Main areas of work related to the Convention:
Our organisation operated at first as a local community dancing workshop. Its aim was to gather youngsters and adults and transmit traditional dances of our region based on material gathered through research. What distinguished us, from other dancing schools or groups was our persistence on following the methodology of learning and performance of dance of a traditional society of our region. Our efforts were enhanced by organising workshops with experts in the field. Our work gradually attracted more and more youngsters and adults and especially families who found a space of expression, personal and social development. After the chance of presenting our work in Cyprus and overseas there was a need in getting involved with more subjects as traditional music and costume, and theatre expression.
Our performances insist on presenting traditional dancing keeping its form, feel, movement and look according to findings of research. Youngsters and adults have the chance of experiencing, either through video or interviews but also by meeting, traditional dancers and musicians.
For serving the above-mentioned activities, Politistiko Ergastiri has collected a number of video and audio recordings concerning dance and music of Cyprus through small-scale research. The material is shared with our members, presented, advised for guidance in our learning and performing of dance and music. Youngsters and adults are also encouraged to learn traditional music instruments with the financial help of Politistiko Ergastiri. Our performers are members of our dancing and theatre groups. No one is excluded, all participate according to their abilities. Our performers are not professionals.
Latest important performances of Politistiko Ergastiri are:
Representing Cyprus at "Dans le cadre de la manifestation Le Patrimoine Culturel Immateriel Au carrefour des cultures" 3rd December 2007, maison de l' Unesco, Paris" where Politistiko Ergastiri presented traditions and dances of a traditional cypriot wedding. The dancing group consisted of 30 members from the ages of 9 to 58, of a 20 minute duration and was set up with the use of research material gathered for the subject of traditional weddings and their customs.
"Σήμερα Γάμος γίνεται" (Today we have a wedding happening…..) 7th July 2008, a presentation with our local neighbourhood presenting traditions and dances of a traditional wedding. This was a longer version of the previous presentation (110’) and about 60 performers took part. Within this presentation we had the chance to make comparisons with customs of traditional weddings and dances from regions of Asia Minor and Greece.
"Ο Κυπρής τζιαι ο Νουφρής" 11th of April 2010, Pallas Theatre in Nicosia (Kypris and Noufris) was a dance and theatre performance set up for the youngsters of our group. The scenario is based on a traditional fairy tale which was adjusted to the needs of the performers (56 performers aged from 6 to 22). The fairy tale takes spectators on a travel in space and time and dances.
" O κύκλος της ζωής" (The cycle of Life). 23rd -24th of June 2010. Dances, customs following the cycle of life, from birth to death. A presentation of about 105' travelling us through time, memories of childhood, growing up, falling in love, work, marriage, sorrow, death.
In-between Politistiko Ergastiri has been involved in European learning projects enhancing the expertise of its members concerning cooperation in the local but also international field and valorisation of our work.
Grundtvig SOCRATES, PARTNERSHIP PROJECT. “CHOICE: Cultural Heritage, Origins, Innovation, Collaboration in Europe”, 2007-2008
Hosting and implementing:
Youth In Action Exchange: Body Language - Let's Communicate. November 2007, involving children with hearing impairment.
Youth in Action Training Course TCP CY2008 " European Neighbourhood" May 2008 on European Citizenship"
Youth in Action Training Course CY-43-02-2010 "CAPTIAN CULTURE" on Intercultural learning"
Coordinating:
Gruntvig, Life Long Partnership CY-GRU-MULPART-2010-14 "QUALITY IN LEARNING AND TRAINING -Qu.I.L.T" 2010-2012
Partner in:
"OCARINA" Culture Programme (2007-2013)/Budget 2011- Cooperation projects (Strand 1.2.1) Ref.no-513659-CU-1-2011-PT-culture-vol121, concerning the preservation of traditional music, musicians, musical instruments and dance.
Our members consist of young children, youths and adults. There is an annual membership fee which provides them the chance of being informed about activities and events.
Our dance experts (6) are teachers who have long experience in learning, teaching and performing. They have been involved in teaching since the establishment or our Workshop and in research concerning traditional dancing since 1990. The element of "learning and teaching dances the traditional way" as an intangible cultural element has been their concern throughout the years.
Our music teachers have experience in traditional music teaching and performing. Each teacher has his expertise concerning traditional musical instruments. Their work is based on offering experience and performance opportunities for the learners.
Objectives
The main objectives of the organization are the folowing:
1. To research, preserve and promote cultural traditions of Cyprus and to contribute to the development of cultural and intellectual life both in Cyprus and elsewhere, through the exchange and dissemination of information, through its activities.
2. To develop ties with other similar organizations in Cyprus and abroad with the aim of promoting further the protection of cultural heritage.
3. To implement activities in the following areas: a) research, data collection and inventorying of elements of traditional dancing and music of Cyprus, b) organise and present performances of traditional music and dancing, c) organise seminars, lectures and conferences on the topic of traditional music and dancing, d) create a collection of traditional costumes from Cyprus.
4. To implement programmes and activities with the aim of informing and sensitizing the general public on issues of 02cultural heritage.
5. To provide both theoretical and practical training to individuals interested in promoting the aims of the organisation.
Cooperation
Politistiko Ergastiri was established because of the community. Using traditional dance and music as a tool, which was well known to its founders, a community of families was created (literally parents and children of the same family are all involved in activities). This community is open to any person that wishes to participate with a very low cost of membership fee (25 euro per month).
Dance teaching is provided once a week in specific times so all members of the family can participate on the same day making it a family/community weekly event. Teaching follows the traditional way of teaching -showing and repeating with minimal analyzing. Members participate in a "panygiri" (festive day) each Tuesday. No one is excluded and everyone participates in the yearly performances. We have also hosted hearing impaired persons.
Performances are organised with the local community and especially with the local church. Dancing performances, traditional games, neighbourhood events (European day of Neighbours) are organised and implemented by Politistiko Ergastiri.
Our history of 12 years has been fruitful, having children from the age of 7 growing up as members of Politistiko Registry. We are pleased to see them already continuing our work as teachers in the dancing groups but also performing in their cities of studies (ex. Athens, London).
While taught dancing, our members are encouraged to be actively involved in the creation and setting of presentations under the scope of respect to tradition and heritage. For us the dance is as important as the way of learning the dance and the quality of the result and performance. This applies of course to other expressions of culture, such as music and costume.
An important step to ward the enhancement of our work is the recent rental of a renovated 1898 mansion in the heart of our neighbourhood. The Centre has become the core of our activities and the cultural centre of our neighbourhood. Although the cost of the rent is quite high, the centre is an important part of our development as a cultural organisation, as we can now easily host our collections of costume, research material but also organise and create educational programmes concerning traditional dance, music and costume as the one already developed for the ages of 9 to 13. The Centre is named "Στης Ευθαλίας το Αρχοντικό" (at Efthalias mansion). It has already been offered to local schools for classes and by next year it will be open to schools around the city.