Transitions Central Europe: Audition for a demonstration

"Audition for a Demonstration", Athens

"I came to Athens for the first time in 2014 to present "Mi vida después" ("My Life After"), an Argentinean performance about the effects of dictatorship in my generation. And during these presentations I also developed a workshop with Greek artists on crisis, politics and mass resistance. Audition for a demonstration, Athens is a continuation of this collaboration with local artists.

We will reconstruct with the audience the events that took place on 17 November 1973. We chose this demonstration because it is a symbol of mass rebellion. A moment in History where people could overcome fear and confront the dictatorship. During months, a team of artists and researchers under the guidance of Prodromos Tsinikoris and Leonidas Kallivretakis, were interviewing people who were part of the rebellion in ‘73 who are today artists, business mans, politicians, journalists about their memories on the events and their relationship with politics today. Some of them will be live in the performance and also will became characters performed by other people to explore how Greek people relate to their own History.

Every 17 November, citizens are re-enacting this demonstration and every year this event has a different meaning. After a year of massive demonstrations, plebiscite, bank crash, the resignation of the president, new elections, new bailout, the explosion of the refugee crisis, we want to know how people in Greece feel about their power today. Are we facing a new dictatorship? Are we free to decide? Which is our role in society?

This performance is an open call for people to perform, talk, and think about today and yesterday. Students from today, students from ‘73, people who were there supporting the cause, people who stayed at home come together to reconstruct the past and look into the future."
—Lola Arias