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Cyprus World Heritage Sites on Film

The Cyprus National UNESCO Committee presented a documentary film entitled: "Archaeo-logical Sites and Monuments on the World Heritage List of UNESCO" at a special event heldon 29 January, 2008 at the Castelliotissa Hall. The event was sponsored by the Cultural Ser-vices of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Cyprus UNESCO Committee and theLeventis Foundation.The documentary was researched, written and directed by Dr Maro Theodosiadou and co-produced by the Cyprus National UNESCO Committee and the Cyprus Broadcasting Corpo-ration. The music was composed by Costas Karayiannis. Elena Ioannou was responsible forthe editing and Panicos Ioannides was director of photography.

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Cyprus’ Permanent Representative atUNESCO, Ms Edme Leventis addressedthe occasion. Speeches were also deliveredby Dr Eleni Nikita, Director of the Cul-tural Services of the Ministry of Educationand Culture, Dr Vassos Karageorghis, Direc-tor of the Leventis Foundation, ThemisThemistocleous, CyBC Director Generaland Dr Maro Theodosiadou, the docu-mentary producer.

The 72-minute film referred to the Khi-rokitia Neolithic settlement, the Paphosmosaics, the archaeological site at Koukliaand the Byzantine painted churches ofTroodos.

Cyprus ratified the UNESCO Conventionfor the Protection of the World Culturaland Natural Heritage in 1975 and five yearslater the island’s first archaeological sites,those of Kouklia and Paphos, appeared onthe World Heritage List. Once a propertyis inscribed on the List it has a major claimto conservation against both natural and

man-made hazards so that future genera-tions will have the same opportunity asus to derive pleasure and inspirationfrom these exquisite vestiges of the past.

In chronological order, the successful sub-mission for nomination of Cyprus sites fortheir inscription on the World Heritage Listis as follows:

• 1980 Archaeological site of Kato Paphos(mosaics, Tombs of the Kings, Chrysopoli-tissa area, Theatre area) and Palaepaphosat Kouklia (Temple of Aphrodite andPetra tou Romiou)

• 1985 Nine Byzantine Churches in theTroodos mountains (Panayia Asinou-Nikitari, Ayios Nikolaos tis Steghis -Kakopetria, Panayia tou Arakos – Lagoud-era, Ayios Ioannis Lampadistis Monastery– Kalopanayiotis, Panayia tou Moutoula,Timios Stavros – Pelendri, ArchangelosMichael – Pedhoulas, Timios Stavros Ayi-asmati – Platanistassa, Panayia Podi-tou – Galata)

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• 1998 Neolithic settlement of Khirokitia

• 2002 Church of Metamorphosis touSotiros – Palaichori was added to theTroodos Churches List

For a country the size of Cyprus it is anhonour to have so many sites inscribedon the World Heritage List and the mostsignificant fact is that they represent entire-ly different phases of the island’s history– a testimony to the breadth and diversityof its heritage.

"This privilege bestowed upon us byUNESCO", Dr Karageorghis mentionedin his speech, "is due to the good man-agement of the monuments by the Depart-ment of Antiquities, and to the Cyprus per-manent delegation at UNESCO".

Dr Karageorghis further recalled the excel-lent cooperation between the Departmentof Antiquities and the late ConstantinosLeventis in 1980 and 1985 which helpedto achieve the inclusion of the Cyprus mon-uments in the UNESCO World HeritageList.

"Enthusiastic and visionary, ConstantinosLeventis believed in the power of cultureand the particular significance of the pro-jection of Cyprus on a global scale", DrKarageorghis added.

The documentary produced by Dr MaroTheodosiadou serves the purpose of fillinga gap which will help not only our people,Cypriots of every age, but also others inter-ested, to become familiar with, and to learnabout the true significance of our heritage,and also to appreciate the responsibilitywhich we have as protectors of part of theworld’s heritage.

Dr Maro Theodosiadou deserves every praisefor the scholarship and professionalism sheshowed, presenting in an accurate and artic-ulate manner the different regions from thearchaeological, historical and artistic pointof view. Congratulations are also due to allthose who contributed to this wonderfulproduction: the music, the photography,the direction, and worked with profes-sionalism and dedication.

It should not be forgotten that outstand-ing monuments in Cyprus are found in thearea of Cyprus occupied by Turkish troopssince 1974, such as Salamis and the oldtown of Famagusta, which, under other cir-cumstances would have an enviable placein the UNESCO World Cultural HeritageList. Let us hope that better days are tocome for our country, for culture and forthese monuments to acquire their right-ful place in the world’s legacy.

