A junction of communication and information, of images and of culture,

through the eyes of the Mass Communications Media, Thessaloniki takes

advantage of the opportunity offered by the Organization for the Cultural Capital of Europe, "Thessaloniki 1997", to co-operate with the major and minor radio and TV networks.

2. Co-operation with the General Staff of the Armed Forces

The General Staffs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force participate in a number of events and exhibitions. The trireme "OLYMPIAS" has been made available to the Organization. There will be an exhibition of naval

items, on a Navy ship, at the Thessaloniki seafront, a presentation of

warships in the Harbour of Thessaloniki, participation of the Navy in an

exhibition of paintings, to be held in common with the other branches of

the Armed Forces, a photography exhibition, exhibitions on the subject of the Balkan Wars, charts of the Northern Greece area, etc.

3a. The Organization and the local institutions

The Organization,in co-operation with the Local Municipal Authorities,

the Prefecture and the local institutions and cultural organizations (the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Macedonia, the Archaeological Inspectorates and Museums, First and Second Degree

Educational Authorities, M.M.S.T., the State Theatre of Northern Greece,

Demetria, Mercoureia, the Theatrical Spring, By the Seaside, the Labour

Unions Centre, the Architects' Association, the Technical Chamber, the

Commercial Association, the YMCA, the Lyceum of Greek Women, Volunteers,

local Galleries, the Theatrical Scene of Thessaloniki, etc.), finances

and co-organizes a number of events.

The presence of Thessaloniki in the visual arts

The Organization has made available a traditional building in the Upper

City to give shelter to the SKETVE, has spent the sum of 60 million

drachmas to buy works by Thessalonian artists, organizes a visual arts

exhibition for the SKETVE which will tour in Macedonia and Thrace, and an exhibition by graduates of the University School of Fine Arts. In

co-operation with the State Museum of Contemporary Art an exhibition is

being organized on the post-war art of Thessalonian visual artists and of works that will be produced by the workshops. Also, the publication of treatises (monographies) and a magazine on Thessalonian painters. Works by Thessalonian painters represent the Cultural Capital in exhibitions abroad.

3b. Alternative Thessaloniki: Special Activities

Special actions

• European Chess Festival for the Blind (21 June - 29 June),
• A theatrical performance by the ELEPAP,
• The Clowns of Katsipora, by Lorca (Aneton, 6 - 7 November),
• Support for the theatrical activities of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki,
• Publication of poems by the patients of the Psychiatric Hospital of Thessaloniki,
• European Football Festival for the Blind (24 - 26 June),
• Sculpture Workshop of the School for the Blind (1 - 30 July),
• An Evening with the Association of Cancer Patients of Macedonia and Thrace (29 September),
• "Antigone" by Sophocles - in sign language - (10 - 11 July).

4. Thessaloniki and Northern Greece

a. EGNATIA, Culture on the Way

The search to discover talented people, in Macedonia and Thrace, has been completed. The creations of this broader area is presented on 1 December, at the Alexandreion Melathron of Thessaloniki. The following events have been programmed:

