Cultural Review 2021 : simplebooklet.com

Contents PG 4 PG 5 PG 8 9 Note by High Commissioner Mr Andreas S Kakouris Foreword by Cultural Counsellor Dr Marios Psaras THEATRE AT HOME FROM CYPRUS PG 30 31 PG 32 35 PG 14 15 PG 36 37 PG 16 19 PG 20 21 PALIMPSEST OF VOICES A participatory project developed and led by Leontios Toumpouris for Glasgow International 2021 MONSIEUR DOUMANI Concert by the multi award winning Cyprus based trio Monsieur Doumani PG 42 45 CYPRUS GUEST COUNTRY AT RAINDANCE Major highlights from the special tribute to Cyprus and Cypriot filmmaking at Raindance Film Festival 2021 PG 46 47 HUDOR Photography exhibition on water sustainability and marine life by Marina Antoniou MY FINEST FABULOUS AND AMAZING MATH BOOK A video installation by visual artist Efi Spyrou in partnership with the University of Greenwich as part of the London Festival of Architecture PG 22 25 PG 38 41 SPRING SESSIONS WITH CYSO A series of concerts in partnership with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra QUEENS OF AMATHUS Award winning documentary about the women of Cyprus and their journey to Birmingham as part of the 21in21 celebration of the Greek War of Independence bicentenary COVID 19 AND THE CYPRIOT DIASPORA IN THE UK On line lunchtime symposia themed on Covid 19 and its manifold impact on the Cypriot diaspora community in Britain ON ARRIVING A one woman play by Ivan Faute starring Sophia Eleni MEDICINE IN ANCIENT CYPRUS Online lecture by Cypriot archaeologist Professor Demetrios Michaelides EXPLORING ANCIENT CYPRUS THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM Guided tour of the A G Leventis Gallery of Cypriot antiquities in association with NEPOMAK UK Online experimental theatre PG 12 13 THE CONSTELLATIONS WE MAKE Anna Lytridou s solo exhibition and site specific installation CYPRUS IN THE LONG LATE ANTIQUITY Online symposium by Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies University of Oxford PG 10 11 PG 26 29 PG 48 53 CYPRUS SHORT FILM DAY 2021 Our annual film festival is back for the sixth year PG 54 57 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS PG 58 59 CREDITS C U LT U R A L R E V I E W 2 0 2 1 3

Page 4

4 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021It is with great pleasure that I offer a brief welcome for this publication, which highlights the varied cultural activities of the Cyprus High Commission in the United Kingdom. For almost two years, the world has been experiencing perhaps the most challenging period in over a generation. The pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, the way we relate to each other and the way we do business, including in diplomacy. Flexibility has been key to responding to the increased challenges and, at the same time, to taking advantage of the new possibilities arising. The acceleration of new technologies has facilitated new modes of interacting and creating. Culture and the arts have responded to the new demands and opportunities with remarkable resilience. Despite the huge blow suffered, the cultural sector has reaffirmed its importance in the process of recovery, both on a personal and collective level. Arts and culture are, after all, pivotal in providing solace for the losses we suffer and provide the necessary optimism to carry on. One can never overestimate the significance of culture and its value for humanity. For Cypriots, culture is a core added value of our country. With an unfathomable cultural tradition and thousands of years of history and civilization, Cyprus has offered to the world some of the most exceptional pieces of literature, philosophy, architecture, theatre, poetry, and folk art, ever since the ancient times. At the same time, contemporary Cypriot artists and writers excel globally, winning distinctions, recognitions and awards in literature, cinema and the arts, at international competitions and festivals. At the High Commission, we are proud to be sharing our rich culture and the creative work of outstanding individuals through cultural events, activities, and synergies with local and international cultural and academic organizations. The publication before you highlights this activity and communicates the achievements of our artists, writers, scholars, and organizations. We are honoured that our artists have represented our country at some of the biggest and most renowned festivals and cultural events with our support. We feel blessed that we have been able to open Cyprus House – slowly but steadily – to welcome back the international and multicultural community of London to our exhibitions and performances. Culture is a meeting point for people to come together. It is a sanctuary and platform for exchange, reflection, and change. Culture is a fertile space to enhance people to people relations and build on the shared values and principles that humanity embraces. We look to the future with hope and enthusiasm!Andreas S. KakourisHigh CommissionerFOREWORD BY HIGH COMMISSIONER

