Poros Arts Festival – One island, one celebration!

August 28^th, 2023

A look back at the Poros Arts Festival 2023.

This summer, Poros Arts Festival flooded the streets, squares, beaches, landmarks, cinema, theater and exhibition venues of the island, offering spectacles and smiles and confirming its motto: Poros Arts Festival – “One island, one celebration”!

Cinematic June

It all started on June 17^th, with the children’s puppet theater ” “Γοργόνα, γοργονίτσα” (Mermaid, Little Mermaid)”. Due to the rain, the magical performance by Emmanouela Kapokaki and the Prassein Aloga group was moved from Syggrou open theater to the High School’s event hall, but the experience was equally memorable for children and parents alike. On the 24^th, the torch was passed to the two one-act plays by I. Kampanellis “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “Ο Πανηγυρικός“ (The Panegyric) with Dimitris Fragkioglou, who was wholeheartedly applauded by the enthusiastic audience at the Syggrou open theatre. Katheti’s choir, conducted by Sofia Zarani, opened the evening, touching the audience with “Παραμύθι χωρίς όνομα” (Fairy Tale Without a Name).

June closed with the 4-day Documentary and Short Film Festival (27-30 June), curated by Flora Prisimintzi, at the welcoming, cool and state-of-the-art Cine Diana. The festival had everything. Award-winning fiction and documentary films with environmental and social themes, subtitles in Greek or English respectively, the creators of most of the films, discussion, and something particularly important for Poros: every day started with the documentary “Saving Poros“, which informed the audience about the threat industrial fish farming poses for the island and offered an opportunity for discussion and further familiarization with the issue.

Visual Arts July

In July the events continued at a torrid pace. On July 9^th, we honoured Michalis Hatziperos and the Vourla refugees to Poros at an event entitled “In memory of Michalis Hatziperos“, with the musical accompaniment of the traditional music group Syntonon. That was followed by the 3-day Street Art Festival (11-13 July), which flooded the coastal area with music, painting and embroidery, and the concert of Matthaios Giannoulis in the crowded Iroon Square on the 14^th. Next was the theatrical performance “Θέλω να σου κρατάω το χέρι” (I Want to Hold Your Hand) on the 15^th. The author Tasos Iordanidis and his wife and leading lady Thalia Matika filled the Syggrou open theatre and moved the audience with a powerful performance, which was the first ever their children attended!

Speaking about children, the evening of July 18^th belonged to them, with the bubble parade & performing “Cloud-cuckoo-land“. From the Mermaid Fountain to the Town Hall Square and from dusk until late at night, the children of the island enjoyed a unique time with impressive bubbles, dancing and laughing their hearts out. July ended with an island-wide tribute to visual arts, with five exhibitions happening at the same time on Poros, including the impressive astrophotography exhibition “Under the starry sky” by Vaggelis Kaikas, behind the Town Hall (22-30 July).

Musical August

August kicked off equally strongly, with two dance events. The first was the “Full Moon Beach Party“, on August 2^nd, in which we had the chance to be taught Latin and zumba dance steps by the Poros Nautical Club dance school. Kanali beach was crowded with people who came to see impressive Latin dances, dance and take an evening dip under the full moon. On the 4^th, it was folk dances turn, with the Cultural Association of Galatas “Friends of Tradition”, thanks to whom, the Syggrou open theater was packed! This was followed on August 5^th by the presentation of the Poros literary production for the period 2020-2023 at the same place, curated by Hatzopouleios Municipal Library and organized by Yannis Maniatis. The presentation was accompanied by Greek songs sung by Sophia Zarani, with Maria Deli on the accordion and Giorgos Beris on the guitar, in a delightful literary and musical evening.

August was a musical month on Poros, with emphasis on classical music. Poros Arts Festival contributed to this with two classical music events: on the 13^th, an impressive classical music happening with Sophia Zarani from the Clock Tower rock and on the 19^th, the “Piano Concert for Valeria“, at Syggrou open theater. The large audience enjoyed three renowned musicians, Achilleas Wastor, Elisavet Mantopoulou and Nadia Karageorgi in a guest appearance, and a rising star, the honoured Valeria herself. Poros Arts Festival’s musical summer was concluded on the 26^th with the “World Music” concert by Dimos Koumaridis, Andreas Boutsikakis and Evdokia Rapti, in the enchanting setting of Agios Georgios Square.

And the summer goes on…

But, just before we leave this summer behind, Poros Arts Festival has another gift for us: The exhibition of mixed visual arts “Transformations“, on 3-13 September, at the Katheti’s venue in Pounta, with the participation of Georgios Gelis (painting, Orthodox art), Athanassia Tsoukala (ceramics), Eleni Paidiaditaki (photography) and our own Pavlou Nikos (photography).

Important note

In all the events of Poros Arts Festival 2023, money was raised for Valeria and information was provided on the issue of industrial fish farming (POAY) in Poros.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Municipality of Poros, for entrusting Katheti with the co-organization of Poros Arts Festival 2023, as well as the sponsors and volunteers for their valuable contribution.

Photo credits: Fay Orfanidou, Babis Kanatsidis and Nikos Pavlou.

Poros Arts Festival Media Sponsor, ERT

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