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Biennale of Alexandria

Julia Georgiadou

Born in 1981 in Limassol, Cyprus

Education

2001-2005 Studied at the National Academyof Art of Sofia – Bulgaria

1999-2000 Attended art lessons at NikosChristofidis’ art school – Athens

Lives and works in Cyprus.

No Title

Straight line, zigzagged line, curved line, grossline, time line, horizontal line, start line, deadline, border line, offensive line, defensive line,life line, and so many other lines. I believethat everything around us is formed of lines.Sometimes they become visible though all thecreations that have shape, form or figureand sometimes they explain a circumstanceor even a point in time.

It is easier said than done to try to entangleyour work with lines. Working with lines youstart considering lines as a fact of life or asyour life’s fact. Without even realizing youmay find yourself painting a prison of feel-ings and thoughts. Whatever we may say now,or whatever we try to change, every 'line' canexist on a different dimension in time.

Since everything that we are surrounded byis of lines, I decided to build and composemy work in that way. Based on lines and lin-ear marks, I tried to create some shapes andfigures, which in fact do not exist in realitybut they exist just like lines (or vice-versa). Afigure, and/or, a shape, that is presentedcan be composed of infinity of points (afollowing of pointillism). The existence ofthe lines makes the structure of the figuresdisappear, so new born aspects and/or con-cepts are created, that can be translated dif-ferently by each one of us.

Cyprus has been participating in the Alexandria Biennale for MediterraneanCountries since 1963. Over the years, this great international event has reachedprominence as it offers so many countries of diverse cultural backgrounds theopportunity to present their latest achievements in the visual arts and estab-lish a discourse addressing timeless questions of identity and globalisation.Three artists represented Cyprus at the 24th Biennale of Alexandria: Tatiana Fer-ahian, Ketta Ioannidou and Julia Georgiadou. Here is a glimpse of their workpresented by the artists themselves. The Ministry of Education and CultureCommissioner was Petros Dymiotis.

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Ketta IoannidouBorn in 1974 in Nicosia, Cyprus

Education

M.F.A., School of Visual Arts, New York, B.A. (Hons),Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, UK

Solo Exhibitions

2008 Go North, A Space for Contemporary Art,Beacon, New York (forthcoming)

2007 Diatopos Centre of Contemporary Art, Nicosia

2004 Argo, Nicosia, Cyprus

2002 P.S. 122 Gallery, Hallway Project Space,New York

2001 Argo, Nicosia, Cyprus

1999 Visual Arts Gallery, New York

Selected Exhibitions

2007 • Here and Elsewhere, AIM 27, The BronxMuseum of the Arts, Bronx, New York

2006 • Projects 06, The Carriage House, Islip ArtMuseum, Islip, New York

• Art of the Word, Haven, Bronx, New York

• 3 Steps to a Maze, Argo, Nicosia, Cyprus

2005 • Sasquatch Society, Sixty seven, New York

• Now Playing, curated by Karlos Carcamo,ParaSite, Beacon, New York

• Welcome Home, Argo, Nicosia, Cyprus

2004 • Screwball, organised by Chris Bors, Vox Pop-uli, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• The Infinite Fill Show, curated by Coryand Jamie Arcangel, Foxy Production, NewYork

2003 • 9th International Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt

• Emerge 2002, curated by Calvin Reid, Alji-ra,Newark, New Jersey

2002 Return to the Battle of the Iron Clads, HereArt, New York

2001 Emerging Artists, Here Art, New York

2000 Snapshot, Contemporary Museum, Baltimore,Maryland

1999 Rome Biennale for Young Artists from Euro-pean and Mediterranean Countries, Rome,Italy. Lives and works in New York and Cyprus.

Mediterranean Jungle Paradise #2

Aquatic flora and fauna, Japanese comic books,Byzantine patterns and Turkish tapestry designsall influence my art. Reflecting upon the con-nection between landscape and imagina-tion, my work depicts an intermediate statethat is not clearly defined. My installationwork creates an atmosphere where the view-er can glimpse the outlines of another worldbeneath the surface. A palpable tension existsbetween sound and vision, real and artifi-cial, and dream and loneliness, to provide pri-vate moments and a compelling relationshipbetween nature and design.

