Events organised by the Press and Communication Office in Warsaw - 2009
December 8, 2009 - Lecture “The Venetian Dominion in Greece – Venetian Crete” (University of Warsaw)
A lecture about “The Venetian period of Greek history – Crete under venetian rule” was hold by the Press Attache of the Press and Communication Office in Warsaw, Maria Mondelou, on the 8th December at the University of Warsaw.
The lecturer was invited by the Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies “Artes Liberales” of the University of Warsaw.
The main aspects of Venetian history and the Venetian dominion in Greece were described and the results of contemporary researches, that verify the existence of a common Greek-Venetian culture, product of the Latin and the Byzantine traditions, were highlighted.
The second part of the lecture was dedicated to Crete, a most important Venetian territory. The institutions that Venice introduced in the island and the characteristics of the greater towns (Candia, Canea, Rethymnon, Sitia) were, also, analysed, as well as the so-called “Cretan Rennaissance”.
Finally, the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice, the unique scientific institution of Greece abroad, and its activities (scientific research, editions, conferences, library, archive of manuscripts and old documents, museum of post-byzantine icons etc.) were described by the lecturer, researcher of the Institute.
November 5, 2009 - “The Saviour of God. Temptations of Nikos Kazantzakis”
The Press and Communication Office of the Embassy of Greece in Warsaw in cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, held the event entitled “Greek Temptations” (Kuszenie Grekow), on Thursday November 5th. Ilias Vrazas, professor of modern Greek literature in Wroclaw University, presented his book “The Saviour of God. Tempations of Nikos Kazantzakis”. The book is focusing on Kazantzakis’ “Askitiki” (Salvatores Dei).Following the presentation, Ilias Vrazas (song, guitar) and Isidoros Papadakis (violoncello, bouzuki) performed songs by contemporary Greek composers (Theodorakis, Markopoulos, etc.).The opening of Michalis Hrisoulidis’ drawings exhibition was also held on the evening of the event. Michalis Hrisoulidis is a painter and stage designer, whose work “Thanatos” illustrates Ilias Vrazas book.
October 10- V Spoke'n Word Festival
Greek poet and journalist Vassilis Rouvalis took part in the V Spoke’n’Word Festival in Warsaw (October 9th and 10th), a poetry event that gives the opportunity to poets from around Europe to perform live in front of an audience.
Many Institutes of Culture and Embassies –including the Greek Press and Communication Office in Warsaw – participated in 2009 edition of Spoke’n’Word Festival, part of the «Poems on the Underground» project (http://www.wierszewmetrze.eu/2009/index.php?id=155).
Performers from United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Russia and Portugal featured also the poetry Festival.
September 18, 2009 - "Children's literature-Read in translation"
“Children’s literature / Read in translation” – a meeting in the context of EUNIC Cluster in Warsaw- took place at the Austrian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, on the 18th of September.
Fourteen fairytales from European countries were presented to an audience composed mostly of school children. Greece was represented by Giannis Plachouris’ fairytale “The leave that didn’t want to fall”, translated in polish by Joanna Kruczkowska.
Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland also participated in the project. The Greek Press Office in Warsaw coordinated the participation of Greece and assisted the event.
June 25, 2009 - Greek play “To Gala” at Kamienica Theatre in Warsaw
Kamienica Theatre in Warsaw presented “To Gala” (The Milk) on Thursday June 25th. The play is written by Vassilis Katsikonouris, translated and directed by Sebastian Chondrokostas, music composed by Odysseas Konstantinopoulos.
“To Gala” is the first Greek contemporary theatrical performance held in Warsaw and played by polish actors. The performance -sponsored by Eurobank-EFG- was organized under the auspices of the Embassy of Greece in Poland.
The play tells the story of an immigrant family relocated in Greece from Georgia, struggling between two worlds in order to make a living in the “new homeland”.
A wine reception, co-hosted by the Press and Communication Office of Greece in Warsaw and Kamienica Theatre, followed the premiere.
May 27, 2009 – Piano Concert : “20th Century Greek Classical Music”
On Wednesday May 27, composer and pianist Giorgos Kissas and his wife Dagny Baczynska-Kissas, also a pianist, performed pieces of Nikos Skalkotas, Giannis Papaioannou, Dimitris Mitropoulos, and Kissas own compositions, to the Greek-Polish audience at the Austrian Cultural Institute in Warsaw.
Dagny Baczynska-Kissas graduated from the Frederic Chopin Music Academy, in Warsaw. Giorgos Kissas studied music in Greece and Poland.
The concert entitled “20th Century Greek Classical Music” was jointly organized by the Austrian Cultural Institute and the Press and Communication Office of Greece in Warsaw.
The event concluded with a wine reception in the honor of the musicians.
February 26, 2009 - “Read in Translation”: Meeting With Translators in Warsaw
A meeting with translators entitled “Read in Translation” took place on the 26th of February in Cervantes Institute in Warsaw.
The event was devoted to Danish, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian literature and young and more experienced translators, presented fragments of contemporary European prose, new to the Polish readers.
Ewa Szyler, a well-known Polish translator from Greek, read fragments of Vassilis Alexakis literary work and discussed the art of translation with her colleagues.
The Greek Press and Communication Office in Warsaw coordinated the participation of Greece, in cooperation with EUNIC Cluster in Warsaw.
Twelve Cultural Institutes and three Embassies in Poland take part in “Read in Translation” 2009 project, with periodical meetings organized in Warsaw once a month.
