“The Mechanism festival”, a mechanism of inspiration and creation, the new festival of Kythera-Antikythera, as presented in Kythera on 16/07/23, with the funding of the LEADER/CLLD programme, creating positive impressions and high expectations.
The information event on Sunday 16 July 2023 at Potamos Kythera turned out to be a very interesting event for the local community, on the occasion of the presentation of the planning of the new festival.
During the event the Mayor of Kythera-Antikythera and Chairman of the Board of the Network of Municipalities of the Attica Islands Stratos Charhalakis presented the benefits of the LEADER/CLLD programme for the Attica Islands and especially for the Municipality of Kythera. Ο Marini Beretsos, Network manager, presented the opportunities of the LEADER programme of the upcoming programming period, while George Casimatis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KIPA - Kythera Culture and Development Foundation, presented the activity and planning of the Foundation for the sustainable development of the island, the protection and promotion of its natural environment and the promotion of fine Kythera products.
Inspiration mechanism and gears of creation.
Then the Sotiris Bolis, partner of the Attica Islands Network, presented the identity, the narrative and the design of the new festival The Mechanism festival Kythira - Antikythera, which is planned for 2024.
Ο Antikythera mechanism, this amazing ancient artifact of the Hellenistic period, emerged from the depths of the Antikythera Sea in 1900 and has since become one of the most important mechanical inventions in history, an analog computer of amazing technology and detail, a “laptop” of the ancient era!
The Mechanism now becomes a starting point for exploration and creation. Coming from the depths of the sea, the depths of history and looking into the depths of the sky, the Mechanism functions as inspiration for an original festival. Destinations, people, traditions, place, history and actions compose and activate the gears of a modern mechanism, exploring the hidden secrets of Kythera and Antikythera.
By all accounts, based on the statements of those present, this is a very promising effort, well structured, with an attractive approach and many dimensions of development. During the discussion, in addition to the good impressions, opinions were expressed by representatives of local institutions on how the festival could be enriched even more and become a tool for the qualitative promotion of Kythera and Antikythera at international level, while the willingness of participation and cooperation of institutions and citizens was expressed.
It is noted that the festival is funded by the LEADER/CLLD programme of the Attica Islands Network and is implemented with the cooperation of the Municipality of Kythera and local institutions and institutions, thus aiming to be a multi-stakeholder effort of the local community.
Musical journey
The event was completed in the square of Potamos, with the concert of the band Cantistoria, which, with its «singing stories», harmoniously traveled us to places and countries, to different eras and music, in a an imaginary geographic, temporal and stylistic journey from medieval and renaissance Europe to America, from the cantatas of the Middle Ages, the music and dances of Southern Italy, France, Portugal, Ireland, to the blues and folk ballads of America.
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/themechanismfestival
E-mail: mechanism.festival@gmail.com