Page 5

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 52021 marked a year of significant changes to our cultural activity. The challenges presented by the pandemic encouraged new ways of producing, exchanging, consuming and communicating culture. It was a year of many innovations, new collaborations, a year of significant expansion of our network, partners, and audiences. As the pages that follow testify, our cultural programme in 2021 included a great variety of activities, across the arts and culture spectrum. Archaeology remains one of our core themes– and most popular ones, too. In collaboration with universities and museums both in the UK and Cyprus, we co-organised online conferences, panel discussions and guided tours, engaging with local communities, but also with scholars and audiences across the globe. Utilising new technologies and online tools we ‘brought’ for the first time to the UK experimental theatre from Cyprus and music masterpieces performed by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra; we also introduced the British audience to cutting-edge visual arts projects, produced by leading Cypriot visual artists. As soon as the situation allowed, we got back to our gallery halls and favourite partner venues to re-invite our audiences to the great charm and richness of Cyprus’s contemporary culture, with installations, concerts, performances and screenings. As part of our renewed strategy, we have pursued collaboration with prominent cultural organisations and established festivals across the UK. As a result, Cyprus was represented for the first time at some of the biggest festivals in the country, including the London Festival of Architecture and Glasgow International, and it was Guest Country at the 29th edition of Raindance Film Festival. An active member of EUNIC London, that is the EU National Institutes for Cultures network, the Cyprus High Commission participated in the work groups and joint cultural projects of the network, contributing to the design and implementation of its strategic priorities. Most recently, I, myself, have been honoured by my European colleagues to be elected in the presidency team of the network for the season 2021-22. Through the above partnerships and activities, the Cultural Section of the High Commission of Cyprus in the UK has continued with sustained determination the implementation of its new strategy, which rests both thematically and at an organisational level on the principles of sustainability, equality, diversity and inclusion, and with a focus on the protection of cultural heritage. The latter constitutes one of the pillars of Cyprus’s cultural diplomacy, as the standard-bearer of an ancient old civilisation with UNESCO-protected cultural heritage, which has, unfortunately, been historically threatened or severed by pillage, and armed conflict. Culture constitutes the foundation of civilisation and society’s drive towards change – there is no better time than now to protect and support it. As we look to the future, it seems that Digital Culture is here to stay. Though nothing can replace the intimacy of in-person cultural encounters, technology emerges as pivotal in our efforts to respond to the challenges posed not only by the pandemic, but also by Brexit and the need to tackle climate change with sustainable practices. This also means redesigning our strategic planning and partnerships in ways that reflect the new normal. The future is hybrid! Dr. Marios Psaras Cultural Counsellor INTRODUCTION BY CULTURAL COUNSELLOR

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

8 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021The academic symposium ‘Cyprus in the Long Late Antiquity’ was co-organised by Dr Ine Jacobs (Stavros Niarchos Foundation Associate Professor of Byzantine Archaeology and Visual Culture) and Dr Panayiotis Panayides (British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow), under the auspices of His Excellency the High Commissioner of Cyprus in the UK, Mr Andreas S. Kakouris.The symposium kicked off with a public keynote by Marcus Rautman (Professor of Art and Archaeology of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages at the University of Missouri-Columbia, USA) who presented on Archaeology and the making of a Cypriot Late Antiquity. Across three days, the conference brought together archaeologists and historians who engage in the study of Cyprus between the sixth and eighth centuries. The scholars presented results of recent and past research fostering an interdisciplinary reconstruction of life on the island in the Long Late Antiquity. The presentations were hosted virtually via Zoom by the Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, University of Oxford.Recent archaeological research on late antique Cyprus has shifted its focus away from urban centres and single monuments in favour of a more contextual perspective. Building on well-established traditions of field prospection, diachronic survey projects and small-scale excavations are revealing a complex web of settlement patterns. These have shown that economic, political, and cultural contacts between the island and the wider eastern Mediterranean were continued. Moreover, they also suggest that the end or transformation of occupation on individual sites cannot always be explained by catastrophic events, but should be interpreted in terms of local adaptation to changing needs and contacts.Cyprus In The Long Late Antiquity13-15 JANUARYOnline

