Greeting by the Deputy Minister of Culture Jason Fotilas

The marks of human activity on our planet are becoming increasingly permanent — nearly irreversible. They are deep incisions that have disrupted the natural and ecological balance. Humanity is actively pursuing a transition to a greener era — replacing traditional energy sources with renewables, implementing large-scale recycling initiatives, forging global environmental agreements, and more. One might say that humanity longs to return to a past era — a time before industrial and technological progress had severely altered the natural world. In seeking the future, we are, in fact, striving to reclaim something we once had — a restoration, a return. We yearn for a hopeful assurance that the destruction brought by our technological civilization, historically marked by an ethical deficiency, is not beyond redemption.

Perhaps, even before the relentless environmental degradation, what was first shaken — or dismantled — was our universal system of values. A system that had been intricately woven over centuries, thread by thread, with philosophy, theatre, poetry — and sacrifice. The values we upheld as a global community, the priorities we chose, and those we neglected — it is these choices that have ultimately led us to the damage we now face. For at the root of every decision and every action lies an idea — and a value.

Ancient drama remains an inexhaustible wellspring of wisdom.

As a recurring performative event, it is not only a powerful form of instruction, but also a living testing ground for values and ideas. It is a platform where ideals are confronted, ethical dilemmas explored, and our priorities — social, environmental, and existential — are forged. Our continued engagement with ancient drama must not be merely for aesthetic satisfaction, but akin to a young student turning to a wise teacher.

The research and artistic program of the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, titled “Ancient Tragedy in the Age of the Anthropocene: Ancient Drama and Contemporary Global Drama”, serves exactly this purpose. It is a deliberate act of listening — to the ancient echoes of drama and the wisdom it encompasses. It is an organized attempt to attune ourselves to the voice of the tragedian, from a time of remarkable cultural flourishing — a time untouched by environmental collapse.

Now in its 13th year, this pioneering series of initiatives — proudly supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture — continues to open a path toward deeper reflection and a more meaningful understanding of the global challenges we face.

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On behalf of the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, I welcome this year’s initiative entitled “Ancient Tragedy in the Age of the Anthropocene”, within the framework of the project “Ancient Drama: Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Approaches”, which is part of the Action “Establishment and Promotion of International Institutions of Contemporary Culture in Attica” and co-funded by the European Union through the Regional Program “Attica”, under the framework 2021–2027.

This year, the partner country is Brazil, with the distinguished Professor of the Graduate Program in Performing Arts at the University of São Paulo, Rafaella Uhiara, who, in collaboration with fellow academic Ana Wegner of the same university and Professor of Advanced Music Education at the University of Paris-Saclay, Filippo Fabri, designed the structure of the hybrid seminars, the Forum, and the workshops, under the broader title:
“Climate, Myth, and Tragedy: Intercultural Dialogues in the Age of the Anthropocene.”

The hybrid seminars and workshops, in collaboration with academics from the Universities of Copenhagen, Bergen, Prague, Weimar, and, of course, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, explore humanity’s stance towards the conditions of the post-human era and attempt to open an intercultural dialogue on issues of environment, culture, and interpretations of the ancient classics.

The performance “Prometheus Cancelled” by the group Trupe Pé na Arte, once again directed by Rafaella Uhiara, offers a subversive perspective on the myth of fire-bearing Prometheus and on how he would be received and confronted today by a society that balances between the rapid evolution of technology, the consequences of human intervention in the environment, and the reconsideration of universal values.

Alexandra Georgopoulou

Artistic Director

Michael Cacoyannis Foundation