• An exhibition of paintings by students - Yannitsa (27 - 29 June),
• Theatre; "The Common Speech"- Yannitsa (29 June),
• Cinema, with live music - Yannitsa (28 June).
• An exhibition entitled "Dromologhio "(Itinerary) - Neon Rission (1 May),
• Theatre: NUCLEO - Florina, Kozani, Edessa, Kavalla, Xanthi, Komotini (12 - 24 September),
• Theatre: "Prometheus Bound", with Nikitas Tsakiroglou - Kastoria, Porto Lagos (July),
• Theatre: "The Snow Rider "- Alexandroupolis (1 September),
• Theatre: "Men and Puppets "- Florina, Kastoria (8 - 10 May),
• "De Valigia "- Florina (1- 9 May),
• Yorgos Armenis - Strimonas (14 June),
• Recitations by actors from Thessaloniki - Kastri (15 June),
• "Poetic Voices "- Edessa (8 August),
• Five more "Visits by Poets " (10 May - 28 October),
• Cultural / Artistic events - Apollonia (24 - 25 May), with a concert by Nikos Xydakis,
• The "Winter Swimmers "- Xanthi (30 May),
• Concerts at Strimonas (13 - 15 June),
• "In Chords", "Winter Swimmers", the Florina Band, Elias Papadopoulos - Loudias (22 June),
• "The Seas of Music "- Kavalla (11 - 13 July),
• Cultural / Artistic events - Porto Lagos (19 - 20 July),
• A gathering of Sarakatsani - Glikoneri (20 July), and, at a later date, at Eleftherio - Kordellio,
• Cultural / Artistic events - Kastoria (26 - 27 July),
• Recitals - Edessa (8 - 10 August),
• "A Greek Feast "- Alexandroupolis (23 - 24 August),
• "100 Years of Cinema "- Xanthi (1 June),
• "Aces of the Football Field "- Kastoria (25 July),
• An Honorary Film Show - Komotini (26 September).
• Starting on 1 August, there will be six Cinema Tributes, each lasting five days, throughout Macedonia and Thrace.

Also:

• "The Academic Promenade"(5 promenades in Macedonia),
• Exhibitions on the way to Apollonia, Strimonas and Edessa,
• "Arts of Xanthi"(30 May),
• "The View from the Bridge"(26 October),
• The exhibition of mineral compositions and geotechnics, by the Institute of Geotechnical Studies of Greece, (Pavilion 1, 1 June - 17 August),
• A convention on therapeutical springs (22 - 24 May), and
• "The Peking Opera", an offering to the children of the provinces - Alexandreion Melathron (5 - 6 June).

Pantelis Voulgaris is in charge of the co-ordination of the "Egnatia"

programme.

b. Roads of Wine - Gastronomy

The "2nd Festival of Gastronomy and Wine" and the Symposium "Oenophoros

'97" will take place from 15 - 30 May, at the Helexpo (Pavilions 8, 9),

at the "Vellidion" (the "N. Germanos" amphitheatre), and at various

restaurants in the city. Within this framework there will be an event

entitled:

• "Gastronomy and the Wine of Epanomi" (10 May - Epanomi, at the town square, and at the Gerovassiliou Winery).

Starting in May, the following events will take place:

• "Acquaintance with the Cultural Routes of Wine in Macedonia" (23 May-20 December),
• "The Vineyard and the Cherries of Ossa" (16 - 17 June, at the Municipality of Ossa and at the Babajim Vineyard, at Ossa),
• "The Wine of the Olympian Gods and the Gastronomical Tradition" (26 July, - at the Municipality of Rapsani, at the Tsantalis and Katsaros Wineries, and at the Municipality of Krania),
• "The Sacrificial Animal of Neos Marmaras" (27 July, at the Municipality of Neos Marmaras).

In August there will be an exhibition with folklore material, traditional music and local dishes and wines, at Goumenissa (at the town square and at the Boutari and Aidarini Wineries).

In September there will be an event entitled:

• "Naoussa: An International City of Vine and Wine" (1 - 6 June, at Naoussa).

In October, at Nea Messimvria, there will be a "Tsipouro Festival",

combined with an exhibition of vine/wine equipment. Also, the festival:

"Chestnut and Wine", at Griva, Kilkis.