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 11THEATRE AT HOME / FROM CYPRUSThe Cyprus High Commission brought experimental Cypriot theatre to the UK for the first time! Cutting-edge performances, produced during lockdown and as a response to the pandemic, by independent Cypriot theatre groups comprised the online festival “THEATRE at home/ from CYPRUS”. The Cultural Section of the High Commission of Cyprus offered a month of experimental adaptations of classical texts or of original works, devised and presented in hybrid formats, from the comfort of everyone’s home.Between February 25 – March 19, a new performance was released every Thursday at 7pm and was available to watch for 48 hours on the Cultural Section’s Vimeo platform.The programme included Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” by Kostas Silvestros and Stela Fyrogeni, Eugene Ionesco’s “The Chairs” produced by enacttheatre, “The Flood” conceived and directed by Magdalena Zira, and produced for the screen by Elena Alonefti, and Kostas Mannouris’s “Various I’s”, directed and performed by Marios Mettis.FEBRUARY - MARCH Online

Page 12

Page 13

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 13The Cyprus High Commission and the University of Exeter presented the online lecture “Medicine in ancient Cyprus: the archaeological evidence” by renowned Cypriot archaeologist, Professor Demetrios Michaelides. Following opening remarks by HE the High Commissioner of Cyprus, Mr Andreas Kakouris, Professor Michaelides presented his lecture, in which he examined evidence that reflect Cyprus’s active medical community in the ancient times, which was very much up to date with contemporary Roman practices. The scholar presented a number of particularly rare items, including surgical instruments, hot-water bottles, medicaments, ex-votos and prophylactic amulets. Professor Daniel King, from the University of Exeter, responded to the impressive and illuminating presentation. The lecture was part of the Ancient Medicine & Technology, Online seminar series 2020-2021, organised by Dr Maria Gerolemou (University of Exeter) and Dr George Kazantzidis (University of Patras). MEDICINE IN ANCIENT CYPRUS 15 APRILOnline

Page 14

14 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021COVID-19 AND THE CYPRIOT DIASPORA IN THE UK The Cyprus High Commission and the Cyprus Centre at the University of Westminster presented a series of online lunchtime symposia themed on Covid-19 and its manifold and diverse impact on people of the Cypriot diaspora in Britain. The first symposium focused on the impact of the pandemic on the community in terms of health, physical and mental. HE the High Commissioner, Mr Andreas Kakouris, opened the event, thanking the organisers and participants for this crucial gathering. The panel of speakers included Dr Linda Papadopoulos, Dr Athina Mavrou, Dr Huseyin Cakal, Michael Yiakoumi, Lorna Vassiliades and Dr George Kassianos. The second symposium explored the impact of Covid-19 on the culture of the Cypriot community. Mostly anecdotal in nature, there was an exploration of the reflections of those both participating and offering cultural experiences. The panel included Dr Ersin Hussein, Katerina Mina, Dr Achilleas Hadjikyriakou, and Dr Marios Psaras, Cultural Counsellor at the Cyprus High Commission. Finally, the third symposium explored the reactions and effects of Covid on the younger generation, focusing particularly on the way the pandemic affected expectations, income, business, SME’s, work prospects, hope and trust. The panellists were Christos Tuton, Adrian Patsalos, Nicholas Nicou, and Elle Zacharia. Mr Theodoros Gotsis, General Consul, welcomed the audience and introduced the panel. All seminars were moderated by Dr Petros Karatsareas (University of Westminster) and were organised by the Cyprus Centre and the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission, with the generous support by the A.G. Leventis Foundation. MAY – JULYOnline

Page 15

Page 16

16 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021The Cyprus High Commission presented a series of free online concerts in partnership with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra via the Cultural Section’s Vimeo page. Bringing CYSO to the UK for the first time via modern technology, our international audience had the opportunity to enjoy classical masterpieces from the comfort of their home. The first session was released on May 15 and included pieces from Vivaldi, Plau, Lehar, Weber and Sarasate. The second session was released on May 22 and included pieces from Mozart, Albinoni, and Tchaikovsky. Finally, the third session was released on May 29 and included pieces from Roussel, Dvorak and Beethoven. SPRING SESSIONS WITH CYSOMAYOnline