For the Alexandria Biennale I propose to com-bine vinyl papers in wall assemblages thatengage a multitude of imagery related to foliage,tree formations and floral vegetation. Devel-oping "industrialized" organisms made ofremovable adhesive vinyl, the installation willbe a reinterpretation of the natural landscape.Parasites and weeds, vines, roots and branch-es will be spreading over the floor andclimbing the walls of the indoor gallery space,creating a network of their own that is con-stantly evolving. A video projection of theCyprus Sea shot close up will be projected onthe wall. Painted butterflies cut out of trans-parent acetate will be suspended from the ceil-ing. Blue and green spotlights will be placeddiscreetly around the darkened room, creat-ing shadows of the hanging butterflies on thewalls and accenting elements on the walls.

The exhibition space will be mimicking thenatural world, reproducing an image that istypical of natural environments. I want toexplore the real and bring it into the world ofmemory and imagination by making an ecosys-tem that exists somewhere between repre-sentation and abstraction.

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Tatiana FerahianBorn in 1970 in Beirut, Lebanon

Education

Degree of Master of Liberal Studies, University of Den-ver, B.Sc Degree in Fine Arts, Empire State College,(SUNY), Diploma in Graphic Art & Advertising Design,Frederick Polytechnic University, Cyprus, MelkonianEducational Institute, Cyprus

Additional Diplomas

2002 Member of Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts(EKATE)

1990 Diploma in Graphic Art & Interior Design,University of Wales Participated in over twen-ty group exhibitions

Special Exhibitions

2006 "Breaking the Mould", Helsinki City Hall, Fin-land

2006 2nd Beijing International Art Biennale, Beijing,China

2004 Artiade 2004, Olympics of Visual Art, Athens,Greece

Solo Exhibitions

2006 "Freeplay", Opus 39 Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus

2002 Rouan Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus Lives andworks in Cyprus

B-hive

The B-hive is an installation about cohabi-tation, effective communication, coordina-tion, cultural exchange and ultimately col-lective survival in a multicultural society. Asa symbol, the bees’ lifestyle mimics that of thehuman social order – a cooperative, produc-tive social hierarchy. The Bee’s never-flagginglabours make them an emblem of team work,perseverance, selflessness, and constancy. Thebeehive is a visual metaphor for how peoplewhile strongly valuing their individuality andfreedom of choice, could also place a premi-um on entering the local community (the bee-hive), engaging the members of that com-munity in the recognition of the natural, morallaw which provides a common ground betweendifferent religious believers about the funda-mental moral issues affecting the commongood in societies.

The work is an installation/environmental arttaking into account the viewer’s entire sen-sory experience. It is composed of over onehundred cut-out ink-drawings on rice paperwhich are fastened directly onto the wall.Superimposed on top is a circular honeycombmade of around six hundred plexy tubes. Final-ly, an operatic stereophonic ambience of buzzingsound of bees commandeering the audience’ssenses, creating a sense of drama, plight andeuphoria!

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The Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre in col-laboration with the Pierides Foundation,the Cultural Services of the Ministry ofEducation and Culture and the Cyprus Cham-ber of Fine Arts organised within the frame-work of the art event: "YK- EMX - UnderConstruction: Alternative Museum Spaces"an exhibition of paintings, engravings, sculp-tures and electronic installations from theMarfin Laiki Bank Art Collection.

During the past 25 years, the Cultural Cen-tre of the Marfin Laiki Bank with its long-standing plan of supporting and promotingart, has succeeded in creating an impressiveprivate collection of Cyprus contemporaryworks of art which was open to the public forthe first time. The exceptional standard of thecollection, a great tribute to this country, isdefinitely due to the selective ability and artis-tic vision of the Director of the M.L.B. Cul-tural Centre, Marina Vryonidou- Yiangouwho for 23 years has been involved heart andsoul in this project.

Through the different sections of the exhi-bition, the art-loving visitor has the oppor-

tunity to acquire a comprehensive picture ofcontemporary art in Cyprus and get an ideaof the many different directions and streamsin which Cypriot artists have moved.

The exhibition starts with the first generationof artists, the "fathers" of the contemporaryCypriot art whose artistic career beganmuch earlier than 1960 but their recognitioncame after the establishment of the Repub-lic of Cyprus. Representative works by S. Fran-goullides, V. Ioannides, I. Kissonergis whochose to follow a realistic style by receivinginspiration from the local environment, are agood illustration of this period. Another artistfrom the same period is Pol Georgiou whofound an outlet for his expression in Byzan-tine art.