5. Thessaloniki and the Balkan Area

Odes of the Balkans

A series of events of a trans-Balkan nature, which will bring together

music, gastronomy and art from the most important Balkan cities, and

which will have as its central event the "Balkan Square", at the Port,

(in front of Warehouse 1, 4 - 14 July). The other events are:

• Thessaloniki as the Centre of Orthodox Theology - a conference (School of Philosophy, 21 - 25 May),
• Balkan Linguistics: Synchrony and Diachrony - a conference (Aristotle University Library, 29 October - 1 November),
• A Balkan Botanical Conference (Polytechnic, 25 - 28 September),
• Traditional Architecture of the Balkans - a conference (Polytechnic, 6-11 November),
• Medieval Balkan Architecture - a conference (Polytechnic, 2 - 5 November),
• Exhibition at the Paradissos Baths (2 November - 12 December),
• The Balkan Forum on Paedagogics (School of Philosophy, 20 - 23 November),
• The Mass Communications Media of the Balkans - a conference (29 June - 1 July),
• Poetry at the Tri-national - a multi-event (Prespes, 5 - 7 July),
• A Dedication to Balkan Cinema (1 - 9 August),
• An outdoors workshop on sculpture, engraving and painting(Stavroupolis and Kalamaria, starting: 1 August),
• The work: "Thessaloniki", by Bregovic - the production of a CD and a concert at Aristotelous Square (6 September),
• Translations into Balkan languages of literary works by Thessalonians and translations of works by Balkan writers into Greek (to be presented in December).

The official participations of:

• Slovenia,
• Croatia:
• The Soloists of Zagreb (Aneton, 4 November), and
• The theatrical play, "Phaedra" (Avlea, 20 -21 November),
• Bulgaria,
• the FYROM:
• Painting, by Urdin,
• Folklore from Tetovo,
• The "Anastasia" group,
• New Yugoslavia,
• Romania, and
• Turkey.

Also, a production of the series: "Hail, Neighbour!", by Kryonas, on the

subject of cultural communication in the Balkans.

6. The Mediterranean

The central event regarding the mediterranean dimension of Thessaloniki

is the "The Holy Musics - The Roads of Heaven" (Eptapyrghion, 28 June - 2 July). The programme is co-ordinated by Nikos Koundouros and the participants are the following:

• Sister Marie Keyrouz,
• a choir of Macedonia, with H. Taliadoros,
• the Soulamiya Brotherhood, from Tunisia,
• the Maistores of the Art of Psalm Singing, with Grigorios Stathis,
• the polyphonic Russian choir, "Blagovest",
• the Andalusian group of religious flamenco, "Misa Flamenca",
• Dervishes from Ikonion,
• the "Moni Ovadiah", with Yiddish and Shephardic songs,
• the "Capella Ducale", from Venice,
• Manolis Mitsias and Mariza Koch,
• Petros Tambouris and Nena Venetsanou,
• the Armenian choir, "Nesre Sinorali",
• the mixed polyphonic choir, "Alexander Nevsky", with Boris Christov, and
• the "Shomyo" choir.

Other events:

• "Port and City" - a conference (Polytechnic, 10 - 14 December),
• "Memories and Contemporary Roads of Cypriot Sculpture" (Aladja Imaret, starting: 1 December),
• "A View into Chaos" - a dance performance (Forest Theatre, September),
• "Tarantellas - Bridges of the Ionian" (Nea Elvetia, 1 August),
• Shephardic Communities of the Mediterranean - a meeting (1 October),
• "Women of the Mediterranean" - a Unesco conference (Helexpo Conference Centre, 29 August - 4 September),
• "Technology and Dangers of the Sea" - a conference (Port, 23 - 29 June)
• "Technology and Dangers of the Sea" - an exhibition (produced by TOK), (Port, 8 June - 15 July)
• "Lysistrata", by Aristophanes,
• A musical work on verses by K. Angelidi,
• The Cyprus Chamber Music Orchestra, with Katsaris (Aula of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 28 May),
• A recital by M. Farandouri (Forest Theatre, 4 September),
• "Fados", from Portugal (8 May),
• "Flamencos", from Spain, directed by Christina Hoyos (Nea Elvetia, 14-15 July),
• "The Aegean", by Katsaros, (Forest Theatre, 4 July),
• "The Iliad "and "The Odyssey" (Eptapyrghion, 15 - 25 July),
• "The Ship of Fools" (New Seafront, September).