Page 17

Page 18

Page 19

Page 20

Page 21

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 211-30 JUNEUNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH MY FINEST FABULOUS AND AMAZING MATH BOOK The first hybrid event of the Cyprus High Commission, post-lockdown, brought Efi Spyrou’s video installation MY FINEST FABULOUS AND AMAZING MATH BOOK to one of the most iconic monuments in London, the Old Royal Naval College Building, which now houses the University of Greenwich. Conceived and directed by former international model turned visual artist Efi Spyrou and curated by Dr Marios Psaras, the video-installation addressed the political economy of the female body in fashion and of the artwork in auction houses. It was Cyprus’s first official participation in the London Festival of Architecture (2021) and was organized in collaboration with the diversity+inclusivity by Design (d+iD) research lab at the School of Design, University of Greenwich. A digital version of the installation was hosted at the LFA’s official website and the live version took place on the 29th of June at the King William Court with opening remarks by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, Professor Jane Harrington. Photography: Maria Siorba | Filming and documentation: Flor De Maria Hidalgo Pintado, Jose C Goncalves Pedrosa |Video-Editing: Manos Georgakopoulos | Additional text: Antonis Papangelopoulos | Design: Yannis Mantzaris | Make up: Yannis Siskos | Produced by Dr Marios Psaras and Professor Anastasios Maragiannis

Page 22

22 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021PALIMPSEST OF VOICES Palimpsest of Voices was a participatory project developed and led by Leontios Toumpouris for Glasgow International 2021. It explored the fragility and mutability of language by employing making as a collective learning process, beyond words and shared backgrounds. Through a series of workshops at Glasgow Sculpture Studios, Leontios worked with the extended community of Oakgrove Primary School including over 130 pupils, families and staff. Together they produced bisque-fired ceramic pieces and invented the characters of a fictional language, following a method that the artist has developed and employed in his practice over the last few years. 11 JUNE – 31 JULYGLASGOW INTERNATIONAL 2021

Page 23

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 23The project was produced in partnership with Oakgrove Primary School, Queens Cross Housing Association, Glasgow Sculpture Studios and was funded by Glasgow International, Creative Scotland, Cyprus High Commission - Cultural Section, and Glasgow Connected Arts Network. Supported by Matrix AI, website by Rectangle Studio, 3D Visualisations by Mark Boyle and Maria Leonidou, and produced by Alex Misick. Reflecting on limitations as opportunities for further development and examining potentials of experiencing the project, Palimpsest of Voices was presented online on a platform that allowed the audience to interact with an artwork in a state of perpetual reconfiguration to suggest a mutable instance of online entanglement. Palimpsest of Voices was accompanied by a commissioned text by Kirsty Hendry, a podcast with Leontios Toumpouris, Kirsty Hendry and Alex Misick, two limited edition screen prints and a review by Andrés Valtierra.

Page 24

Page 25

Page 26

Page 27

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 27THE CONSTELLATIONS WE MAKE Anna Lytridou’s solo exhibition and site-specific installation The Constellations We Make gave the viewer the opportunity to reflect on concepts of time, location and space by inviting them to take a physical and visual journey in and around the disparate elements of her immersive installations. In her work, Lytridou challenges traditional modes of engagement with the landscape throwing the viewer back on their instincts for navigation. Her tendency for using contrasting textures such as metal with fabrics or stitching different fabrics together comes from a desire to allow the materials to guide her and to give answers to questions that arise during her practice. In the installations the metal structures functioned both as drawings in space and as framing devices for the paintings hung within them. The show was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section and sponsored by the Cultural Services – Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Cyprus. Text by Elizabeth Fullerton.24 JUNE – 21 JULY CYPRUS HOUSE

Page 28

Page 29

Page 30

30 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021Members of NEPOMAK UK participated in a guided tour of the A.G. Leventis gallery of Ancient Cyprus at the Fitzwilliam Museum. The tour was led by the Head of Antiquities of the museum, Dr Anastasia Christophilopoulou, who emphasized the importance of archaeology in mapping the rich history of Cyprus and talked about the sustained research conducted at the museum. The group of young British Cypriots asked questions about the different periods of the island’s history, before visiting the museum’s other galleries, including the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Medieval and Renaissance ones. The tour was co-organised by the Cyprus High Commission- Cultural Section, the Fitzwilliam Museum and NEPOMAK UK. EXPLORING ANCIENT CYPRUS II11 SEPTEMBERTHE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM

