[Open Call]: Summer Theatre Immersion in Greece

Summer Theatre Immersion in Greece
Theatre Connections 5, Fabrica Athens’ summer theatrical immersion returns to Methoni, Messinia and invites artists from all over the world.

We warmly invite you to participate in Theatre Connections 5, a theater workshop held August 1st through August 12th in the beautiful seaside village of Methoni, Peloponnese, Greece. Theatre Connections is a 12-day theatre immersion facilitated by Fanis Katehos, Giovanna Michaliadi Sarti and Natassa Arampatzi of the Multi-active Group of Art – Fabrica Athens.

A group of Greek and international participants will coalesce and embark on a shared journey of interaction with the environment and its people through theatrical training. Participants inspired by the place will devise a performance to be shared with local residents and visitors in Methoni.

Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_m1oa1AEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjGo8ysAEqg&t=118s

This 12-day theatre experince includes:
The Theater Workshop – Methods & Goals

The structure of Theater Connections is designed to support participants in connecting with Methoni and its people through the exploration of theater, their own inner worlds, and nature. This workshop is open to interested individuals of all levels of experience. The theater training entailed full engagement of body and soul. We seek participants with a willingness and a desire to enjoy themselves by challenging their own unique limits.

The Theater of Research is the theatrical practice developed by Fabrica Athens which serves as the foundational base for the workshop. It has been in evolution since 2012, and uses original techniques that draw upon the methods of Jerzy Grotowski, Konstantin Stanislavski, Eugenio Barba, Giles Foreman, Suzan Batson, Augusto Boal, Kitt Johnson and Tadashi Suzuki. The practice is used for the training of actors and performers, and also as a tool of Applied Theater in penitentiaries, youth exchange programs, immigrant camps, and more. It adapts its techniques to every group in order to achieve a liberating and transformative experience each time.

Cultural Week

As teammates, participants will also take on artist, facilitator, and audience roles in a festive week of free cultural activities in Methoni curated by Fabrica Athens. Activities such as yoga, fire shows, circus workshops, and screenings are part of this organized cultural week. All of these activities connect participants to the landscape and the people of Methoni, and give participants experience in known and unknown realms.

Tours, Excursions & Special moments

In addition to the training and the cultural events, participants can enjoy morning swims after yoga at the sea’s edge (or even a night swim if they would like to close their days this way as well). They will also have the opportunities to travel to beautiful islands off the coast of Methoni, to visit the medieval Methoni castle (which is surrounded by water on three sides) and to learn about one of the first schools of mutual education in Greece. They will hear from local teachers and communities about Methoni’s history and will enjoy delicious summer meals. They may even find themselves sharing coffee and stories with a neighbor. Methoni is known to enchant and delight its visitors.

Accommodation

Participants camp together at the organized campsite of Camping Methoni. The campsite is equipped with bathrooms, showers, washing machines, and kitchens. Participants are welcome to bring their own tent. Tents can be provided for participants coming from abroad. Participants may request a single or double occupancy tent.

International Workshop
  • Our call to participation is open to applicants from anywhere in the world.
  • Secondly, this year, Theater Connections will occur parallel to Inside OUT, a cultural, creative exchange and collaboration between young artists from Greek and German. Inside OUT and Theatre Connections participants will come together during activities and will work together to create a final public performance.
How to apply

Applications accepted until Sunday June 29th via google forms:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvQEx-kgynPZzHrnQtlWobXVqtBfuIpli2rhnCJEwqpsoFoA/viewform?usp=header 

Participation Fees

Interested individuals can choose one of the following packages for their participation:

  • 350 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions)
  • 500 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions) and accommodation at Camping Methoni in a tent.
    (In the case that the organisation provides the tent and the essentials for the accomodation, the price is 550 for a shared tent and 580 for a single tent).

For inquires text on WhatsApp +306949409474.

5th Meeting of Territorios Teatrales Transitables with the theme “Theatre Groups and Community Intervention” – 2024

Duration: 4 days

The multi-active group Fabrica Athens attended the 5th meeting of Territorios Teatrales Transitables with the theme “Theatre Groups and Community Intervention” and presented AHOS – All Hands On Stage during their allocated time.
We discussed the purpose of the program, the process, and the significant benefits it offers to society both inside and outside of prisons.
Third Theatre groups from around the world had the opportunity to meet, connect with each other, and engage in a crucial and creative dialogue about theatre’s role in social intervention.

Participants: 100 individuals from Third Theatre groups from around the world.

