenic Association of Theater and Performing Arts Critics and the other by the Athinorama magazine) for the productions Do you love me?  and Kvetch. In 2012, the International Festival of Monoperformances Vidlunnja awarded her the Festival Directors’ Award for the monodrama When the red Toyota went off the road and sank in black water. In November 2016, at the International Experimental Theater Festival held in Hanoi, Vietnam she received the Award for Experimental Innovation for the production I remember.

Since 2008, Olga Pozeli is the Secretary of the International Monodrama Forum of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), while at the same time she acts as an advisor for Fujairah International Monodrama Festival (UAE). From 2004 to 2011, she taught Theater Direction in the Department of Theater Studies of the University of Patras. She is in charge the European Theatre Project PEEP at Moraitis School.

Greek News Agenda spoke* with Olga Pozeli on the art of devised theater the way it defies traditional hierarchies in the process of theater-making.

You are one of the most important representatives of devised theater in Greece. Tell us about this method; what are its main differences from both traditional theater and improvisational theater?

Devised theatre is not a movement in itself, nor a distinct theatrical genre, hence an attempt to historically chart the course of the art of devising until the term "devised theater" was officially introduced into theatrical dictionaries, into the curricula of theater departments in universities and into the audience’s collective conscious, would inevitably end up as an inexhaustive record of individual artists and productions scattered over several decades.

The method of devising in theatre is a process in which a group of people start creating from scratch, without a pre-existing theatrical text. And it is usually a group of people who share a common ideology, believe in the equality of partners, and wish to express their social and political concerns through their art. Among them there are those who are more extroverted, who explore the human condition in society, analyze social institutions, study political issues, and those who are more introverted, who are concerned with the way we perceive, feel, think, the structure of thought, the nature of consciousness, the self in relation to art. We belong to the latter group.

What were your goals when you founded the theatrical group NOITI GRAMMI?

The basic principle which permeates every performance by NOITI GRAMMI during its 25 years of presence in Greek theater, is restoring parity between the different theatrical codes that make up a performance (text, acting, stage design, costume design, kinesiology, music, etc.). We do not believe that one of the above codes is the focal point of the performance event and the others merely frame or enhance it. On the contrary, we are convinced that a contemporary performance is a complex sum of many different but completely equal elements. For this reason, our productions are more in the logic of stage composition. In such a light, the role of the director is not limited to merely proposing an interpretation of the dramatic text and directing the actors, but rather extends to designing and then composing the entire universe of a production from a collection of diverse elements. It is natural for such an approach to elevate the role of the visual in such a way as to restore its parity with speech.

NOITI GRAMMI has successfully staged many productions representative of devised theater, but not exclusively. How different from the traditional approach is your approach to staging a pre-existing play?

In terms of performance, an actor in NOITI GRAMMI move away from the principles of psychological-realistic theater: they are not encouraged towards an emotional-psychological portrayal of the roles -often descriptive of emotion- but are guided towards a more abstract -and therefore open- kind of acting, which enables the audience to choose for themselves what their attitude will be towards the events on stage. On a physical level, we try to explore the personal expression of the body - a body that carries its own history. In the rehearsal room, the actors question current kinesiological forms and try to discover their own very personal improvisational material, thus emphasizing the creative process rather than the result. In this way, the natural potential of the body comes to the foreground, but so do its limitations. This disparity - the regression between virtuosity and weakness - is a basic axis of the way in which each theatrical persona is represented on stage. We also move away, as far as possible, from traditional theatrical spaces, arguing that the separation between audience and actor prevents both from feeling that they belong to a community and from sharing the same theatrical experience. That's why we've done two promenade shows so far - EX LIBRIS, in libraries, bookstores and cultural venues, and CONFESS in private houses.

Your group is staging for the second year the show Bites, which you describe as "an adult show about animals". What prompted you?

Animals have been and always will be a central element of the human world. We may completely ignore, or choose to ignore, the vast majority of them (let's not forget that insects comprise more than two-thirds of living organisms) but those we interact with are of immense and essential importance to us. In recent years we have noticed that society has begun to re-examine its relationship with them. It’s now more than small, utopian minorities that are concerned with animal welfare issues; there is a large number of advocates at the forefront of these battles, articulating their positions eloquently and boldly. So we too are making an attempt to explore what the place of animals is in a socially conscious art. We move the animal from the position of victim/object, transforming it into an active subject.

You have taught Stage Direction at the University of Patras and since 2013 you have been in charge of the European project PEEP International Theatre Project at the Moraitis School. How much does your experience in theater -especially in this particular method- help you in the process of teaching, and how does teaching influence your work as a director?

Teaching has always been an important component of my work. The six years I taught at the Department of Theatre Studies of the University of Patras were probably the most creative in this respect. Young people inspire you and remind you that life goes on and you have to keep up with it! I taught at the Moraitis School for ten years and now I have kept the PEEP Theatre Project at its high school - a European project that brings us every time together with different schools in Europe, with the common goal of creating a small theatrical production.

This year, as a guest of the Egyptian government at the 31st Experimental Theater Festival, you gave experiential seminars on devised theater to young people from Egypt. Would you like to tell us about this experience?

