Epidaurus LyceumAn International Acting Summer School

for ancient Greek drama

in Epidaurus

The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is the most celebrated

place for modern restaging of ancient drama.

Epidaurus Lyceum aims to bring the

international creative voices of drama together

and re-imagine the art of drama in the land of

its roots

What is the Epidaurus Lyceum

• An international ancient drama practice centre at Epidaurus,

Greece, addressed to drama students and young actors.

• A meeting point for actors, drama teachers, directors,

musicians, choreographers, theatre theorists, anthropologists,

musicologists and other artists & theorists.

• An initiative which will ultimately lead to a much needed new

approach to ancient tragedy and comedy.

• A creative encounter between tradition and innovation, and between ancient and contemporary civilization – an

encounter based on the twin pillars of ancient drama & the

actor.

An open-air summer camp where

nature meets art

Epidaurus Lyceum’s topos

• The program will be planned around selected open spaces

and supplemented by performances of ancient drama held at Epidaurus’ two ancient theatres.

• Classes & events will take the natural environment as well as

and the area’s ancient, byzantine & modern monuments into

account and be influenced by them.

LYCEUM VENUES

The Epidaurus area will liberate drama education

from its usual enclosed setting and allow the dynamics

of open space to impact on boththe educational processes & the students experiences

The stadium of AsklepionThe Ancient Theatre of

Epidaurus in Asklepion

The Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus

On the road to the Lyceum’s camp

The Little Theatre of Ancient

Epidaurus is one of the main

venues of the Lyceum where

seminars, workshops and

performances will take place

The Stadium is found inside the ancient healing

centre of Asklepion and will be a venue of the

Lyceum where seminars, workshops and

performances will take place

Sacred places, nearby

monuments and churches’

courtyards to host Lyceum’s

workshops and lectures

The courtyard of the church of Agia

Marina to be used as one of the

Lyceum’s outdoor spaces

The olive grove as an archetypical

symbol of Greek myth and wisdom to

be examined on its most suited

environment.

Indoor spaces such as the dance hall and the gym in nearby Ligourio village

Lyceum’s venues & spaces

• Students and teachers will be hosted as guests in houses and hotels in the village of Ligourio, as well as in a specially-designed open-air eco camp, an experience which will enhance the inspiration they glean from the natural environment and the sense of community.

• The Lyceum’s workshops will be held in specially designed places within the camp, but also near monuments, and in pine woods and olive-grove forests in the surrounding area.

• Indoor locations, such as school facilities, the High School in Ligourio, the school gym and hall, and the precincts of historical churches will also be used.

• The Little Theatre of Epidaurus will also be made use of a variety of ways, serving as one of the main venues for Lyceum.

Epidaurus Lyceum’s location

The summer camp will be set up in a 25.000m2 area of pine-tree forest

between Ligourio village and the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, which is

also conveniently located by the local health centre.

Epidaurus Lyceum’s Accommodation

As the works in the summer camp are still in progress, accommodation for this summer of 2017 will be at the hospitable hotels of the Lygourio village.

All rooms include reception / wireless internet access / A/C unit / kitchenette / TV set.

Epidaurus &

surroundings map

EpidaurusLyceum

Epidaurus Lyceum’s philosophy

• At the very heart of Epidaurus Lyceum is our desire to connect the educational process with the works of ancient drama performed at Epidaurus.

• The Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus will be oriented towards a repertoire linked directly to the classes taught at the Lyceum with a focus on:

- subjects related to early forms of theatre in Greece

- rituals and ceremonies

- folklore and folk traditions, circle dances

- traditional music and music performances influenced by tradition

- art inspired by ancient drama

- and work that in some way connects ancient drama with our cultural roots but also with universal themes of myth and drama.

• To enhance the intercultural perspective on ancient drama, will also be organised events dedicated to traditional Eastern forms of theatre such as the theatre of China, Japan and India.

Epidaurus Lyceum’s 2017 schedule

• The Lyceum will operate the summer of 2017 for a

15-day period from 4 July - 19 July 2017

• The aim is for the Lyceum to coincide with the

Epidaurus Festival so as the artistic program of the

latter and the educational program of the former

can complement & enhance each other.

Epidaurus Lyceum’s students

• There will be 150 places available for each of the two

fortnightly periods.

• The educational program will be addressed to students and

graduates of drama schools, theatre academies and acting

departments of univeristies as well as young actors.

• Working language will be English. Teaching language will

depend on the teacher; however, English translation will be

available.

Epidaurus Lyceum’s curriculum

• An overall of 170 hours of practical and theoretical workshops and educational activities.

• 8-10 main workshops led by selected teachers (compulsory modules)

• To be supplemented by shorter selective workshops led by additional teachers.

• To be enriched by lectures, walks & other events – some to be shared with the local community and the public at large.

