The Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate of Visual Arts, Architecture, Photography, and Museums of Contemporary Culture, has completed the process of acquiring the significant collection and archival material of the nonprofit organization “Center for Research and Practical Applications of Ancient Greek Drama,” known as “Desmoi.”

The “Desmoi” organization, founded by Aspasia Papathanassiou and operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, served as a center of excellence for the study, theoretical research, and dissemination of ancient Greek drama in Greece and abroad. The collection that was acquired constitutes a cohesive and unique body of work that reflects the contemporary understanding of ancient drama and serves as a primary historical source for theatrical creation.

The Ministry of Culture’s acquisition of the “Desmoi” Archive is part of the ongoing efforts to house the -Archive of the Theater Museum at the property located at 47 Stadiou Street, as well as the Theater Museum’s other collections at 260 Pireos Street.

The material in the Theater Museum’s collection includes:

• Costumes from productions staged by the organization in question, along with their masks; designs by Thanos Vovolis, a renowned set and costume designer
• An extensive photographic archive of the organization’s productions as well as theatrical events from the period of its activity
• Audiovisual material including video recordings of performances, excerpts from interviews with prominent figures in the field (e.g., Koun, Rontiris), audio recordings of international meetings, video recordings of seminars and workshops, etc.
• Articles and reviews
• Posters for various performances
• The database material previously maintained by the organization.

The inclusion of the “Desmoi” collection in the Theater Museum opens up new possibilities for scholarly research, education, the organization of thematic exhibitions, and the digital presentation of the material, making it accessible to both the scholarly community and the general public.