Bazaar with Creations by Inmates

The multidisciplinary group Fabrica Athens offered its spaces and workforce for the Bazaar organized in collaboration with the Social Service of the Korydallos Prison Psychiatric Hospital. Inmates created handmade items for the Christmas and Easter Bazaars, which were held with great success in our venues.

The proceeds were given to the inmates to support their daily needs.
Visitors to the Bazaar were also informed about the AHOS – All Hands On Stage program and the significant impact such initiatives have on the lives and everyday experiences of incarcerated individuals.

These Bazaars were held with the support of the AHOS – All Hands On Stage program on the following dates:

  • 06/04/2025
  • 15/12/2024
  • 21/04/2024
  • 17/12/2023

Summer Theatre Immersion in Greece: Open Call

Summer Theatre Immersion in Greece
Theatre Connections 4, Fabrica Athens’ summer theatrical immersion returns to Methoni, Messinia and invites artists from all over the world.

We warmly invite you to participate in Theatre Connections 4, a theater workshop held August 1st through August 12th in the beautiful seaside village of Methoni, Peloponnese, Greece. Theatre Connections is a 12-day theatre immersion facilitated by Fanis Katehos and Giovanna Michaliadi Sarti of the Multi-active Group of Art – Fabrica Athens.

A group of Greek and international participants will coalesce and embark on a shared journey of interaction with the environment and its people through theatrical training. Participants inspired by the place will devise a performance to be shared with local residents and visitors in Methoni.

Video Links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_m1oa1AEs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjGo8ysAEqg&t=118s

This 12-day theatre experince includes:
The Theater Workshop – Methods & Goals

The structure of Theater Connections is designed to support participants in connecting with Methoni and its people through the exploration of theater, their own inner worlds, and nature. This workshop is open to interested individuals of all levels of experience. The theater training entailed full engagement of body and soul. We seek participants with a willingness and a desire to enjoy themselves by challenging their own unique limits.

The Theater of Research is the theatrical practice developed by Fabrica Athens which serves as the foundational base for the workshop. It has been in evolution since 2012, and uses original techniques that draw upon the methods of Jerzy Grotowski, Konstantin Stanislavski, Eugenio Barba, Giles Foreman, Suzan Batson, Augusto Boal, Kitt Johnson and Tadashi Suzuki. The practice is used for the training of actors and performers, and also as a tool of Applied Theater in penitentiaries, youth exchange programs, immigrant camps, and more. It adapts its techniques to every group in order to achieve a liberating and transformative experience each time.

Cultural Week

As teammates, participants will also take on artist, facilitator, and audience roles in a festive week of free cultural activities in Methoni curated by Fabrica Athens. Activities such as yoga, fire shows, circus workshops, and screenings are part of this organized cultural week. All of these activities connect participants to the landscape and the people of Methoni, and give participants experience in known and unknown realms.

Tours, Excursions & Special moments

In addition to the training and the cultural events, participants can enjoy morning swims after yoga at the sea’s edge (or even a night swim if they would like to close their days this way as well). They will also have the opportunities to travel to beautiful islands off the coast of Methoni, to visit the medieval Methoni castle (which is surrounded by water on three sides) and to learn about one of the first schools of mutual education in Greece. They will hear from local teachers and communities about Methoni’s history and will enjoy delicious summer meals together. They may even find themselves sharing coffee and stories with a neighbor. Methoni is known to enchant and delight its visitors.

Accommodation

Participants camp together at the organized campsite of Camping Methoni. The campsite is equipped with bathrooms, showers, washing machines, and kitchens. Participants are welcome to bring their own tent. Tents can be provided for participants coming from abroad. Participants may request a single or double occupancy tent.

Food

Participants may choose a payment tier which includes one meal (either lunch or dinner) per day in the seaside restaurant of the campsite. In addition to this meal, participants may enjoy the high-quality restaurants and taverns within walking distance, with great options for those with dietary lifestyles and restrictions of all kinds. Participants may also choose to cook some of their meals in the shared kitchens. There are grocery stores and small markets with fresh produce available daily.

