Some of the many messages of support

This is not just about supporting cultural infrastructure, this is about supporting an initiatif of self organization, a mobilisation of creativity, and a bridge between art and society! (Barbara Van Lindt, Managing Director of DasArts)

Especially in times of crisis cultural activity is vital for any society. The engagement of the people activating is of huge importance for the Greek social and cultural life. (Prof. Dr. Hans-Thies Lehmann)

The current use of the Embros deserves nothing else than special attention, support – or at least acceptance by the Greek State and the City of Athens! It is a great example of brave self organized work on the future in Athens. It is an example of civil and artistic engagement for the communities. It is a platform that can generate a lot of chances for local talents to create attention and collaborations internationally. It is one of the few emerging showcases for young creative talents. It has already become an important reference in the international scene. It is observed internationally as a hopeful chance and project that deserves generous support and attention. To cease this very important project without any specific and urgent nessecity would appear just like an act of barbaric and inhuman bureaucratic violence without sensitivity towards the chances of self organized and highly motivated projects of a generation of youngsters who decided to stay in Athens and do their best for those who live there. To find an arrangement here would be an easily affordable and yet widely seen example of politics in favour of a society that participates in the democratic and social processes. (Daniel Wetzel- Rimini Protokoll)

Η Κίνηση Μαβίλη είναι κάτι παραπάνω από μια θετική πρωτοβουλία: αποτελεί υγιή αντίδραση! Ως τέτοια τη στηρίζουμε, οφείλουμε να τη στηρίξουμε όλοι όσοι ενδιαφερόμαστε όχι τόσο για την τέχνη όσο, πρωτίστως, για την κοινωνία. Αν το Κράτος είχε λίγο οξύτερη όραση και λίγο καλύτερα ανακλαστικά, θα αντιμετώπιζε διαφορετικά την Κίνηση Μαβίλη…(Σ. Τσιτσιρίδης, Καθηγητής, Πρόεδρος του Τμήματος Θεατρικών Σπουδών του Παν. Πατρών)

This initiative already has already gained much international attention and respect. It is a beautiful constructive and progressive answer of arts practitioners to the current crisis and needs to be morally and practically supported! Cities around the world offer empty buildings to artists. This would be a small, but important gesture to make! (Michael Klien)

The work of the Embros theatre and the Mavilli Collective is a brave example of public, self organised, participatory, cooperative work by artists and citizens in a period of deep economic and democratic crisis. We have observed the theatre with a special interest in the past months as we regard it as a unique chance for international artistic collaboration in times of limited funds and attention to free artistic work. Please don’t shut down this effort. We support the continuing of Embros theatre as a public artistic space and we ask the Greek state to arrange a solution as soon as possible. (Wagner Carvalho and Tunçay Kulaoğlu, artistic directors Ballhaus Naunynstaße, Berlin, Germany)

Η Κίνηση Μαβίλλη έχει την πλήρη υποστήριξή μου. Θεωρώ ότι και οι στόχοι και οι μεθοδεύσεις της είναι μια ουσιαστική συμβολή/παρέμβαση στα καλλιτεχνικά (και όχι μόνο) δρώμενα του τόπου. Τέτοιες δημιουργικές πρωτοβουλίες οφείλουμε να τις στηρίζουμε πάση θυσία. Τις έχουμε απόλυτη ανάγκη. (Σάββας Πατσαλίδης – Καθηγητής θεατρολογίας, ΑΠΘ Κριτικός Θεάτρου)

I support the campaign to maintain Embros Theatre as a publicly-owned institution. I am a British filmmaker who, thanks to the generous support of the Kinisi Mavili collective, attended a screening of my latest film Marx Reloaded at the Embros Theatre in March 2012. The theatre was full to capacity for this event, with at least 100 people present. In times of economic and social unrest, it is crucial that his theatre remains a public institution, supporting the cultural endeavours of the local Athens communities. I fully support this theatre as a public institution and am absolutely opposed to any privatization or other measures which deprive or restrict its use to the local Athens communities.  (Dr. Jason Barker, Writer and filmmaker, Films Noirs)

As Neukoellner Oper we are linked to many theatres and artists in Berlin and nationwide.
We all express very clearly: The Embros Theatre should be build up to a national symbol of a greek culture beyond the crisis – like MAKAO in Milan. (Bernhard Glocksin)

I am an art student from Liverpool, UK. Through partnerships with Charles Esche, a group of fellow students and I were able to work with the Athens Biennial: Monodrome. While working and meeting people in Athens, the most culturally alive and essential to our work was the Empros theatre. Our time at Empros has had profound impacts on each of our careers, and totally changed the course of my career. This place is something I will be making work about for many years to come, and would be one of my main reasons for returning. Please do not quash the incredible art scene Athens has developed. (Lucy Somers, Art student)

