International Theater Institute North Macedonia, Creative Europe, Eteria Enhance Transborder Experiences Rebuild Interactions of Artists, International Theatre Institute Italia, National Museum of Archaeology in Constanța, Theatro Tsi Zakynthos, European Union, University of Salento.

Second 2023 International Art Residency in Zakynthos (Greece). The E.T.E.R.I.A. Project, supported by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union, makes a stop in Greece, on the island of Zakynthos, from November 3rd to 12th, with its second international residency entitled “Conflict and memories.” Under the direction of Fabio Tolledi, Artistic Director of the Astràgali Teatro Company, President of the Italian Center of the International Theatre Institute – ITI – UNESCO, Vice President for Europe of the ITI’s World Network and and Secretary of the ITI’s “Theatre in Conflict Zones Network,” the joint work begun in Constanța (Romania) continues towards the creation of the performance “The Body of the Enemy”, with the participation of artists from Italy, Romania, Greece, North Macedonia, Turkey and Finland: Klio Avramidou, Filareta Atanasova, Dionisia Giakoumelou, Georgia Givetsi, Giovanna Kapodistria, Arhodoula Marousi Georgiana Mazilescu, Matteo Mele, Simonetta Rotundo, Simone Spirovska, Khouloud Thabet, Sanna Toivanen, Onur Uysal and the University of Salento’s Augmented Reality Laboratory researchers Sofia Chiarello, Carola Gatto and Giada Sumerano, directed by Prof. Lucio De Paolis.

The E.T.E.R.I.A. Project, led by the Italian Center of the International Theatre Institute UNESCO – ITI, sees the participation of the National Museum of Archaeology in Constanța (Romania), the ITI North Macedonia in Skopje, the Theatro Tsi Zakynthos (Greece), the Laboratory of Augmented and Virtual Reality of the Department of Engineering for Innovation of the University of Salento and the collaboration of Astràgali Teatro.
E.T.E.R.I.A. develops innovative models in the fields of Social and Community Theatre as well as in conflict transformation through arts, fostering citizenship involvement, environmental and cultural sustainability, joint and shared work among artists, migrants, innovation engineers. To this aim, in the residency of Zakynthos it is planned to involve the local community, elders and students through a series of workshops, seminars and performances, which will be organized as follows: on November 3rd the workshops will start, with the participation, also in the following days, of the community and the students of the Gymnasium of Vanato, a village northeast of the city of Zakynthos. Inside the amphitheater, they will have the opportunity to attend a performance organized by the Theater of Zakynthos with the valuable collaboration of Filipitsa Margari, philologist and author of the essay, “The propaganda and the educational policy of the Italian troops of the Occupation in the Ionian Islands (1941 1943).” The Second World War and Italy’s involvement in the occupation period will be recalled.
The difficult and intense moments etched in the memories of the people who lived through them, now elderly, will be recalled by themselves. At 6:30 p.m. on November 6th, the Masterclass “Female Mythology” will take place in Sarakinado, on the island of Zakynthos. “Community Telling” will follow on November 7th. In Leschi Hall in Zakynthos, a public event will explore the theme of remembering the Italian occupation during the Second War period through videos, stories, and accounts of the witnesses of the events. On November 9th, at the Popolaros Tavern in Zakynthos there will be “Singing Memories Conviviality,” a folk festival with traditional music and dances. The residency will end on November 11th, with the presentation of the work in progress of the performance “The Body of the Enemy” at Melinado, an ancient settlement and archaeological site in Zakynthos.