International Workshop
  • Firstly, our call to participation is open to applicants from anywhere in the world.
  • Secondly, this year, Theater Connections will occur parallel to Inside OUT, a cultural, creative exchange and collaboration between young artists from Greek and German. Inside OUT and Theatre Connections participants will come together during activities and will work together to create a final public performance.
How to apply

Applications accepted until Sunday June 10th via email: schoolofmixedperformingarts@gmail.com
Theme: Theatre Connections
Information: (+30) 6949409474

Participation Fees

Interested individuals can choose one of the following packages for their participation:

  • 220 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions)
  • 300 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions) and accommodation at Camping Methoni in a shared tent
  • 420 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions) and accommodation at Camping Methoni in a shared tent and one meal per day (either lunch or dinner)
  • 560 euros – Includes participation in the seminar and its related activities (cultural week, guided tours, excursions) and accommodation at Camping Methoni in a single tent and one meal per day (either lunch or dinner)

[Social Activities]: All Hands on Stage – Creative Europe

All Hands on Stage

All Hands On Stage (ΑHOS) is a project co-funded by Creative Europe of which Teatro dei Venti is the lead partner, involving six partners from five countries: Italy, Germany, Serbia, Poland and Greece. The project aims to develop and test a training and accompaniment pathway for the professionalisation of inmates in the field of theatre (technique, scenography, costume design, lighting…); to strengthen and enhance the skills of professional operators who already perform theatre activities in prison, through a comparison at European level; and to raise the awareness of the theatre audience and key stakeholders on the importance of this new professional pathway not only for the individual inmate, but for society as a whole.

Brief Description of the Project

AHOS project puts a sensitive and not widely-known issue in the focus of attention, the one dealing with the social utility that Theatre inside prisons can create, as a real rehabilitative act for the people involved. AHOS wants to build and apply good practices in the prison environment for vocational training and job placement in the theatrical field, i.e. to create training paths for actors, technicians, costume designers, stagehands, etc. for the benefit of inmates and to support their reintegration into civil society.

The project was created to address the situation in which most inmates find themselves once their sentence is over, i.e. the difficulty in applying the knowledge they learnt in prison and in finding work. The lack of tools to reintegrate into society, and thus to build stability, is a very fertile ground for recidivism. We want to act on this fragility, supporting the delicate transition from inside to outside.

This project is not about therapeutic methods. It has nothing in common with the pietistic approach to which Prison Theatre activities are often compared, that unfairly sees creative and social action as opponents. This project brings together professional artists who approach human beings inside prisons in a professional way. This project aims to rebuild dignity through learning a job. It is based on the assumption that everyone has the right to have a job, one that dignifies them and for which they can be responsible. It is about seeing theatre as an opportunity to learn, act and apply truly useful knowledge.

AHOS link the worlds of theatre and prison, establishing a profoundly collaborative connection between their directions, both working towards making prisons an increasingly re-educational institution.

Objectives of AHOS
The overall objective of the AHOS project is to:
  • develop and pilot a training and support path for the professionalization of inmates in the theatrical field (technical, scenography, costume, lighting);
  • strengthen and enhance the skills of professional operators who already carry out theatrical activities in prison, through a comparison at European level;
  • develop and pilot a training course for cultural operators who intend to work in prison, aimed at spreading and increasing the good practices of prison theatre throughout the country;
  • raise awareness among the theatre audience and main stakeholders on the importance of this new career path not only for the individual prisoner, but for society as a whole.
To general objective will be obtained by addressing the following specific objectives:
  • To develop a transnational training path to further strengthen the capacity and professionalize cultural operators working in prison with theatre, building on the past experience of the FREEWAY Creative Europe project.
  • To jointly develop a support scheme for facilitating prisoners’ path towards rehabilitation through training, professionalizing and facilitating their job placement in theatre professions (acting, directing, scenographer, lights technician, sound technician, etc.).
  • To pilot the support scheme in n. 5 Countries, both in theatre acting and technical professions.
  • To pilot awareness raising actions in n. 5 Countries, targeted at the theatre audience but also to key stakeholders (policy makers), promoting the key messages of the project and making prisoners supported the protagonists.

Our project consortium is composed by six organisations from 5 Countries, four from the European Union (Italy, Germany, Poland and Greece) and one from the Western Balkans (Serbia). We involved both partners with past experience in prison theatre and partners that are programming to start this activity

PARTNERS

Links to posts related to our corresponding activities:

[International Collaborations]: Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley in Athens

Eugenio Barba and Julia Varley in Athens

The multi-active group Fabrica Athens in relation to theater research implemented by the group and in association with Odin Teatret and Fondazione Barba Varley, has the honor of hosting, for the second time, the worldly acclaimed playman and director Eugenio Barba, along with the great actress, Julia Varley in a series of activities with the theme Difference| Art| Uprising that will take place in Athens, in September 2023.

