A TV quiz show is filming its final episode of the season in the garden of the Archaeological Museum of Arta. Six contestants are invited to answer questions about the past and the present, competing in knowledge, singing, and dance. The show runs entirely on its own, operated by an AI machine — a “monster” that asks the questions. These six individuals, aged somewhere between 35 and 50, carry within them an analog childhood, a transitional adulthood, a digital present, and an unknown future. Which contestant will win the knowledge quiz? Who will succeed in karaoke? Can the human mind ultimately prevail over an ultra-intelligent machine? A contemporary comedy for teenagers and young adults, where past and future intertwine through historical events, sporting achievements, pop culture, film history, astrophysics, cosmic dances, heroic moments, and unforgettable phrases that come together as a puzzle-like hymn to human nature — a celebration of human greatness in an era struggling to survive in the face of a profound existential crisis.
In a place historically connected to the communication between the living and the dead, the performance invites each spectator to a personal ceremony of remembrance, participation, and reflection. Spectators enter at different times, in small groups they move through the archaeological site, engage in dialogue with the performers, encounter choreographic moments which they are invited to interpret, and actively participate in shaping the evolution of the experience.
Central questions: Which of your dead would you wish to dialogue with? What would you say to them? Would you understand what they tell you?
The performance features dancers with and without disabilities—artists with mobility impairments and blind dancers—who co-create the performance through their own physical and sensory experiences.
The title I shall be forgotten, yet I shall not forget you encapsulates the heart of the performance. Memory is presented not as an obsession with immortality, but as an act of relation, devotion, and responsibility toward others.
An Epirote oratorio based on Aristotle Valaoritis’s poem “Kyra Frosyni”
Heroine, rebel, or sinner and adulteress? Inspired by the love affair between Kyra Frosyni and Muhtar, the son of Ali Pasha, and by her tragic drowning in the Lake of Ioannina together with sixteen other women on Ali Pasha’s orders, this work explores a woman’s right to her own body, to love, and to freedom. It recounts a collective femicide carried out by one of the most powerful men of his time because—according to Valaoritis—she rejected his advances. But who is truly powerful in the end? The one who kills, or the woman who chooses her own fate alongside the person she loves, even when that choice leads to death? Like an ancient tragedy, the audience witnesses the protagonists singing and being shaken by their passions. Inspired by the musical traditions of Epirus and the wider Pindus region, FROSYNI takes the form of an oratorio. The leading characters perform highly expressive solo vocal lines rich in ornamentation, while the chorus narrates the story through elements of Epirot polyphony. The orchestra, led by Nikos Filippidis, virtuously performs newly composed works infused with the distinctive musical idioms of Epirus.
VISUAL ART EXHIBITION
A group interactive exhibition of printmaking works combined with original soundscape viewing paths, centered on the sea as memory, creating a dialogue between classical references and contemporary experimental approaches within the museum environment.
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE AND DANCE
A ritualistic musical experience in which the ancient Greek lyre merges with live soundscapes, female voices, poetry and dance. The musical journey begins with the Odyssey, navigates through emblematic traditional songs and arrives at contemporary musical compositions. The performance culminates in dance inspired by archaic iconography creating a vivid narrative setting.
Isokratima is a hybrid artistic production combining a digital visual installation and performance. Drawing from the tradition of Pogoni and the concept of the “ison” in polyphonic singing, it forms a unified visual and performative environment in which music, movement, and image—together with polyphonic songs, local narratives, and traditional dances—compose a complex artistic experience.
Τhe performance Schora me (mean. “Forgive a body”) is a theatrical and musical composition based on short stories by Sotiris Dimitriou. Two women who share a deep bond meet again after many years in a place filled with memories. Amidst narratives, silences, songs, and small everyday stories, experiences of exile, loss, and separation unfold, while absent faces seem to return briefly through memory and speech. With minimalist set design and live music on stage, the performance creates an intimate and ritualistic atmosphere, drawing elements from the musical traditions of Epirus and the world of a rural home. The dialogue shifts between the immediacy of oral storytelling and more poetic moments, as the two women attempt to reconnect with one another and confront what remains unfinished.
Two men, former classmates and close friends, find themselves facing a profound crisis of values and personal identity. Existential anxiety, panic attacks,stress , and disappointment have deeply affected their lives, leaving them unable to cope with everyday reality. Seeking an escape, they decide to travel to a rural area of Greece in order to reconnect with one another and redefine the meaning of their lives.
As they distance themselves from the intense pace of the city, they begin to unravel their experiences, disappointments, and forgotten dreams. Through their conversations, they are gradually led to the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius and Stoic philosophy, searching for answers about human existence and the true essence of life. Against the backdrop of the Greek landscape, the two men attempt to rediscover what it means to live with humanity and dignity in a world that becomes increasingly dehumanized day by day.
The performance Friend with the Mountain converses with the historical identity of zeibekiko, a warlike, Dionysian, and improvisatory male solo dance. From the solitary figure of the fighting man to the ecstatic rhythm of personal struggle, zeibekiko has always represented a field of tension and honour. The piece does not negate this legacy; it retranslates it. Memory and identity are embodied in the figure of a dancing woman.
Choreographer Eva Georgitsopoulou, along with Elina Rizou’s onstage music supervision, creates a ritualistic space where solo dancing returns not to fight but to remember and transform through memory into a collective experience. Friend with the Mountain is a personal tribute, a quiet revolution, and an attempt to establish roots through the body.
Combining theatre with 3D animation, The Will is a subversive performance for young audiences featuring an unexpected finale that addresses the significance of our civilization along with numerous other contemporary issues that will concern our society in the future.
Two siblings, Poseidon and Aurora, live in the virtual world of the internet. They neither work nor socialize; for every decision they are called upon to make, from the smallest to the most important, they rely on Artificial Intelligence for answers and solutions to the issues concerning them. Their daily routine unfolds within four walls until they receive news from a notary that alters the course of their lives. They inherit a historically significant castle from an uncle, which they view as an opportunity to help them realize their consumers’ dreams, once they utilize and exploit it. However, as they haven’t learnt how to think for themselves and make decisions, they turn to Artificial Intelligence for suggestions on how to make the most of the inheritance.
Within the walls of Its Kale, near Ali Pasha’s grave, five women tell the story of Lady Frosyni and the seventeen women who were murdered in the Lake of Ioannina. Four women, using only their voices, sing songs from Epirus while a performer portrays Frosyni, recounting the life she never lived, her dreams, and her experiences.
This dialogue unravels the thread of the story, leading to tomorrow, where the five women hope to live the life they were deprived of. In the end, Frosyni herself monologues about the beauty of life, asking for understanding for the mistakes she made while she was alive. Following the Epirus tradition, we witness a dialogue between music and storytelling, aimed at reminding us of events that could serve as inspiration and lessons today, while also bringing younger generations closer to the history of our land.
* The performance features the following pieces: “As soon as the wave falls asleep” (Traditional song from North Epirus), “I started to come one night” (Traditional song from Polytsani, Pogoni), “White cotton wool” (Traditional song from Polytsani, Pogoni), and “Come out, mother, see the sun” (Traditional song from Konitsa).