Cyprus Mail 13 August 2020 - by Eleni Philippou
To lead a technology-dependent life is nothing new. To attend digital artistic events and performances is the new reality. Over the last few months, several concerts, plays and even festivals have taken place online and this August a new digital arts festival arrives and will last a whole year.
Cypriot-Australian writer and actor Koraly Dimitriadis is launching this new festival called No, I am not washing your dirty plate Arts Festival, with the first event to be held online on Saturday, August 22, 2pm Cyprus time.
The world-first event Aphrodite speaks: I am not making you your coffee will feature Cypriot poets and musicians from around the world, coming together to share their voice on the theme.
“Goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, was born on a scallop shell on Cypriot waters,” explains the Facebook event description. “Cyprus is her place. The women on the island were made in her image, and many of those women migrated to other parts of the world for a better life. For generations though, women have made men their coffees. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
Hosted by Koraly herself, the festival will include readings by Commonwealth short story prize winner Constantia Soteriou (CY) accompanied by singer Helen Yiotis Patterson (AUS). Other readers, authors and poets include Maria Petrides (CY), Maria Ioannou (CY), Manuella Mavromichalis (CY), Maria Taylor (UK), Maria Kouvarou (CY), Loukia Borrell (USA), Angela Costi (AUS), Marilena Zackheos (CY), Bahriye Kemal (UK), Helena Spyrou (AUS), Zoe Piponides (CY), Maria Petrides (CY), Ty Tzavrinou (USA) and Ellpetha Tsivicos (USA).
After the readings, an open mic will follow at the end, for anyone who wants to read. All genders and ethnicities are welcome. They just have to follow the three-minute limit. Most of this event will be in English and live captioned with tiered tickets, meaning pay what you can with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to paying the artists.
The event will allow only 100 participants on zoom (including the artists and open mic participants), and the audience will be able to chat online with artists and each other via group text chat during the event. For those who can’t attend the event on August 22, there will also be a private YouTube link available for two days after the event.
Talking about the festival, Dimitriadis said: “I created this festival in these uncertain times because I needed somewhere to not only channel my rage of the gender inequality and discrimination that we continue to see, particularly in the diaspora where they are still stuck in the old ways, but also to help with my feelings of isolation. I wanted to reach out, to connect, I am so used to travelling, and in Melbourne where I live, we have been in lockdown for much of the pandemic.
“The media and arts are still very much dominated by men, and they are seen as the Gods, and we are seen as the bad ethnic girls if we speak out, that need to be put in their place. Well, stuff that.”
No, I am not washing your dirty plate Arts Festival aims to bring together artists and thinkers with a focus on the Cypriot, Greek, Italian and other non-Anglo European female and non-binary diaspora, and their supports and allies.
For more information email info@outsidetheboxpress.com or follow the festival facebook page for new event announcements. Tickets for Aphrodite speaks: I am not making you your coffee (Οι εν σου κάμνω καφέ) can be purchased here.