Modernism is represented by a number ofartists like Christoforos Savva, a painter ofinternational stature who exhibited work ofcubistic plastic solutions with a fauvistic palette,and Votsis who experiments with geometricsimplifications of colour planes in hauntinglandscapes.

After 1960, the artists that returned to Cyprusfollowing their studies abroad, createdworks influenced by various contemporaryEuropean styles. Y, Skotinos, R. Bailey, M.

Selections from the Marfin Laiki Bank CollectionYours Sincerely

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Tourou followed a surrealistic idiom whileother artists included in the collection suchas Charalambides, Sfikas, Makrides, Savvides,Ladommatos believed in contemporary stylesand searched for absolute relations of elements.

Cypriot originality was enriched by thetragic experiences of 1974. The artists drewup from the depth of their art some latent ele-ments in order to express their wounded Cypri-ot essence. The collection presents some stun-ning engravings by T. Kanthos which are nothis usual lyrical landscapes but measure theshock of the events.

Heterogeneity still reigns in the youngest gen-eration of Cypriot artists and no common lineof perception or style dominates the art scene.In their artistic pursuits, they may be describedas "artists without frontiers". The great num-ber of works from this section of the collec-tion presents different trends and tech-niques which are a subjective projection ofthe artist rather than a collective idiom. Work-ing with idioms and techniques that are basi-cally of western origin, they still keep thestrength of their Cypriot identity.

The exhibition was open from the 14 Marchto 20 April 2008.

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The Pharos Trust Cyprus-based charitable foun-dation is celebrating itstenth anniversary witha wide range of activi-ties in the fields of music,arts and humanities.Continuing its tradi-tion of commitment toartistic excellence, music lovers in Cyprus wereoffered the chance to listen to a pleiad ofcelebrated soloists turning the Pharos Trustspring season into a long-lasting feast.

The January concerts presented the PharosPiano Trio with Sergei Khachatryan, violin,Alex Chaushian, cello and Vahan Mardiross-ian, piano. The programme, including Tchaikovsky,Shostakovitch and Babadjanian was an aus-picious opening for the highly successful springseason.

In February, the recital held at CasteliotissaHall came within the framework of the CyprusArtists Series, an attempt made by Pharos Trustto promote and support leading musiciansfrom Cyprus. Soprano Margarita Elia andManolis Neophytou on piano presented arecital of Russian music. The programmeincluded works by Rachmaninov, Tchaikovs-ki, Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov and the worldpremiere of three songs by Stanislav Prokudin.Throughout the programme, Elia was vocal-ly spectacular with her powerful, agile andexpressive voice. Neophytou impressed withhis wide range of interpretative qualitiesduring the solo pieces while proving that hecan also be an accomplished accompanist inperfect harmony with the soprano.

The March concert fea-tured the KopelmanQuartet with a pro-gramme including worksby Borodin, Shostakovichand Weinberg. Inter-nationally acclaimed for"their great humanityand the finesse of their

playing", the Kopelman Quartet composedof Michael Kopelman, first violin, BorisKuschnir, second violin, violist Igor Sulygaand cellist Mikhail Milman appeared in Nicosiawith piano soloist Elizaveta Kopelman.They did not only delight the audience butthey also gave a separate educational concertas part of the Pharos Trust Music EducationProgramme, developed in association with theMinistry of Education and Culture.

Apparently, the concerts were in a crescendomood as April brought the highlight of theevents: a unique recital by Russian leg-endary pianist Grigory Sokolov. The pro-gramme included two Mozart Sonatas bothin K major K 280 and K 332 and Chopin’s24 Preludes Op. 28. With his highly indi-vidual interpretations and infinitely great tonalvarieties, the soloist stunned the audience. Hisrousing, exhilarating style rightfully earnedhim extended ovations.

As every year during May and June, the Inter-national Pharos Chamber Music Festival willbring some of the world’s most accomplishedsoloists and ensembles for world-class cham-ber music performances in the unique atmos-phere of historic Kouklia, part of the AphroditeCultural Route in Cyprus.

Pharos Trust Concerts

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8th Dance Platform

The Dance Platform, the most significantcontemporary dance event is organised annu-ally by the Ministry of Education and Cul-ture in collaboration with the Rialto The-atre in Limassol. For the past eight years,it has provided a forum for the choreogra-phers of Cyprus to express their artistic con-cerns and has encouraged the creation andpromotion of choreography, not only inCyprus but also abroad, since every year itarouses the interest of artistic agents fromabroad invited to attend the event.