Eugenio Barba is the founder of Odin Teatret, with which Fabrica Athens has been collaborating since 2018, and since 2022 and onwards functions as itinerant center for the newly-founded Fondazione Barba Varley.

The activities of the event Difference| Art| Uprising are kindly supported by the Italian Institute of Culture Athens (Istituto Italiano di Cultura Atene) with honorary guests and include a complete educational three-day workshop with Eugenio Barba, a unique masterclass with Julia Varley and a play titled Ave Maria by the famous director.

The event’s activities that will take place are a part of the 11th Handmade & Recycled Theater Festival, a festival-cornerstone for Fabrica Athens group that has being organized for 11 years in Kerameikos aiming to promote and inspire the meaning of handmade creation, also known as DIY, self-organizing, recycling of existing materials (both tangible and intangible) and low or zero budget solutions in performing and visual arts and in culture in general.

The activities that will take place in the event are listed below:

Three-day Educational Workshop with Eugenio Barba: Difference, Art, Uprising – My lives in Third Theater

The event is addressed to actors, dancers, directors, as well as to theorists, teachers, academics and scholars in Performing Arts.

  • Wednesday 20/9/2023

60 years of theater – Talk and Q&A with Eugenio Barba

  • Thursday 21/9/2023

Documentary movie screening named “Who is Eugenio Barba” by Magdalene Remoundou and Q&A with movie’s contributors

  • Friday 22/9/2023

Presentation of Eugenio Barba’s new book titled “My lives in Third Theater – Difference, Art, Uprising” translated by Evangelos and Kostas Vantzos from KAPA Publishing.

Learn more an book your spot here: https://www.more.com/cinema/ekpaideutiki-diimerida-me-ton-eugenio-barba-diafora-texni-ekpaideusi/

The Echo of Silence: Masterclass on vocal dramaturgy for actors and singers

The masterclass is addressed to actors and singers, performing arts theorists, members of the academic community etc. who wish to join as spectators.

Tuesday 19/9/2023
Learn more an book your spot here: https://www.viva.gr/tickets/conference/echo-of-silence/ 

Ave Maria: Theater performance in memory of María Cánepa with Julia Varley directed by Eugenio Barba

20,21,22 of September 2023
Learn more an book your spot here: https://www.viva.gr/tickets/theater/avemariabyeugeniobarba/ 

Participation prices

Three-day educational workshop with Eugenio Barba: 40 Euros

The Echo of Silence – masterclass on vocal dramaturgy with Julia Varley:
Early Bird prices from 05/07/2023 until 18/08/2023
Participants: 60 Euros
Spectators: 30 Euros
Prices from 19/08/2023 until 18/09/2023
Participants: 80 Euros
Spectators: 40 Euros

Ave Maria – Theater performance with Julia Varley directed by Eugenio Barba: 15 euros

Organizing – Production: Multi-active Group of Art – Fabrica Athens

Project Coordinator: Kostas Vantzos

With the kind support of: Istituto Italiano di Cultura Atene (Italian Institute of Culture Athens)

[Crowdfunding]: Burglary of REKTIΦIE – Center for Mixed Performing Arts

[Crowdfunding]: Burglary of REKTIΦIE – Center for Mixed Performing Arts

After the touching response of the crowd to the announcement of the burglary of our new space, REKTIΦIE – Center for Mixed Performing Arts, and on the occasion of the start of this new venture, we created a crowdfunding option, available until the 15th of September 2023.

What is REKTIΦIE?

Fabrica Athens since its inception (2008) promotes the concepts of handmade and recyclable and DIY culture in culture and art. Our vision is to create a “house of culture” in which all performing and visual arts will meet and interact with each other, with the communities and the environment, with the aim of rectifying and redefining the relationship between them towards a more organic, sustainable, green, inclusive way of life and creation. This will be done through the culture of handmade and recyclable art, circular economy and participatory culture which are reflected in the group’s educational, social, research, artistic and cultural activities, and which are addressed to all people and groups, regardless of gender, age, social/economic/cultural background, etc.

What does Monday’s burglary mean for REKTIΦIE?

The wound after the break-in at REKTIΦIE on Monday night (July 17, 2023) is enormous for our team. The damage currently exceeds 8,000 euros and every day we discover new losses. All our tools, electrical systems and furniture that we prepared with personal labor, own contribution and help from friends were stolen. The remodeling of a space that operated for 60 years as a machine shop, into a place of culture is a lot of work. It is also anxiety, especially when the is no rent pause and you already working long hours and daily for over 3 months. It took, and still takes, a lot of energy, time and money to get REKTIΦIE ready, and the burglary is holding us back from making it happen in time for the 11th edition of the annual HRTFest, on September.