• Classes related to the body, movement, music and song will be provided every year by artists taking part in that year’s Epidaurus Festival, and tutors from participating institutions and schools both from Greece and abroad.

• 6 ECTS credit units provided by the University of the Peloponnese

Lyceum’s guidelines - modules

1. RITUAL

• Anthropological perspectives on theatrical practice

• Influences and tools of collective local events

• Influences and tools of non-Western theatrical practices and traditions

• The actor and the tragic condition

2. THE TRAGIC BODY

• The post-Grotowski conditions of the function and presence of the actor’s body.

• The body itself and in relation to the open-air space

• Group work. Collective actions and interaction of bodies on stage.

• The multiplicity of the body and its transformations.

• Body and costume

• Body and gender

3. VOICE: MUSIC-LAMENT-SPEECH

• The rhythm of tragic speech.

• Narration as bodily action.

• Tools of multi-voice practice.

• Breath, speakers and open space.

• The limits of voice.

4. CONNECTING MYTH AND REALITY

• Devise and production of texts: the actor’s tools.

• Narrative theatre.

• Documentary as tragic element: the actor-researcher.

• The actor in site-specific works.

• The actor as agent of myth in contemporary reality.

• Paratheatrical actions.

Learning outcomes

• The acquirement by the young actors of

competences, techniques, and tools, in order to

serve various contemporary directing approaches

on ancient drama.

• The co-existence of teachers and students from

various cultural contexts in an intercultural

environment.

• The contact of young artists with ancient and

modern Greek culture.

Epidaurus 2017 theme:

“Eleusis of the Xenos”

The arrival of the Outsider

The chosen theme of Athens &

Epidaurus Festival for 2017 for the

performances in the Ancient Epidaurus

Theatre is

‘Eleusis of the Xenos’

The arrival of the Outsider This theme will also inform the content

of the classes at the Lyceum.

The subject relates to the dilemmas

that Europe faces today and

encourages a reappraisal of the

political theatre of antiquity in the light

of current global turbulence.

The god of Dionysos – pictured left – it is claimed

that his origins were uncertain, and in some cults

arrives from the East as the Asiatic Xenos

Plays in Program for the 2017 season

Epidaurus open space theatres

• The Persians and Iketides (The Suppliant women) by Aeschylus

• Medea, Cyclops, Alkestis by Euripides

• Oedipus Rex by Sophokles

• Irini (Peace) and The Frogs by Aristophanes

• Staged Homer’s Odyssey’s Ω rapsody

world music, circular dances performances and local fairs

will give a great insight to the discussion of the ancient drama

in today’s time.

International Partnerships

• International partnerships and collaborations are an integral part of the Lyceum’s activity and core philosophy.

• The Lyceum aims to partner up with key institutions from

around the world in order to build a network of drama

academies, universities and acting schools that exchange

expertise and excellence in contemporary theatre pedagogy

and performance and on applied research of ancient drama.

• Learning agreements with the Department of Theatre Studies

of the University of the Peloponnese will be set up to assure the

accreditation of the studies with ECTS units and the possibilities

of Erasmus+ mobility and partnership projects for Higher

Education.

Erasmus+ KA2

Strategic Partnerships

• Partnerships in the field of higher education between 24 and

36 months

• Application to the Greek National Agency (of the country in

which the applicant organization is established)

• Among other activities: Intensive Study Programmes for HE

students, with invited HE teaching staff and other relevant HE

experts

• 3 – 10 partners

• Deadline: 29th of March 2017 – starting date: between

September 1st and December 31st, 2017

Important Dates

• Open call and applications:

approximately February 1st – March 15th, 2017

• Submission of Erasmus + Project: March 29th, 2017

• Selection: until April 30th, 2017

• Summer School: July 4 – 19, 2017

Epidaurus Lyceum’s identity

Epidaurus Lyceum is a project of

Αthens & Epidaurus Festival

Artistic director: Vangelis Theodoropoulos

www.greekfestival.gr

With the collaboration of

the Department of Theatre Studies, Faculty of Fine Arts

University of the Peloponnese

ts.uop.gr

With the support of

the Municipality of Epidaurus

the Peloponnese Region

the Ephorate of the Antiquities of Argolide

Epidaurus Lyceum, following the spiral of history and

the unfolding of the archetypical choral narration as

the fundaments of the ancient drama…

Prehistoric imprint found at Epidaurus and

exhibited at the Natural History Museum in

Asklepion

Contact:

Hellenic Festival S.A8, Hpitou str, 10557 Athens

+30 2109282924

+30 2109282925

www.greekfestival.gr

epidauruslyceum@gmail.com

Ms. Georgina Kakoudaki Co-curator of Educational Programs /

Athens & Epidaurus Festival

geokakoudaki@gmail.com

Dr. Christina ZoniouDepartment of Theatre Studies – Faculty of

Fine Arts University of the Peloponnese

czoniou@hotmail.com