The Dance Platform has proved its valueover the years. It began through the needchoreographers had to present their workand has developed into a national institu-tion! Testimony to this is the number of par-ticipants: it began with four groups and nowattendance has tripled. The standard of mate-rial which is presented is also certainly high-er, thanks to the financial support of theMinistry of Education and Culture as wellas the excellent technical support providedby the Theatre Rialto. According to Geor-gia Dedser, the artistic director of TheatreRialto, it was one of the first organisedattempts to raise contemporary dance to theforefront, given that up to ten years ago –aside from some isolated attempts, like thatby Ariana Economou – contemporary dancewas still unknown in Cyprus. The Platformplaced contemporary dance, a relatively new,but fast growing art, on Cyprus’ artistic map.

Eleven groups presented their work, fiveof which participated in the event for the

By Constantina Markides

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first time. This is especially positive, giv-en that the Platform wants to encouragecreativity and attract new talent.

The inauguration of the Platform this yeartook place on Friday 14 February, with thegroup Interact. The choreography by Vic-toria Philippou Arestidou is entitled AboutUs and explores the characters and expe-riences of three women who try to discov-er who they are through life experiences inan attempt to surpass their selves, their Ego.This was followed by the group JeunessesMusicales with Milena Urgen as choreog-rapher and dancing the solo Nothing, a pieceabout the process of ageing; the loss of man’scharm, having been consumed and tiredfrom life, who just waits to die. It is anintense piece of work, as much emotion-ally as in movement. The music written byGeorge Koulas, was minimalist and atmos-pheric, while the second part by Lubos Fis-er, was neoclassic. The night ended withthe group AELION performing the chore-ography 21 Minutes by Alexandra and Foti-ni Perdikakis and Maria Mavromichali. Itis their first choreography presentation atthe Platform, a collective effort in collab-oration with the stage director VangelisZilelis. A work as much kinesiological as itis visual that allows the viewer to give hisown interpretation to the dance.

On Saturday 15 March the group En Drasipresented the work Give Me Not, choreo-graphed by Evi Demetriou; a duet betweenthe choreographer and Victoria Philip-pou Arestidou whose subject is the trans-actions in relationships. In continuation,the group Echo Arts in a choreographyby Ariana Economou presented the workIf It Was Not For You, a choreography witha strong element of experimentation. Thethird part of the evening was followed by

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Amfidromo Chorotheatro with the work SoFar and Yet So Near, choreographed by Ele-na Christodoulidou. It is a piece inspired byAlzheimer’s disease. The choreographer notes,‘The loss of consciousness and the loss ofmemory makes the past present. Darknessmakes the situation worse. Man becomeslike a small child with one huge difference:‘with a child you have the cer-tainty of develop-ment,h e reyou

have thecertainty of the end.’ The last work of thesecond evening was This is What You Getby the group Epilogi. It is choreographedby Elena Antoniou, as a first presentation ofher work at the Platform, in collaborationwith Polis Peslikas. The starting point of thepiece is the subject of relationships and howeach of us experiences it.

On Sunday 16 March, the evening beganwith the work 3-Fold by the Chorothe-atro Omada Pente, choreographed by Roul-la Kleovoulou, a trio which tests the lim-its of human existence, followed by NoemaDance works with a piece entitled Termi-nus, choreographed by Alexandra Weirstall.Afterwards the group Soma presented AthenaChristodoulou’s Exposed. Like all formsof art, including that of dance, choreogra-pher and dancer are exposed and at anytime a critique can deflate even the mostconfident artist. The Platform came to aclose with a choreographer who appears forthe first time, belonging to the group EnChoro. Elena Kyprianou presented Utopia,in which she seeks happiness in chaos, try-ing to create an optimistic, idealistic, almostimpossible perfection.

I na neffortto helpthis eventgrow andfurther develop,some new positive steps were taken. For thefirst time ‘Dance Throughout the Year’was presented alongside the Dance Platformin a new acquired space, the Limassol DanceHouse. This was a two-day performanceshowing productions presented during theprevious two years. A Round Table Discus-sion was organised during which MarinaEconomou-Stavrinidou, Cultural Officergave an account of the dance scene in Cypruswith a detailed picture of the dance groupsand with her personal vision of the future.Another parallel event at the Art Studio 55was an exhibition titled ‘Light Line’, of pho-tographs, drawings and video by ChristosAvraamides and Horst Weierstall. Both artistspresented works related to the phenomenonof movement in their own ways and whilethe photos document space, movement andlight from the past Dance Platforms andEuropean Dance Festivals, Weierstall’s worksare ink-drawings attempting to capture move-ment at a given moment in time.

