Inter-Balkan Festival of Ancient Drama

Region of Attica / Region of Attica
Inter-Balkan Festival of Ancient Drama / Interbalkan Festival of Ancient Drama

25 & 26 July 2022

Atticus Altos Theatre «Katina Paxinou»
Opening International Conference
«Ancient Drama as a timeless source of inspiration and creation»

Submission of proposals for 2023

The «Interbalkan Festival of Ancient Drama» is a new international artistic institution founded by the Region of Attica and established from the Summer of 2022 on an annual basis, on the initiative of the Attica Regional Governor George Patoulis and the Regional Councillor for Culture, Mary Vidalis. The aim is the tireless cooperation and the constant presence in our country of artists, institutions and groups from the Balkans, working at a high artistic level, focusing on Ancient Drama and the research around it.

The main aim of the new festival is to highlight the great theatrical tradition and contemporary creation of the Balkan countries on Ancient Drama. For this reason, the excavation of the entire spectrum of creation found in the theatrical palimpsest of the Balkan peninsula - from traditional institutional theatrical forces to new artistic trends seeking new dramatic and aesthetic forms - is a priority.

In the troubled geographical landscape of the Balkans, where people have experienced and are experiencing modern tragedies, Ancient Drama, with its international scope, humanism and therapeutic dimension, has the power to highlight our related traditions and through the essential artistic encounter to turn the compass towards the deep and sincere friendship of peoples.

The «Interbalkan Festival of Ancient Drama» is expected to start presenting performances and activities in the summer of 2023 with an artistic programming of international participants, which will be prepared annually following an open call for proposals from Greece and the other Balkan countries.

This year, the Festival will introduce itself to the general public by organising an inaugural international conference entitled:

«Ancient Drama as a Timeless Source of Inspiration and Creation».

The conference will take place at the Atticus Grove Theatre «Katina Paxinou» on 25 and 26 July 2022, with the participation of important representatives of the Balkan theatre, who will arrive in our country to welcome the new institution and discuss the theatrical reality of their country and its relationship with Ancient Drama throughout time and today.

The talks/discussions will take place on 25 July, while on 26 July the performance of Euripides« »Icetides" will be presented, translated and directed by Municipality of Avdelios.

Entrance to all events of the Inter-Balkan Festival of Ancient Drama of the Region of Attica is free of charge.

Submission of proposals for 2023

Proposals for the artistic programming of the Inter-Balkan Festival of Ancient Drama that will take place in the summer of 2023 at the Atticus Grove Theatre «Katina Paxinou» can be submitted online to interbalkanfestival@patt.gov.gr until 30 December 2022. Those selected will be notified by 6 March 2023.

Attica Region

Inter-Balkan Festival of Ancient Drama

Artistic Director

Mars Asproulis

Advisory Committee

Mary Vidali (President)

Io Voulgaraki

Elena Mavridou

Agis Marini

Irene Mudraki

Konstantinos Bouras

Pericles Nearchou

Sissy Papathanasiou

Terms and conditions of participation

• All artists, groups, institutions and collectives from the Balkans or active in the Balkans or with members from the Balkans who wish to present a theatrical performance related to Ancient Drama are eligible to participate in the Festival.
• Each creator or group can only submit one proposal to the Festival.
• The Festival places special emphasis on research theatre on Ancient Drama, new staging and dramaturgical forms, the multicultural element and the collaboration of Balkan artists with artists from outside the Balkans.
• The duration of each performance is recommended not to exceed 90 minutes.
• Each proposal must include photographs, excerpts from reviews and audiovisual material from previous actions-performances of the creator or the group from which the proposal is made.
• For all performances accepted from abroad, the Festival covers accommodation, catering and internal travel within Athens for 4 to 6 persons per production and from 2 to 4 days in total per production.
• Proposals submitted from Greece must be accompanied by the cost of the performance, which will be covered by the Festival if the performance is selected.
• For all performances that are accepted the Festival provides the sound and lighting coverage.
• The Festival offers the possibility of screening surtitles for all performances that are accepted.
• The creation of the surtitles (in Greek or English for foreign acts and in English for Greek acts) is the responsibility of the producers.
• The files and audiovisual material of each proposal sent by e-mail should ideally be placed in active links leading to them or in attachments not exceeding 3MB in total.
• No proposal will be accepted after the announced deadline.
• The Festival will inform each applicant or team about the acceptance or not of their proposal.
• The Festival reserves the right not to make public the reasons why a proposal is accepted or not.
• The Festival has the right to film part or all of the work for archival or promotional purposes.
• The Festival has the right to photograph the whole performance, as well as snapshots of the dressing rooms and rehearsals for archival purposes or promotional activities.
• The Festival has the right to broadcast via social media part of the performance live or part of the rehearsals live for promotional purposes.
• The insurance of the employees of each performance is a basic requirement and is the responsibility of each production.
• The Festival has the right to give access to the press during the rehearsals of a performance for promotional purposes.
• The Festival reserves the right to schedule - in consultation with the production in question - the presentation of the performance more than once.
• The Festival reserves the right to cancel or change the dates and venue of the event.
• All performances and actions of the Festival are free of charge for the public
• Participation in the Festival implies the acceptance of all the above terms and conditions.