Arts

Member of the University of Patras Student Cultural Groups

All students of Patras University have the opportunity to express themselves through culture since 1981, the year that Cultural Groups of University of Patras Students (POFPP in Greek) where founded.

In POFPP every student can attend seminars-gatherings on each group subject. In addition, students can participate and shape the events, seminars or exhibitions that POFPP organize in Patras or elsewhere. In POFPP one can find: theatre group, photography group with dark chamber, music group with studio, traditional and Latin dance group, literature group, cinema group, radio station group and formative arts group.

POFPP run all year round but most groups have a summer break. POFPP operate all these years in a spirit of collaboration, self-organization and the free exchange of cultural views.

Literature group

In the meetings we discussed for books that we read, we comment tendencies in literature, we read our own work and we share thoughts and sentiments.

We published an Anthology, in 2005, where I had some of my poems published.

Theatre group

The theatre group of POFPP was founded in 1981 and was one of the first groups that formed POFPP. The theatre group operates with regular meetings with subjects such as: theatrical games, improvisation, study of various approaches to theatre systems (i.e. Stanislavsky's system, Commedia dell' arte, Lecoq's physical theatre), study on speech and body movement; so an annual play is not the primary aim. Nevertheless, the creativity that is cultivated in the meetings results very often to initiatives for a play's performance. Our group has produced until know 36 plays, many smaller performances, has been invited to several festivals throughout Greece and has organized the 6th Pan-Hellenic Festival of Student Theatre Groups.

We played:

  • Euripides's "Trojan Women", in 2004, in which I performed Menelaus the Leader of the Greek army in the Trojan war.
  • Aristophanes's "Lysistrati", in 2005, in which I was one of the old men's chorus and the Athenian guard.
  • Vasia Panagopoulou's "Rehearsal Begins: Dancing with Love", adaptation of Shakespeare's "Sonnets", in 2005, where Shakespeare's words blend with argentine tango dances. This was a first attempt to approach the play.
  • John Anastasopoulos's "The Great Grandson of Don Juan", in 2006, in which I performed the main opponent and enemy of Don Juan's grandson.
  • Vasia Panagopoulou's "Dancing with Love", adaptation of Shakespeare's "Sonnets", in 2007, where Shakespeare's words blend with argentine tango dances. This was the final version of the play.

Founding member of the Pan-Hellenic Association of Amateurs of Student Theatre

Student amateur theatrical groups that operate in the Universities and Technological Institutions of Greece formed this association in 2004. The association was legally formed under the name "Pan-Hellenic Association of Amateurs of Student Theatre" with its members being the members of every amateur student theatre group in Greece.

Aims:

  • To promote the exchange of views and knowledge about the theatre act; and of dialogue between students theatrical teams about play-writing.
  • To promote student non-professional theatre as a mean of qualitative participative expression and creative communication.
  • To stimulate students in order to come to theatrical performances and to actively shape them.
  • To strengthen the cultural growth in and out the urban areas of Greece.
  • The contribution in intellectual, cultural and social evolution of the members of the association.
  • The promotion of art, the safeguarding and stimulation of cultural folk traditions.
  • The best tackling of the members cultural and psychological needs with their active involvement. To try to gather the necessary material and technical infrastructure about this cause.
  • The evolvement of the bonds, the between 1) the association members, and 2) between the cultural educative intellectual and scientific associations of country as well as each other institution or association that strives for the same aims.

Festival:

Every year a Pan-Hellenic Festival of Student Theatre Groups is pursued, which invites every student theatre team to present its work. The Festival is usually realised the first 15 days of May and is sought to travel around Greece.

Until know 6 festivals have been carried out:

  • Festival 2004 in Athens
  • Festival 2005 in Athens
  • Festival 2006 in Athens
  • Festival 2007 in Chania
  • Festival 2008 in Thessaloniki
  • Festival 2009 in Patras

Member of the Theatre group of Athens College

This theatre group was founded by the famous theatre director Karolos Koun in 1929 which was an English teacher at Athens College at the time.

We played:

  • An adaptation Anton Chekhov's "Seagull", in 2002, in which I performed the role of Yakov, a hired workman.

Member of the Dance Theatre group of Athens College

In this group we experimented with mixing dance and theatre and performing short plays that cannot be considered theatrical plays.

We played:

  • "A Tribute to 20th Century Women", in 2001, where famous women of the 20th century where presented. Poems and dance improvisations where performed with Shostakovich's "Jazz Album" in the background.
  • An adaptation of some stories of the famous shadow theatre with puppets "Karagiozis", in 2000, where I was assigned a protagonist role.

Participation in an amateur music bands

I am an amateur bass guitar player.

Amateur tango dancer

I participated in "Milonga Amigos del Tango" in Patras and was taught by Stavros Koutoulogenis and Panagiotis Karampoulas.

Last update on November 1, 2009