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In the series of concerts presented duringthe January – March season, the Cyprus Sym-phony Orchestra has become a platform toshowcase Cypriot young musicians and com-posers who have obtained recognition abroadbefore being acknowledged in their own coun-try. It has been a rewarding season with pleas-ant surprises.

In the January concerts entitled Fun and Vari-ation, the orchestra performed works byHaydn, Tchaikovski and Mozart under thebaton of its much appreciated Artistic Direc-tor, Spiros Pisinos. The well-known Variationson a Rococo Theme Op. 33 by Tchaikovskicaptured the romantic spirit in the movingand convincing interpretation by Romaniancellist, Florin Gaureanu.

During the same month, the Cyprus Youth

Orchestra gave a concert in memory of thelate Minister of Education and Culture, PefkiosGeorgiades, under their director, Ayis Ioan-nides. The orchestra was reinforced by mem-bers of the String Ensemble of the AntonBruckner Music University of Linz, who arepast and present students of Matheos Kari-olou. Violinist Kariolou and pianist DeniseBenda gave a sparkling reading of Brahms’Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano Op.108.In Vivaldi’s Concerto for four Violins in BMinor talented Sandy Chen, Lydia Peherstor-fer, Melina Harrer-Kanthou and StephanieClausing joined forces in a balanced, solid per-formance. Paganini’s notoriously difficult24 Caprices Op.1, brought out the techni-cal facility of young Victor Lin, and Cleo Karp-asitis with her brother Panayiotis displayedtheir growing potential.

Cyprus Symphony Orchestra

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This concert was a wonderful opportunity foryoung Cypriot soloists to come into contactwith their European counterparts, to gainexperience and to realize that they do not lackany chances for professional advancement.

The February series of concerts of the C.S.O.,entitled Early Romantics were conducted bymaestro John Georgiades who held the pres-tigious position of Concertmaster of the Lon-don Symphony Orchestra. The programmeexplored the music of Mendelssohn and Weber.Cypriot violinist, Alexis Theophylactou, present-ly Concertmaster of the Greek National Opera,performed Mendelssohn’s Violin ConcertoOp. 64 in E Minor. He achieved a good equi-librium between passion and control, mes-merizing the audience.

A great success was marked by the March seriesof concerts entitled Russian Fireworks pre-senting works from the golden era of Russianmusic by Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Borodin, Rach-maninov. The Nicosia concert with LudmilNenchev, guest concertmaster and Spiros Pisi-nos on the podium was sold out. The orches-tra performed the challenging programmewith passion and vitality, rising to the occa-sion. Cypriot pianist, Manolis Neophytouplayed Rachmaninov’s popular Piano Con-cert No.2 Op.18 in C Minor. The passion andvirtuosity he showed in his interpretationaccount for the numerous prizes he obtainedin piano competitions in Russia, Poland,Greece, Italy, France, Korea.

In Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Ouverture and Borodin’sPolovtsian Dances conductor Pisinos obtainedpower and grandeur from the orchestra andthe intensity and speed required in nationaldances.

Educational Concerts

The Music Education Programme initiatedin 1999 by Ms Maro Skordi, Music Inspec-tor at the Ministry of Education and Culture,continued to introduce children and youngpeople to the beautiful world of music throughdifferent activities such as: school visits bymembers of the orchestra, Song CompositionWorkshops in collaboration with Cypriot com-posers, Music Education Workshops in col-laboration with Pharos Trust, family concertspresented by the Cyprus Symphony Orches-tra and others. These activities are designedto encourage active listening, performing, cre-ating music and in general inducing childrento perceive the aesthetic qualities of music.

The highlight of these programmes was undoubt-edly the Family Concert on 27th February,2008 at the Strovolos Theatre. The CyprusSymphony Orchestra under the baton of SpirosPisinos presented a programme of classicalworks selected for their spirited, exhilarating

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character. The presentation of the works byMaro Skordi, Chief Education Officer offeredinteresting explanations of the history of eachwork illustrated by a slideshow of eloquentpictures of the composer’s life. A free pro-gramme especially prepared for the FamilyConcert with detailed notes and richly illus-trated further assisted in the initiation of theyoung music lovers. The good attendance ofthis concert shows that all these efforts aregreatly appreciated by audiences.

