The first International Open Call of Elefsina, European Capital of Culture for 2023, was completed, attracting major interest from the art world, both in Greece and internationally. More than 20,000 people visited the electronic proposal submission platform, while artists, art groups and organizations from more than 40 countries submitted their proposals, while a 3% of the proposals came from the region of West Attica.
The selected projects/actions will take place in 2022 and 2023, co-shaping the ECoC’s artistic programme, which is entitled “MYSTERIES of TRANSITION,” and centers around three main thematic axes. Of the proposals submitted, 66% relate to the theme “People/Society,” 24% to the theme “Environment” and 10% to the theme “Labor.”
There was also a rich variation in the selection of categories for the projects, as proposals related to multiple areas of art and creation. The categories “Community Engagement Projects,” “Visual Arts,” “Interdisciplinary projects” and “Artistic and Research programs for the public space and the environment” gathered most submissions, followed by these categories: “Theater,” “Installation Art,” “Performance Art,” “Music,” “Educational Programmes,” “Dance,” and “Cinema.”
Focusing on one of the structural objectives of the ECoC for the exchange of ideas between European countries, 49% of proposals include collaboration with another European Capital of Culture.
The submitted proposals shall be evaluated by the General Artistic Directorate of Elefsina, European Capital of Culture for 2023, according to the guidelines of the European Union on the European Capitals of Culture and the strategic objectives, artistic vision and themes set out by Elefsina, European Capital of Culture for 2023. The results will be announced in June 2021.