Page 31

Page 32

Page 33

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 33The very successful one-woman play On Arriving was presented on September 22-23, 2021, at the Cyprus House in central London. The event was held under the auspices of HE the High Commissioner, Mr Andreas S. Kakouris, who took the stage first to welcome the actress and the director of the play, as well as the diverse audience that filled the room. Dr Marios Psaras, Cultural Counsellor at the Cyprus High Commission, then presented the play.Written by American playwright Ivan Faute, On Arriving explores a young refugee’s fight for survival as her country falls apart before her eyes. This brave, poetic play looks at the human moments of one person’s choice to leave a place they have known their entire life, to set off for something unknown. Directed by Cat Robey, actress Sophia Eleni performed with deep, personal connection to the story of home and war, her own family having been made refugees when fleeing Cyprus in 1974 after the Turkish invasion.After the play, there followed a Q&A session with the director and actress, moderated by Dr George Rodosthenous, Associate Professor in Theatre Directing at the School of Performance and Cultural Industries of the University of Leeds. They discussed about the theme of the play, the actress’s personal connection to the story and the ways of raising awareness regarding the refugees and their lives’ struggles. The event was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section and sponsored by Cyprus Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth – Cultural Services, and Arts Council England.ON ARRIVING 22-23 SEPTEMBERCYPRUS HOUSE

Page 34

Page 35

Page 36

36 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021The Cyprus High Commission and the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King’s College London presented a screening of Queens of Amathus, an award-winning documentary about the women of Cyprus and their journey to Birmingham in the aftermath of the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with the director, Panikos Panayiotou, the producer Petros Kkolas and the presenter Christina Savvas, led by Dr Marios Psaras. The event was organised by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission and the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King’s College, as part of 21 in 21 initiative, celebrating the bicentenary of the Greek War of Independence (1821).QUEENS OF AMATHUS 9 OCTOBERkING’S COLLEGE LONDON

Page 37

Page 38

Page 39

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 39MONSIEUR DOUMANI The multi-award-winning Cyprus-based trio Monsieur Doumani performed on 21 of October 2021 at Rich Mix in London. The concert was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section and sponsored by Cyprus Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth – Cultural Services. Monsieur Doumani performed songs from their thrilling fourth album, “Pissourin”, as well as favourite tracks from their previous albums. They offered a danceable fever storm of stringed instruments, multi-layered singing and trombone-driven low end to the audience who joined in with their voices and dancing. The album ‘Pissourin’ was released in September by acclaimed German label Glitterbeat Records. Monsieur Doumani were awarded as ‘Best Group’ in the Songlines Music Awards 2019 and have received the prestigious ‘German Records Critics Awards’ as well as the ‘Critics Award’ in the Andrea Parodi World Music Awards. 21 OCTOBERRICH MIX

Page 40

Page 41

Page 42

42 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021CYPRUS - GUEST COUNTRY AT RAINDANCE FESTIVAL 2021 The Cyprus High Commission in the UK and Invest Cyprus joined forces with Raindance to present an exciting programme of new films from Cyprus at the 29th edition of the largest independent film festival in the UK, which is also a qualifying festival for Oscars®, BAFTA and BIFA. The Cypriot programme at Raindance 2021 included four feature films by Cypriot filmmakers: The Man With The Answers (directed by Stelios Kammitsis), Smuggling Hendrix (directed by Marios Piperides), PAUSE (directed by Tonia Mishiali) and PATCHWORK (directed by Petros Charalambous), and a Cypriot shorts programme, showcasing the very best of contemporary Cypriot cinema. On the industry side, the Cyprus Guest Country programme included a masterclass with award-winning cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, and a special talk by Invest Cyprus (Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency), who presented the Cypriot government’s package of incentives for international producers and, of course, Cyprus' uniqueness as an ideal filming location The Cyprus Guest Country programme at RAINDANCE, an initiative of the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission, was a unique opportunity for the promotion of contemporary Cypriot cinema to the UK and international audiences, as well as a great platform for the promotion of Cyprus itself as a new filming destination. The programme was supported by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus, and Invest Cyprus (Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency), and was organized in collaboration with the Cyprus Film Days International Film Festival and the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus. 27 OCTOBER – 6 NOVEMBER VARIOUS VENUES