Tribute to Phanos Dymiotis

The C.S.O. under the guest conductorVladimiros Symeonides presented threeconcerts paying tribute to the Cypriot com-poser Phanos Dymiotis who died tragical-ly, in 2007, at the age of 41.

Dymiotis began to compose at ten and wenton to study at the Chetham School ofMusic in Manchester before obtaining his

MMus Degree from Cambridge Universityand his PhD from Princeton University.

In addition to composing, Dymiotis was Asso-ciate Concertmaster of the Mid-Atlantic Sym-phony Orchestra and performed regularly-with the Annapolis Symphony, Delaware Sym-phony and Baltimore Opera Company. Hewon numerous composition awards includ-ing the Bernadr Shore Viola CompositionAward in 1986 and a Prize at the BenjaminBritten International Composition Compe-tition in 1987. In 2004, he was commissionedby the Ministry of Education and Cultureto write a work celebrating Cyprus’ EU acces-sion and just prior to his death he complet-ed The Soldier’s Blues for the Mid-AtlanticSymphony Orchestra.

The first part of the concert included worksby Andreas Yiangopoulos, Marina Panayiotouans Nicos Troullos. The second half, dedicatedexclusively to Phanos Dymiotis, began withthe Academic Overture written in 1992. Thework was submitted as part of a competi-tion organized by the University of Cyprus tobe performed at the inauguration ceremonyof the University in October 1992. It was awell constructed work with melodioushorns and oboe solos and intricate fugal inter-jections. The second work, Suite for StringOrchestra, was an extremely melodious andappealing piece with many sections typicalAmericana and an elating final movement.The final piece, Divertimento for ChamberOrchestra, concluded the concert in a total-ly different change in style with warm bassclarinet echoes and outstanding timpani solos.

It was a remarkable evening that highlightedCypriot composers and received due appre-ciation from the public.

The First International Documentary FilmFestival opened on 19 March 2008 at theMelina Mercouri Hall in Nicosia addingto the cinematic events of the city a newartistic expression that was long overdue.Although the capital is blessed with a greatnumber of film festivals, the first Inter-national Documentary Festival, aptly named"Views of the World" aims to expand ourcinematic horizon, shed light on obscureparts of the world, serving as a social inter-vention rather than pure entertainment.

Organised by the Municipality of Nicosiaand the Thessaloniki Documentary Festi-val with the support of the Ministry of Edu-cation and Culture and the Cyprus YouthBoard, the festival is hoping to become acontemporary institution, in keeping withour times, that will revolve around social,environmental and cultural issues.

Hand-picked by artistic director DimitrisEipides and an expert team of documen-tary enthusiasts, each choice highlights themultiple roles documentary films fulfil.

• To inform: Recording a different reali-ty we never get to see, as in the heart-wrenching "Two Dancer for a Dicta-torship", where Sotiris Danezis with asmall camera infiltrates Burma, docu-menting, revealing images and shock-ing testimonials about the crude dic-tatorship.

• To raise consciousness on subjects whichconcern all of us but are sadly knownto very few of us: In "Up the Yangtze",Chinese-Canadian filmmaker YungChang with his powerful narrative of

peasant life in China gives a disquiet-ing glimpse into a future that awaits usall. Also delving into local life withthe revealing eye of the camera, "A Bet-ter Hole" by Cypriot filmmaker TheoPanayides refers to the dramatic changesthat have overwhelmed Paphos in thepast 25 years.

• To capture history, to record importantcultural elements and prominent per-sonalities that would otherwise foreverfade into darkness: Turkish painterBurhan Uygur is a perfect example of aforgotten genius, whose gripping storywas revised thanks to Floor Kooij andSibel Bilgin’s documentary "Passionof an Artist".

• To educate: "Views of the World" organ-ised three master-class workshops withwell-known personalities Sotiris Danezisfrom Greece, Arto Halonen from Fin-land and Costas Constantinides fromCyprus who translated their passion forresearching and directing into simpleterms in an effort to initiate the Cypri-ot fans to a yet unexplored film genre."Views of the World" broke the normby accompanying the select documen-tary programme with two animationextravaganzas, a late-night experimen-tal programme and a mixed techniquepanorama.

Besides film screenings, master classes, talksand photography shows, the Melina Mer-couri Hall was turned into a unique meet-ing place for the young generation, offer-ing a source of inspiration and ultimatelyinfluencing the local film scene.

