Ηρω-ϊσμοι (Hero-isms)

’Hero-isms’’

a two year project of the official programme of the

European Capital of Culture Pafos 2017

from Centre of Performing Arts MITOS

 

FEELINGS OF THE GENERAL

SCIPION while his soldiers were scattering salt
on Kachidona's breakage and on mountains of corpses
he recited Homer «SOME TIME THE DAY WILL COME» and he cried
Polybius the historian saw this
When did we see a winner crying
Heiner Muller

 

Center of Performing Arts MITOS participates in the programme of ECC Paphos 2017 with the two year artistic project Hero-isms, in collaboration with Grotowski Institute (Poland), in the frame of the ECC Wroclaw 2016. The core of the project is to assist the intercultural sensitivity, through empathetic listening and understanding of Other, and finally to provoke the realization for our own responsibility as citizens.

The actions of Hero-isms are designed to encourage mobility, exchange and social dialogue through artistic creation.

 

Action plan «Hero-isms»:

 

Presentation of the program

 

On the 1st of March, 2016, at Palia Ilektiki Paphos, the program '' Hero-isms '' was presented by the Programme Coordinator and Artistic Director of the Center of Performing Arts MITOS, Elena Agathokleous along with Lukasz Walewski, Artistic Director of MITOS. Also, the first official presentation of the book '' Songs of My Neighbours' took place, a Culture European theater project conducted in the period 2013-2015 while the documentary' 'Songs of My Neighbours'' (MITOS / 2015, 50 ') was also presented .
As a parallel activity of the presentation of Hero-isms, the artistic project of Constantina’s Peter '' me@t '' was presented. A visual comment with multimedia and live action for the lives of four imigrants who live and work in Cyprus.

The activity had morning performances for schools and evening performance open to the public.
Creative team: Constantina Peter (Director/ Idea), student Alexia Leonida (Performer), Julia Georgiadou (Installation), Dimitris Spyrou (Music Production), Constantinos Constantinidis and Constantina Peter (Video), Lukasz Walewski (Technical Support).

"I was Lysistrata_unless" (from Mouttallos to the Municipal Baths)

"... I'm coming down of the stands, I run, I yell, I push, I climb on stage, the audience applauds, I'm an old joke that got tired of hearing all these years the same and same, same ..."

"I was Lysistrata," a text for the scene by Limassolian author Antonis Georgiou, completed the first cycle of performances directed by Lukasz Walewski in Limassol and Nicosia during Spring of 2016, and displays the Lysistrata in today talking about her failure to stop war, violence, pain. For the action of 1st of July, the performance was transformed, as a new version, with four microphones, which was presented during the afternoon in the square of Mouttallos and the same evening it was screened at the Mpania area in Kato Paphos.

Through "Hero-isms" MITOS tries to discuss the wounds and our denials as war legacies. In the secluded area of Mouttallos - just a few kilometers from Paphos center - reconstructed this time the square as another attempt to find the identity and use. The current residents of the community, Greek Cypriot refugees, mainly due to the temporality of their stay, they still seek their relationship with the place. Meeting each other, acceptance and collective expression still are in 'crisis'. Can public space rediscover its function?

Creative team Direction / adaptation: Lukas Walewski, Text:
Programme Coordinator "Hero-isms": Elena Agathokleous

 

"Persians by Aeschylus: The Chorus" and artistic Residency under ECC Wroclaw 2016

 

Artists from Cyprus, Greece and Poland meet in artistic residency at Grotowski Institute in Poland, in September 2016 to work on the chorus of ancient Greek tragedy 

'The Persians'' of Aeschylus, within the frame of the European Capital of Culture Wroclaw 2016. The focus is on the mourning of the Other, the enemy, the defeated Persians, through the ancient lyric prosody of the chorus in ancient Greek. The deep sadness of the male chorus is obvious, at first appears as a concern for the defeat of the Persian army and then it confirms that all is lost. Through the 'Persians'' Aeschylus allows the Athenian audience, the winners, to share their collective grief. Because during a war no one wins.

"The "Persians by Aeschylus, the Chorus" will have the
premiere on September 16th in Wroclaw, Grobla, Grotowski Institute, September 23rd at the Ethnographic Museum of Pafos, 24th and 25th of September at the Old Vinegar Factory, Limassol.

Creative team: Lukas Walewski (Director). George Onisiforou, Stephanos Filos, Mieczyslaw Litwinski, Daniel Monski, Lukasz Walewski (Actors, Musicians). Constantinos Melidis (Research). Elena Kotasvili, Alexis Vagianos (Art Directors). Elena Agathokleous (Program Cordinator). Constantina Peter (Production Assistant).

The Persians by Aeschylus

"last activity within the two-year project "Hero-isms"

"European Capital of Culture Pafos 2017

by Centre of Performing Arts MITOS

(...) we will not betray in their most difficult hours,

those who we most love

(Atossa, Persians by Aeschylus)

The two-year project "Hero-isms'', by the Center of Performing Arts MITOS, will be completed with the performance the "The Persians'' by Aeschylus. "Hero-isms'' is included in the official programme of the European Cultural Capital Paphos 2017. In the renovated space Attikon, will take place a modern version of the ancient drama, directed by Lukas Walewski.

The "The Persians" is the oldest surviving Greek tragedy, and the only surviving work based on historical facts. It deals deals with the mourning of the Persians, when they are informed of their devastating defeat by the Greeks. Aeschylus honored the winners while he universalises horror.

The real disaster of war is been identified through the royal family (the arrogance of the young Persian king Xerxes who destroyed his people, his mother and Queen Atossa suffering, the terror of the dead father and king Darius) and is been reflected through the singing and the pain of the Chorus. The performance presents the 'path' of Xerxes, while focusing on unconditional love of his mother, the suffering that comes to the potential loss and the full acceptance back into the palace.

In a war no one wins. In the performance the "The Persians'' during the lament is discussed the consequences of the war. The “The Persians” works as a reminder for individual responsibility and how this impacts on our society today.

Credits:

Director / movement - Lukas Walewski, Dramaturgy / director assistant - Constantina Peter, Research - Konstantinos Melides, Set designer - Elena Kotasvili and Alexis Vayianos, Costumes - Myrto Sarma, Music - Lukas Walewski in collaboration with musicians, Video - Christos Georgiou. Light Designer: Alexander Jotovic

Participants Prokopis Agathokleous (Xerxes), Stephanie Haritos (Atossa), Michael Asiikas (Top) George Onisiforou (Angelioforos) and Antonis Katsaris (Darius voice). Dance: Mieczyslaw Litwinski, Daniel Monski, Stephen Friend, Elias Sofronidis.

"Information:

"Performances 28th and 29th of April, 2017

"Attikon, Paphos

"At 19:30

"Entrance €10. Free admission under 18 years

"Telephone information and bookings 99 985232 / 97 879793

"Facebook: Hero-isms Ηρω-ισμοί