Page 43

Page 44

Page 45

Page 46

46 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021ΎΔ ΩΡ– HUDOR The Cyprus High Commission presented the photography exhibition “Ύδωρ – Hudor” by Cypriot photographer Marina Antoniou. Marina’s photographs present water (hudor) in different forms: icebergs in Antarctica and Greenland, lakes in Galapagos, the crystal waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Venice, Greece and Cyprus and lava beaches in Iceland. At the private viewing of the exhibition which was held on Thursday 11 November, HE the High Commissioner, Mr Andreas Kakouris, welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of such events for raising awareness about climate change and sustainability. At the opening of the exhibition there were also brief talks by Mr Louis Loizou, Chairman of the Hellenic Bankers Association UK and Julianne Flesher, CEO of Nossa Data, who talked about the urgency for companies to operate in sustainable ways, including meeting the ESG (environmental, social and governance) objectives. The exhibition was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section and sponsored by the Cultural Services – Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Cyprus. 11 NOVEMBER – 11 DECEMBERCYPRUS HOUSE

Page 47

Page 48

Page 49

Page 50

Page 51

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 51The sixth edition of our annual film festival Cyprus Short Film Day (CSFD) took place on December 12 at the prestigious May Fair Hotel. Featuring a rich programme of new and award-winning short films from Cyprus, CSFD celebrated Cypriot filmmaking once more, with screenings, panel discussions and networking events. CSFD 21 film programme included: “Everything is a lie, is a lie” by Dimitris Chimonas, “A Summer Place” by Alexandra Matheou, “My Story” by Elena Fitikidou Alonefti and Magdalena Zira, “I Don’t Want To Forget Anything” by Vaggelio Soumeli, “In Limbo” by Semeli Vogiazanou, “The Hunt” by Sholeh Zahraei and Kamil Saldun, “Erma” by Angelos Charalambous, “A Girls” by Antony Petrou, “Rites of Spring” by Yiorgos Tsangaris, “Night Lives” by Nafsika Hadjichristou and “Losing Grace” by Athena Mandis. After the screenings, Dr Marios Psaras, Artistic Director of the festival, moderated a discussion with the filmmakers Antony Petrou, Athena Mandis, Connor Vellinga, Sholeh Zahrai and Kamil Saldun. The festival was organised by the Cyprus High Commission – Cultural Section, in collaboration with the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) and sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth of Cyprus – Cultural Services. CYPRUS SHORT FILM DAY 2021 12 DECEMBERTHE MAY FAIR HOTEL

Page 52

Page 53

Page 54

A collection of life affirming shorts from 19 European countries, including the black comedy “Jar of Nuts” by Cypriot filmmaker Savvas Stavrou. EUNIC London in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to the UK presented the third edition of In Short, Europe short film festival, which took place online from 7-16 May 2021. This edition, themed Happy Together, was organised in three strands: Hope, Magic and Life’s Little Disappointments and invited us to look at the bright side, embrace moments of joy, lift our spirits, and dare to dream. The programme was curated by Shira MacLeod, film curator and former Cinema Director at the Regent Street Cinema and Riverside Studios Cinema. The showcase of Happy Together was accompanied by three Q&A’s with the filmmakers, taking place online via Zoom on the 7, 11 and 13 May 2021. 54 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021OTHER HIGHLIGHTS IN SHORT, EUROPE: HAPPY TOGETHER 7-16 M AY ONLINEAt a moment of continued uncertainty, EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) brought together independent performance festivals from across the UK and mainland Europe and invited them to rip up the festival rule book as they explored what the future of producing festivals will look like. Imagining Futures connected nimble and adventurous festivals and fosters collaboration between the sectors. It aimed to spark new connections, support artistic development and encourage porous, international dialogue at a time when barriers seem to be increasing. Cyprus participated in the initiative with the international performance arts festival Buffer Fringe, which was represented by its artistic director, Dr Ellada Evangelou. IMAGINING FUTURES:BUFFER FRINGE ONLINE

