The European Cultural Parliament, ECP, with almost 100 outstanding artists, authors, philosophers and other cultural personalities coming from 40 European countries will hold its 9th session in Athens 16-19 September upon the invitation of the Hellenic Parliament and the City of Athens. The session will constitute part of the Athens celebration of 25 Years European Capital of Culture.The plenary sessions will be held in “Technopolis” of City of Athens.
The ECP is the only Pan-European cross-sector forum for cultural personalities and was founded in 2002, holding its first session in the European Capital of Culture Bruges, Belgium. Following sessions were organised in Graz, Genoa, Lisbon, Turku, Sibiu, Liverpool and Gothenburg. Today about 160 personalities from 43 countries are members of the ECP. The agenda of the ECP is broad. The debates and initiatives have dealt with subjects like “The role of Culture in promoting tolerance and understanding”, “Culture in Conflict Prevention”, “Culture as a means to break the European
Stalemate”, “Intercultural Dialogue”, “Culture for Democracy” and “Quality in Culture”.
The Secretary General and founder of the ECP, ambassador Karl-Erik Norrman says: “Among participants in this session of the European Cultural Parliament we have very well-known personalities like Paul Robertson, UK (violinist), David Lordkipanidze, Georgia (palaeontologist), Amparo Serrano de Haro, Spain (author), Andreas Richter, Germany (Mahler Chamber Orchestra), Ion Caramitru, Romania, (actor/stage director), Helle Juul, Denmark (architect), Dino Mustafic, Bosnia & Herzegovina (film director), Peter Stephan Jung, Austria/USA (author) and Greek personalities like
Evangelos Chrysos (Emeretus Professor, University of Athens) and Stelios Virvidakis (philosopher).
The Athens Session will focus on the theme “Europe and its Greek Legacy”, which will inspire participants to discuss the future of Europe in the perspective of ancient Greek democracy, philosophy, architecture, visual arts, theatre and literature. On Saturday 18 September four workshops will be organized:
“25 Years of European Capital of Culture”,
“Culture and the Financial Crisis”,
“Culture and New Technologies”,
“Founding of a ´Youth ECP´” (a project intending to engage the next generation of cultural actors)
The ECP-Session in “Technopolis” of City of Athens opened on Thursday 16 September at 19.30 by the President of the Hellecnic Parliament, Filippos Petsalnikos and the Mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis. Mikis Theodorakis will give a key-note speech, followed by a speech by the former minister of Culture of Luxemburg, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges. The Session will have a closing ceremony at Pnyka on Sunday 19 September, at 12.00.
“Europe has a soul. This soul can be found in cultural life. The ECP wishes to amplify the voices of independent artists and thinkers in order to strengthen the role of culture in the European project”, says ambassador Norrman. “It is of great symbolic value that we may hold this session in Athens, the city where the idea of a European Capital of Culture was born and a city which has meant so much to European culture and European values.”
The Athens Session is supported by the Hellenic Parliament, the City of Athens and the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Co, ATEDCO. For further information please contact Karl-Erik Norrman 0049-170-1644 950.