Documentary Film Festival

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In a glittering and moving ceremony held atthe Municipal Theatre of Nicosia on the7th January 2008, the Cyprus Theatre Organ-isation (THOC) presented the Theatre Awardsin honour of its most talented creators. Firstintroduced in 2001, the Theatre Awards takeplace every two years.

The ceremony, attended by former President,Tassos Papadopoulos and a great number ofdignitaries, was staged as a theatre rehearsaldirected by Stathis Piperides, during whichthe meaning of the theater was discussed andillustrated through the awarded prizes. Themusic background was given by Tat-Tnabargroup.

The Thoc Grand Theatre Award was given towriter, researcher and theatre historian, DrYiannis Katsouris for his laborious researchwork and invaluable contribution to the worldof the stage. This is in fact the second recog-nition for his two volume monumental work"The Theatre in Cyprus". Last December, hewas awarded the Academy of Athens Prize forthis labour of love on which he spent almostfour decades of painstaking study before itwas completed in 2004.

The awards in other categories were as fol-lows:

• Best Set Design Award went to EduardGeorgiou for his work on Ethal’s 2005-2006 production of Harold Pinter "Home-coming".

• Best Costume Design Award was givento Haris Kafkarides and Melita Kouta fortheir work in Paravan Productions "Zoo"during the 2006-2007 theatre season.

THOC Theatre Awards

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• Best Music Award was given to the evening’slive band, Tat-Tnabar for their work in"Zoo".

• Choreography and Movement Award wentto Elena Antoniou for her work in Nico-lai Gogol’s "Diary of a Madman", a Thoc2006-2007 production.

• Best Lighting design Award was receivedby George Koukoumas for the lighting effehe achieved in Nicolai Gogol’s "Diary of aMadman", Staged at Thoc in 2006-2007season.

• Best Playwright/Adaptation Award waswon by Antonis Georgiou for his play"Agapimeno mou Plyntirio" (My BelovedWashing-Machine), a Thoc production,stage directed by Monica Vassiliou in 2006-2007.

• Best Female Performance Award waswon by Anita Santorinaiou for her role asLeonora in "Monsieur Amilcar" by YvesJamiaque, a 2005-2006 Thoc produc-tion directed by Christos Zanos and toLenia Sorocou for her role as Nitsa in "Agapi-meno mou Plyntirio".

• Best Male Performance Award went to Var-nava Kyriazis for his role as Poprishchin in"Diary of a Madman". Being handed theaward by the former Minister of Educa-tion, Akis Cleanthous, Kyriazis said thatin his capacity of Thoc Director he cannotaccept the prize, so he dedicated it to themuch appreciated but recently deceasedCypriot actor, Sotiris Moustakas.

• Best Director Award was won by two nom-inees: Christos Zanos for his Thoc pro-duction of "Monsieur Amilcar" and MinasTingilis for staging Harold Pinter’s "Home-coming" at Ethal.

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The Press and Information Office (PIO) hasissued a new edition of the publication "AboutCyprus" in English. This reference work, updat-ed and published about every two years, com-prises about 400 pages and includes infor-mation on the work carried out by the vari-ous government departments, the main fieldsof activity on the island as well as informationon the services provided by the state both tothe local population and to foreign nation-als wishing to do business or invest in Cyprus.The publication is richly illustrated.

The book is divided into various sections sub-divided into themes related to the main sec-tion. The first section entitled "Geography– Environment" provides the latest statisti-cal data on the population of Cyprus, theclimate and natural environment of the island,and further information on the administra-tive districts and local authorities outliningthe competencies of the municipalities, theDepartment of Town Planning and the Landsand Surveys Department.

The "History" chapter includes a brief surveyof Cyprus’ history going back 11.000 yearswith representative images from each peri-od, up to the recent history of the island includ-ing its accession to the EU and the efforts overthe years to solve the Cyprus problem.

The chapter on the Economy portrays thecharacteristics of the Cyprus economy, its mon-etary policy, its banking system and the recenttax reforms in compliance with the EU legislation.

Other chapters give information on the struc-ture of the government, the judiciary, the leg-

islature, the political parties, results of presi-dential and parliamentary elections. Refer-ence is also made to civil aviation, develop-ment of maritime activities, contribution ofagriculture to economy and confronting thewater shortage problem.

Cultural life in Cyprus, the promotion of sportsand the protection of antiquities are subjectsincluded in the chapter entitled "Culture".

"About Cyprus" is distributed free of chargearound the world as well as in Cyprus. Acatalogue of all publications is available at thePIO as well as on line at www.moi.gov.cy/pio

"About Cyprus"