It was an eye-opening experience! I introduced 12 Egyptian actors to the art of devised theater. Although they had no previous contact with this art form, they offered me their trust and were willing to experiment, take risks and become, during the five days of the seminar, an unexpectedly close-knit group that managed to create small scenes of devised theater.

The production Does it Bite? is presented Fridays at 21.00, at Fournos Thater

*Interview by Nefeli Mosaidi

The post Olga Pozeli on the art of devised theater appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

The Sacrifice of Jephthah, Dapontes’s idiosyncratic masterpiece, is staged, for the first time in Greece, by Othonion (curtain), an Athens-based artistic group that believes in the value of traditional stage practices and their spiritual benefit for wider audiences. One of the main objectives of the group is to explore the wondrous world of shadow puppet theater through experimentation, creation, and reconstruction of texts or performances. The group was created in the context of a shadow theater course taught by Iossif Vivilakis at the Department of Theater Studies at the National and Kappodistrian University of Athens. Aiming to introduce the audience to a lesser-known, multifaceted repertoire, the group is continuously experimenting with new techniques and styles.

Jephthah, a mighty biblical warrior, leads the battle against the Ammonites. To win, he makes a vow to sacrifice whoever would come out of the door of his house first to greet him. When his daughter was the first to come out of the house, he is now obliged to sacrifice her to God. Oath and sacrifice are the key aspects of the play. On the pretext of a family drama and its horrific ending, the play is a treatise on love and death. It highlights the collapse of Jephthah, a triumphant leader, that is bound to fulfill an impetuous promise.

Caesarios Dapontes,born Constantine, (1713-1784) is one of the most important scholars and poets of modern Hellenism. He received an excellent secular and ecclesiastical education in Skopelos, Constantinople, and Bucharest. At the age of 35, after a brilliant career in Wallachia, he was imprisoned, lost his wife and child, abandoned the world, and went to Mount Athos. His work is innovative and incorporates numerous autobiographical elements. He combines personal confessions, hagiographies, myths, oral traditions, biblical stories, dramatic monologues and folk songs.

Dapontes deliberately used simple language so that he could be better understood by the Greek-speaking Orthodox population. It is worth mentioning that the production uses the original script, so this allows us to reevaluate it.

Dapontes is a prolific writer and a captivating individual who left a lasting mark on the cultural landscape of the Greek-speaking world of his time. He has an amazing skill in narrating the passions of his heroes that come from myths and legends, the Bible and tradition, traditional songs and laments.

The Sacrifice of Jephthah (1748) is an original work, unknown to broader audiences. It is essentially inspired by a biblical story, however, it is enriched with new characters and various other references as well as elements of Eastern and Western culture. Daponte’s text alludes to the sacrifice of Iphighenia. In this respect, it is influenced by ancient tragedy. At the same time, it brings together elements related to paganism, drama, didacticism, irony, rituals, laments, and folk tradition. In many ways, it even relates to the works of the Saints of the Western theatre. The story of Jephthah was quite well-known in the Western tradition until the 19^th century. It was performed in Jesuit schools and made into an oratorio by Handel in 1751. Dapontes is the first to present its Greek version.

The Sacrifice of Jephthah is a masterpiece written when Dapontes was imprisoned in Istanbul. This extraordinary work was created in moments of exclusion and loneliness. To escape isolation, Dapontes comes up with the idea to leave his imprisoned body and travel through time. Along the way, he meets Jephthah and witnesses all the major events of his life. His vow to God, the meeting with his daughter, and, finally, her sacrifice.

Dapontesdistances himself from the biblical content of the story. He incorporates ancient female deities, nymphs, sirens, and Graces, creating a dramatic framework that alludes to ancient tragedy, a psychodrama that focuses on the deep relationship between father and daughter and the merciless fate that unites them.

Vivilakis, Tzivelekis, Danellis ,Michalaki

Iossif Vivilakis, at the helm of the Othonion group and director of the play, explores the theatricality, the poetic aspect of the text, and the mechanisms Dapontes uses to present scenes of intense action. Dapontes was one of those scholars who experimented with tragedy.  At the time, there were no theatres, as in Western Europe. The dominant form of entertainment during the Ottoman Empire was the shadow theater. This is how Vivilakis came up with the idea to present the play using the traditional art of shadow theater.

The play draws the audience to the state of catharsis. Drawing inspiration from the structure of ancient Greek drama, the protagonist of the play moves towards his catastrophe, due to his failure. Jephthah’s condition resonates with Daponte’s tragic story. However, there is a slight sense of irony and humor, especially at the beginning of the play. Two talented puppeteers play a total of fifteen roles, male and female; Jephthah, his daughter, the chorus, and so on.

Foteinopoulou, Tamiolakis, Papanikolaou, Kordis

One of the show's most impressive elements is how shadow puppets are presented. Created by renowned icon painter George Kordis, the shadow puppets assume spiritual characteristics. Drawing inspiration from shadow theater, Cycladic and Minoan frescos as well as byzantine art,  Kordis creates colorful, ethereal, refined, and sophisticated shadow puppets and stage sets.

The show premieres September 26^th at Kalliroi Theatre.

D.T.

The post The Sacrifice of Jephthah: A captivating tale on stage appeared first on Greek News Agenda.