As an international artist, this venue, in 2011 brought myself and a number of British art graduates to Greece due to its’ grass-roots power structures and community interface. Don’t destroy everything the people make. Show us we can live without directly profiting a higher power. (David Whiteley, Art student)

The work the Mavili collective have done opening up this space to artists, practitioners, thinkers and the general public over the past year has created a sense of community and support that is very important at a time of crisis. It is now a significant cultural centre in Athens with international recognition and support. The state should support and value the work that so many people have contributed to make this possible. It will be a terrible loss to close this down. (Kate Adams, Lecturer in Theatre)

Στην λαϊκή γειτονία του Ψυρρή τον περασμένο Νοέμβρη η  Κίνηση Μαβίλη κατέλαβε το θέατρο Εμπρός που είχε μείνει κλειστό έξι χρόνια μετά τον θάνατο του ιδιοκτήτη. Ένας μυστηριώδης χώρος που από χρόνια δεν γινόταν παραστάσεις και δεν πήγαινε κόσμος, δεν υπήρχε καμιά ζεστασιά. Ένας τόπος που πολύ γρήγορα έγινε  το σημείο αναφοράς για την ανάπτυξη του ανεξάρτητου θεάτρου της Αθήνας. Από κει πέρασαν καλλιτέχνες απ όλον τον κόσμο, χορογράφοι όπως ο Δημήτρης Παπαιωάννου και φοιτητές όπως οι ολλανδοί του Das Arts από το Άμστερνταμ που έκαναν ένα stage δύο εβδομάδων. Η λογική ήταν να συμπεριλάβει αντι να εξαιρέσει,να μοιράσει αντί να διαιρέσει,να ενισχύσει οριζόντια σχέσεις αντι να αναπαράγει μορφές εξουσίας. Στο Εμπρός ζούσες, έτρωγες, συζητούσες. Έβαζε στη σκηνή τη σύγχρονη τραγωδία, επιλέγοντας νέους τρόπους ζωής , οπτικές και προοπτικές που δεν έχουν ειπωθεί. Το Εμπρός ως μια δημιουργική πλατφόρμα μέσα στη κρίση θα κλείσει, θα περιτειχιστεί για πάντα. Στη μέση της εβδομάδας η αστυνομία μετά από διαταγή της ΕΤΑΔ θα καταστρέψει  κάθε προοπτική  με ένα   σχέδιο ιδιωτικοποίησης. Έτσι μ ενα ξαφνικό χτύπημα, όπως ξεριζώθηκαν τα δένδρα και τα φυτά από τον αστικό λαχανόκηπο τώρα θα κλείσει ένας πνεύμονας της κουλτούρας. Το μήνυμα είναι καθαρό, να περιορίσουν κάθε μορφή αντίστασης συγκεκριμένη, κοινωνικά κέντρα, πολιτιστικά, καλλιτεχνικά. Να περιορίσουν κάθε επέμβαση αυτοδιαχείρισης που πηγάζει από κάτω, να τσακίσουν κάθε πρωτοβουλία που έχει σχέση με την επιβίωση φυσική και ψυχολογική ανεξάρτητη από το σύστημα. Να θρυμματίσουν τον ετερογενή λαϊκό ιστό που πήγαινε να κτιστεί και τέλος να μηδενίσουν κάθε δικαίωμα στην ευτυχία (Manuella Gandini)

Having witnessed first hand the wonderful work that Mavili collective have done to mobilise a disused performance space in central Athens – not as platform for individual artistic interests, but in a spirit of collectivity, provoking new ideas, debate and artistic actions in a climate of extreme difficulty – I believe it would be a terrible loss if they were asked to leave the building. I’ve been told that a theatre company will rent the space and mount work – this seems highly unlikely that any genuine group would have the financial resources to do so right now. It’s a rouse to eject the current occupants – who quite apart from all kinds of performance, visual art and debates – have brought together both a local and an Athens-wide community and a pan-European network of people and practice. What a sad waste to lose all this! (Lisa Alexander, artist)

I am a NYC-based theatre artist specializing in theatre. I stayed in Greece for one month in the summer of 2012, and I believe that EMBROS is one of the strongest examples of the strength of Greek artists and community. To shut down EMBROS will send a message to the world that Greece does not support its own communities and its own artists. Furthermore, as EMBROS has become extremely important to artists around the world, it MUST persist as an example of Greece’s collaboration with other nations; in these times it is essential Athens have EMBROS as a way to foster cross-cultural understanding and friendship in addition to the needs of the Athens community and communities abroad to come together in one place. What better place than Athens?? We need EMBROS. The world needs EMBROS. Without it, we admit our failure to work together; without EMBROS, the world artistic community will lose a valuable asset. Let’s help Athens continue towards the path to artistic and cultural prolificacy! The world needs to know Greece as a place that CAN. We CAN make a successful artistic world community in Athens. Greece CAN do that. And the world should know it now more than ever. (Diana Egizi)