The programme and the sections of the International Festival of Patras 2023 were presented at noon on Thursday 25 May at the Cultural Centre of “Ichthyoskala” by the President of the Cultural Organisation Katerina Geropanagioti, in the presence of the Mayor of Patras Kostas Peletidis and artists who take part in the events.

The Mayor of Patras, referring to the institution, noted that “for yet another difficult year, in conditions of underfunding and understaffing, the municipality organizes the International Festival, supporting and encouraging both amateur creation and the people of art and culture as a whole. He also stressed that “culture is a social good, so every government and the Region, must ensure the necessary permanent resources, the necessary human resources and for 2022 the funding from the Ministry of Culture was zero. In closing, he thanked all the employees of the Cultural Organization and the Municipality, “because they have taken over the events of the festival for another year.”

Η Πρόεδρος του Πολιτιστικού Οργανισμού Κατερίνα Γεροπαναγιώτη και ο Δημάρχος Πατρέων Κώστας Πελετίδης

The President of the Cultural Organization, presenting the program, said that “Culture is not a luxury and that is why the aim of this year’s events is for the people’s families to have the opportunity to get in touch once again with all the cultural events.  We are continuing with 80% of these events being free of charge, because culture is not a commodity, nor is it a ‘creative industry’, as stated in the EU funding packages, aimed at boosting business activity in areas such as green growth and tourism.

MsGeropanagioti, presenting the modules of the International Festival, said the following:

JAZZ & MORE

“The curtain will be formally opened tomorrow, Friday 26 May, with the Jazz & more section, which will be hosted for four days in a covered area of the Old Slaughterhouse. Featuring top names from Greece and with international references such as Cuba, Boston, Italy and Jordan.

A TRIBUTE TO LITERATURE

As part of the Patras International Festival, we open a new thematic section dedicated to Literature, with Andreas Karkavitsas, DinosTheotokis, AlkisZei, and the tribute to poetry set to music.

Literature is one of the main forms of art. It is a particular artistic way of expressing objective reality, using fiction, images, a kind of practical spiritual perception of the world.

It opens up new horizons, which generously offer a concentrated experience of life, an experience that each and every person will never be able to acquire on their own in their lifetime. It brings us into contact with our mother tongue, while at the same time training our vocabulary and our narrative skills. This is a great contribution of literature to the formation of young people, since linguistic development means, above all, intellectual development, the ability to think more deeply and accurately.

The specific section concludes with the Painting Symposium dedicated to the memory of the author AlkisZei, in collaboration with the Greek Chamber of Fine Arts EETE, entitled: “A great walk of memory and dream in Patras 2023”, which will take place at the cultural space in Ichthioskala, from September 19 to October 2, 2023.

MUSICAL TRIBUTES

The tributes to great Greek artists are another important “station” of the Festival this year. Some of them stand out:

• A tribute to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas, on June 23 at the Castle of Rio. “… I lived for art and love! – … Vissi D’ Arte Vissi d’ Amore (Tosca), with the Direction of EvanthiaStivanakis and the Artistic Direction of Stamatis Beris,
• Concert with Stavros Xarchakos, on 14 July at the Castle of Rio. A journey from Pontus to Crete “The sunrise has come and the west has gone”.
• A tribute to George Zambeta on 17 July at the Summer Municipal Theatre. Production of the International Festival with the String Orchestra.
• Tribute “Half a century (and not only) of Greek and foreign cinema” on August 31 at Achaia Clauss, with Tasos Pappas and the participation of the String Orchestra of the Municipal Conservatory of Patras “MikisTheodorakis”.

FESTIVAL IN THE NEIGHBOURHOODS

The effort of the last few years continues and expands with additional musical groups for the festivals organized by the clubs in the neighborhoods, shadow theater performances, film screenings. The full programme is developed in cooperation with the civilisational associations.

MUNICIPAL CINEMA

In the neighbourhoods of Patras, memories and images will come alive again this year with honeysuckle and jasmine. More than 20 screenings will take place. In June the screenings will take place every Tuesday in the Atrium and Sunday in the Fish Market and in July on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays it travels to the neighbourhoods.

AMATEUR THEATRE FESTIVAL

JUNE, JULY AND SEPTEMBER

Three months full of theatre with this section again becoming a platform for the expression of amateur creativity. The section is under the auspices of the Patras International Festival and will be hosted at the Fountain Theatre and the Old Municipal Hospital.

A total of fourteen theatrical performances will take place.

FOURTEEN PERFORMANCES WILL BE HELD IN THE SUMMER MUNICIPAL THEATRE

For the second consecutive year, dozens of theatrical performances will be hosted at this venue.

INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL

International Dance Festival curated by the Dance Department and groups from Cyprus, Italy, Italy, Spain, Mexico have been invited in early September”.

During the presentation of the programme, artists participating in this year’s sections took the floor. George Tsolis spoke about the jazz & more section along with the artists participating in the first day and from the Municipal Conservatory which will hold the Jazz workshop, artistic director GerasimosVoutsinas.

Pericles Aliopis and Anastasios Pappas referred to the music tributes section, while DionysisVoultsos and MiltosNikas spoke about the literary tributes in which they are participating.