Stolen!

We invite you to contribute to the realisation of the vision of REKTIΦIE, by depositing any amount you wish to the following account:

EUROBANK

Fabrica Athens

IBAN: GR 9802 6025 90000 1602 0176 0102

SWIFT / BIC code: ERBKGRAA

Reason: “DONATION – your name”

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your support!

Natassa Arabatzi

Born in 1985 in Komotini, Greece. First started as a junior in classical ballet classes in 1991. Bachelor degree in dance by the Superior Academy of Dance of the municipality of Thessaloniki 2006 and Bachelor degree in Greek Literature and Linguistics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Apprenticed by and performed with Vis Motrix dance company in Thessaloniki during 2006-2009. Founding member of Aniline Dancetheatre Company as a choreographer and dancer since 2009, giving performances and taking part in numerous dance festivals in Greece. She has attended Contact Impro and Partnering classes and workshops with Daelik & Delia Brett, Kirstie Simson & Christian Burns, Eckhard Muller & Daniela Schwarz; Contemporary Dance classes and workshops with David Zambrano, Ann Cooper Albright, Yiannis Karounis, Edgen Lame, Hermes Malokotsis, Jorge Crecis, Tasos Karachalios, Tobiah Booth- Remmers, Cristina Sougioultzi, Diego De la Rosa, Horacio Macuacua, Yuya Fujinami, Julyen Hamilton, Anton Lachky; Acrobatic dance and Aerial classes with Christina Sougioultzi, Camilo Bentancor, Antigoni Linardou; Butoh workshops with Gregor Webber; Stilt-walking classes and shows with Fanis Katehos. She performed and was awarded as an actress in “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” by Martin McDonough, directed by Spiros Athinaiou (2017). 1st Award in Athens Handmade and Recycled Performance Festival for the dance duet “XXXY” (choreographed and performed with Alexandros Gkountinakis, 2017). Active member of the “Fabrica Athens Theatre Group” Art Team.

Theatre Classes and Theatrical Performance at Korydallos Women’s Prison

The program is supported by the European Program AHOS (All Hands On Stage) and aims, through experiential sessions based on Applied Theatre, to offer participants the opportunity to express themselves creatively, learn how to function within a self-regulating group, and build a safe environment in which they can delve into issues that concern them.

Over the past six months, the workshops—which have included acting, music, theatrical makeup, stage hairstyling, theatrical lighting, among others—have ultimately served as the foundation for the creation of a performance. Specifically, through improvisation, theatre games, and other activities, the women reconnected with the child they once were—that inner child we all carry within us, yet as adults often bury deep in the recesses of our soul.

In the performance titled “When I Was a Child…”, nine women from the Korydallos Women’s Prison share childhood memories, which intertwine with their adult experiences and unfold through various melodies and live music.

The presentation will take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the courtyard of the Korydallos Women’s Prison and will be held in a private setting for invited guests only.

Duration:

  • Cycle A: 02/2023 – 06/2023
  • Cycle B: 10/2024 – 07/2025

HUMAN MOSAIC – ROCK OPERA & AHOS – All Hands On Stage

Seminar duration: 4 months, from March 2023 to July 2023.

Participants in the seminar from which the performance by the former inmates emerged: 4 former inmates.

Presented in July 2023.

As part of the HUMAN MOSAIC program, a community theater performance was created with the participation of 300 individuals, and the audience attending exceeded 600 people.

Human Mosaic is a two-year project that proposes active public engagement in the implementation and preservation of the EU’s Democratic Rights and Values, through the creation of large-scale performances in four different communities (both urban and regional) in Greece, Poland, Denmark, and Romania. It uses social theater, participatory culture, and the universal appeal of iconic rock anthems as its main tools, regardless of age, gender, or cultural/social/economic background.

One of the former inmates who attended the year-long seminar at the facilities of the multiactive group Fabrica Athens took part in this performance. He presented a personal piece that emerged from improvisations and the educational process he followed throughout the year. This was a very important experience for him, as he participated in a major event alongside many artists, with whom he interacted, exchanged views, ideas, and thoughts. He shared experiences and took a step forward in his reintegration process.

The entire audience of the event watched his presentation, and after the performance, many people from the audience approached him, got to know him, and exchanged thoughts on art, life, and society. He felt stronger and more capable of integrating into a new society.

Human Mosaic:
https://www.fabricaathens.gr/teamwork/human-mosaic-creative-europe/