Four years of preparation. Fifty artists from across Europe. Four main theatrical productions and many instant performances. 68 days with a series of performances, workshops and instants against the Aegean. A multi-annual programme of cultural cooperation with arts organisations from 11 different European countries.
Inspired by the myth of Odyssey, a group of 50 artists sailed over the last 4 years across Europe from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea, making a stopover to a series of ports and keeping records of the “Odysseys” of modern European citizens. With the material gathered, they came up with 4 main performances. Sailing on the glorious “Hoppet”, the only sailing ship that survived the Second World War, the project sailed over the last two years from the Baltic, Central Europe, Prague and Berlin to Italy, France and Malta, stopping also to Lampedusa, the island where a thousand people sought salvation and freedom away from the conflict zones of Africa. Μore than 350 artists have participated in the project so far, giving performances for 19,000 people in 25 stops all over Europe.
This summer, the project travels to its final destination; the home of Odysseus himself, Greece! Aiming at fostering the intercultural dialogue and a better understanding of the diversity and the challenges that the different European populations face today, Eleusis 2021 Candidate City for European Capital of Culture invited the project “Meeting the Odyssey” to Eleusis. The historic “Hoppet” arrives in Eleusis on June 3rd, for a press conference about the project. Then, on June 29th, “Memories for Life” will be performed, followed by “Sbarchi_un’odissea” on June 30th, as well as on July 2nd and 3rd. At the same time, from July 14th to 30th, the artists of “Meeting the Odyssey”, in collaboration with the Greek director Euripides Laskaridis and the Asia Minor Association of Eleusis, will conduct a workshop with the citizens of “Sinikismos” (Settlement) -the old district of refugees from Asia Minor- in Eleusis. The workshop will result in a special performance-walk across the neighbourhood and the Settlement’s houses, involving the residents, who will share their personal stories with the audience.
More information about the project “Meeting the Odyssey” can be found at the website www.meetingtheodyssey.eu
The project “Meeting the Odyssey” is funded by the “Culture” programme of European Commission. The events to be held in Eleusis are funded by the Region of Attica and are carried out in cooperation with the Aeschylean Festival 2016.