There is a central event on music and poetry, being programmed for

August, at the cannon-towers of Emvolon, and at the Light-house of

Angelohorion.

The programme entitled "Mediterranean" is developed in the summer, at ten seaside settlements in Pieria, Halkidiki and the Thasian Peraia, where young people, from Greece and the Balkan countries, will create "art villages" (20 May - 20 September). In mainland Halkidiki, at four

settlements, there will be daily events on local History and folk

culture.

There will, also, be a series of events which will be co-produced with

the Festivals of Olympus and Kassandra.

7. From the Ends of the Earth

It is a special programme which presents the history of the Greek Diaspora and the contemporary creative achievements in the Arts and the

Letters by Greeks living abroad.

At the outdoor theatre of Nea Elvetia, the following events will be

presented:

• "La Mama", from Australia,
• Irene Stefanou, from South Africa,
• the "Oneiron" Theatre, from Australia,
• the Stockholm Theatre,
• the Free Theatre of Stuttgart,
• the Immigrant Theatre Group of Canea,
• a festival of Pontian Theatre, with artists from Northern Greece,
• the "New World Toronto Orchestra", conducted by Stefanos Karabekos (9-10 July),
• the "Rembetiki Music Company", from Australia,
• the "Ostrakon" (Sea-shell) - a musical production from Germany,
• the "Arcadia" choir, from Norway,
• the "Munich Children's Choir",
• a choir from Finland,
• the "Insula Magna", from Novosibirsk, Siberia,
• the "America" Gafe Aman,
• the "Kinesis" Dance Company, from Canada,
• a tribute to the Cinema of the Greek Diaspora,
• shows of films by cinematographers of Greek origin.

At the new Museum of Refugee Hellenism (a donation by the Makridis family to the city of Thessaloniki), and at the exhibition hall of the

Polytechnic School, there will be exhibitions of:

• "Photographs of the Greek Diaspora, from the Black Sea and the Balkans",
• "Pictures from the Homeland", by Effy Alexakis from Australia,
• productions by "Y-Grec", from France,
• "Traces of Immigration", from Munich,
• the history of the Greek Programme of the Bavarian Radio,
• the publications activities of the Greek Diaspora in Egypt, from 1845 to 1970,
• "The Visual Arists of the Diaspora",
• the Beloyanni Village archives,
• photographs from Ellis Island,
• photographs from the Archives of Hellenism of South Africa,
• the relations between Macedonia and Russia and Russian travellers,
• the archives of refugee Hellenism, from unpublished archives and from archives belonging to organizations,
• the "Australian Odyssey", from the Migration Museum of S. Australia,
• the Byzantine monuments of Italy.

The following events will, also, take place:

• the Greek - Australian Forum on Greek Studies (Diagonios, 1 September),
• the Fourth Convention of Pontian Hellenism (the Helexpo Convention Centre, 13 - 16 June),
• a meeting on the subject of: "Higher Physical Energy" (Anatolia, 1 July),
• the World Convention of Pan-Macedonian Associations (Helexpo - the "Germanos" Convention Centre, 20 - 27 July).

Other events:

• the play, "The Lady of Trapezounta", by Christophis, (Avlea, 7 - 9 November),
• "The Common Speech", by Papadimitriou (The Port - Warehouse 1, 9 - 11 May),

Also, the visual arts exhibitions:

• Paul Soulikias (Polytechnic, 7 - 30 September),
• Philopemen Konstantinidis, (Vafopouleion, starting: 1 December).
• A catalogue, listing all newspapers and periodicals, published by Greeks living abroad, is being compiled.
• A CD, with 20 traditional Pontian songs, is being produced.

8. Exits of Thessaloniki into the World

The programme includes cultural/artistic events, organized by the

Cultural Capital, which will be presented in Stockholm, Ljubljana, Japan, Russia, and elsewhere.

9. Official International Participations

There is official participation, in the events of the Cultural Capital,

by 30 countries.