Page 55

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 55The digital Europe Readr platform brings current social issues to readers around the world. It encourages reflection on the world we want to live in, presenting us with an opportunity to consider the European Union as a community in all its diversity and interconnectedness, and as a community with a common future. Numerous accompanying events around the world encourage the creation of public spaces dedicated to reading and the exchange of ideas on the world of the future. Initiated by the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council, the Europe Readr platform and satellite events were co-organised with the Network of the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) in partnership with local partners around the world. Cyprus was represented with Antonis Georgiou’s “An Album of Stories: a polyphonic narrative, which depicts a wide range of Cypriot society and the fates of its individuals. The anthology covers both rural and urban milieus and opens up themes such as war, refugees, migrants, and also universal stories about family, love and death. It is written in Cypriot Greek. Individual stories are intermittent and include newspaper articles, recipes, children’s drawings, poetry and family photographs.EUROPE READR: AN ALBUMOF STORIES ONLINE

Page 56

56 CULTURAL REVIEW 2021CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 56Prominent British broadcaster and ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society, Gyles Brandreth, recorded a conversation with Cultural Counsellor, Dr Marios Psaras, as part of his upcoming Commonwealth Poetry Podcast series. Gyles and Marios discussed about Cyprus’s ancient poetry tradition and heritage, as well as about contemporary poetry from Cyprus. The recording, which will be released by the Poetry Together project (supported by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and now reaching a thousand schools and institutions worldwide) in 2022, was concluded with a brief recital of contemporary Cypriot poetry by Marios. IN CONVERSATION WITHGYLES BRANDRETH The first post-lockdown gathering of the network of the European Union National Institutes of Culture (EUNIC) London took place at the Cyprus House on Thursday 8 July. After more than a year, Cultural Attaches from the EU and associate members of EUNIC finally got together to celebrate our shared values and culture and, also, elect the new presidency team for 2021-22. The newly-elected presidents: Mathias Rambaud (French Institute), Ūla Tornau (Embassy of Lithuania) and Marios Psaras (Cyprus High Commission), thanked their colleagues for the great honour and expressed their commitment to hard work and responsibility ahead of the current challenges facing the cultural sector in the UK, as well as across Europe and beyond. EUNIC LONDON SUMMER GATHERING 8 JulyCYPRUS HOUSE25 JUNECYPRUS HOUSE

Page 57

CULTURAL REVIEW 2021 56EUNIC LONDON SUMMER GATHERING Cultural Counsellor, Dr Marios Psaras, was invited by the Anglo-Hellenic League to present a lecture on contemporary Greek and Cypriot cinema at the Hellenic Centre. In his talk. Dr Psaras revisited landmark films that constitute the main corpus of the so-called “Greek Weird Wave”, such as Yorgos Lanthimos’s Dogtooth (2009), Panos Koutras’s Strella (2009) and Athina-Rachel Tsangaris’s Attenberg (2010). He reflected on a reading of the “weird” as “queer” and explained how the films staged a thematic and formal disenchantment with traditional heteropatriarchal values and the representation that had guided the national imaginary and experience. He then turned to later works from Cyprus, such as Tonia Mishialis’ Pause (2018) and Petros Charalambous’s Patchwork (2021) to evaluate the after-effects of the original wave in Greece, Cyprus and beyond. The talk inspired a vivid discussion between Dr Psaras and the audience, moderated by Dr John Kittmer, Chair of the Anglo-Hellenic League. THE WEIRD WAVE OF GREEK CINEMA: A MOVEMENT OR A MOMENT? 16 September THE HELLENIC CENTRE The Cyprus High Commission was represented at the launch event of the Diplomats For Equality network, which took place at Canada House on September 23, as part of the National Inclusion Week in the UK. Lord Herbert, the UK PM’s Special Envoy for LGBT rights, Pride in London and members from the diplomatic community launched this initiative which aims at encouraging diplomatic representatives from like-minded nations based in the UK to join together to promote shared values as they relate to the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community. Cyprus, which sits at the core group of the network, was represented by Political Counsellor, Ms Melivia Demetriou, Cultural Counsellor, Dr Marios Psaras, and committee members of the LGBTQ+ UK Cypriots Network Andreas Pavlou, Christian Tooley, Gabby Koumis, Anastasia Gavala, Hanna Marie Mehmet and Evelthon Vassiliou. DIPLOMATS FOR EQUALITY 27 SEPTEMBERCANADA HOUSE

Cultural Review 2021

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3