Athens Conservatoire is the oldest educational institution for the performing arts in Greece. Since its establishment in 1871, it has served without interruption the advancement of culture in this country. World-renowned personalities such as Dimitri Mitropoulos, Maria Callas and Gina Bahauer began their careers here while its activities sparked the creation of organizations such as the National Orchestra and the National Theatre of Greece.
The Drama School of Athens Conservatoire has played a pivotal role in the advancement of theatrical studies in the country, with its teaching staff comprising some of the most important figures of Greek Theatre over the past one and a half century.
The School’s philosophy is
- to employ as instructors artists who are active and in the forefront of the country’s artistic life, and
- to stress the importance of collaboration in theatre, cultivating a sense of community to its students.
Today, the Drama School of Athens Conservatoire is considered one of the top schools in Greece, officially recognized by the Ministry of Culture for the provision of higher education degrees in theatre studies. Beginning in 2015, the course program was extended from three to four years – with the first year considered preparatory.
In an effort to continue to grow and improve, the Drama School has deemed necessary to seek ways to expand the horizons of its students through collaboration with other institutions.
WTEA
In 2018 it became a member of the World Theatre Education Alliance in Beijing.
WTEA Festival in Beijing
WTEA Festival in Beijing
Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS)
With its long and great tradition, GITIS is one of the most respected schools in Russia. In 2016, we established a formal collaboration, trusting that it can be extremely creative since Greece is the birthplace of drama whereas from Russia sprang the modern methodology of acting. This exchange consists of actors, directors and designers’ workshops, visits to places of historical and artistic interest and, of course, joint performances.
Our students have repeatedly visited GITIS. In 2016 they presented Oedipus in Moscow, directed by Argyris Xafis. Also in 2016, a bilingual performance of Merry Wives of Windsor was directed and designed by GITIS students.
Merry Wives of Windsor, GITIS, Μoscow (2016)
In 2017, GITIS directing and design students visited Greece and worked with Greek actors on Euripides’ Electra.
This great exchange was appreciated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation which decided to support it financially for the period 2017-2021. This way our first year-students will have the opportunity to work alongside their Russian colleagues, throughout the four years of their studies. Meetings take place twice yearly in Athens and Moscow. At the same time, our students attend courses led by visiting professors from GITIS in our premises. This project will culminate in a joint performance to be presented in 2021.
On their latest visit in 2018 directing students from GITIS worked with acting students form both schools on Hamlet.
Hamlet, Athens Conservatoire Drama School (2018)
1st year students and instructors with Rimas Tuminas during their visit at the Vakhtangov Theatre, Moscow (Spring 2018)
International Drama School Festival (Making Tomorrow’s Theatre)
In June 2016, the Grotowski Institute invited our school to Wroclaw in order to participate in this prestigeous festival along with Schools such as the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, ea.
Making tomorrow’s theatre, Grotowski Institute, Poland (2016)
Parsons / The New School, Νew York
The project Virtual Blind Appointment, Athens/New York was organized by Professor of Visual Culture Lydia Matthews and Professor of Fine Arts Antonis Volanakis in the Fall of 2016.
Parsons The New School, Αthens/Νew York (2016-2017)
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA)
A five-year partnership with The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) has produced many joint workshops, research projects and performances.
Acting on the conviction that drama education requires intense practical application, the Drama School collaborates with important cultural institutions and art venues in order to provide its students with the opportunity to participate in all kinds of events – from full-length play productions to concerts, cabarets, dance, video, street performances, films etc.
@ Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall 2015-2019
Julius Caesar, Athens Concert Hall, 2015
Orfeo, Athens Concert Hall, 2017
The History of Theatre in Five Scenes and Ten Variations, Athens Concert Hall, 2018
The Haunted, Athens Concert Hall, 2019
@ Onassis Cultural Center 2012-2013
- Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Lidless, Venus in Fur and Belongings (all greek premieres directed by K. Arvanitakis)
- Shrew Shakespeare (directed by D. Imellos)
- No Man’s Land (directed by A. Karazisis)
- Bach at Leipzig, The Amish Project και Tribes (all greek premieres directed by K. Arvanitakis)
- Leonce and Lena and The Bacchae (directed by A. Xafis)
- Th_ Ch_ rr_ _rch_ rd (directed by Th. Abazis)
Leonce and Lena, Onassis Cultural Centre, 2013
Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Onassis Cultural Center, 2012
@ Benaki Museum 2013-2014
- Choral Odes from Oedipus at Colonus, conducted by Ph. Tsalachouris, with the participation of D. Maronitis (2014)
- Scenes from Plays by Ionesco with the accompaniment of the Athens Conservatoire Orchestra conducted by Ph. Tsalachouris (2013)
@ Michael Cacoyannis Foundation 2011
- La Locandiera (directed by D. Imellos)
- The Cripple of Inishmaan, Knowledge and the Girl and Clean House (all greek premieres directed by K. Arvanitakis)\
- The Three Sisters (directed by Th. Abazis)
@ Athens Conservatoire 2008-2016
- Some of the performances that were presented between 2008 and 2022:
Aristophanes’ Frogs – Kyklos Ensemble Meets the Theatre. Presentation of choral odes set to music by Jani Christou (led by Ph. Tsalachouris)
- In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (adapted and directed by K. Arvanitakis)
- The Good Person of Setzuan by B. Brecht (directed by V. Andreou)
- Medea by Euripides (directed by M. Savvidou, A. Troupakis)
- A Dream Play by A. Strindberg (directed by Y. Houvardas)
- The Misanthrope by Molière (directed by V. Georgiadou)
- Yvonne by W. Gombrowicz (directed by G. Zamboulakis)
- Woyzeck by Büchner (directed by A. Karazissis / M. Rassidaki)
- Elements from the ’60s by Th. Valtinos (directed by Th. Zeritis)
- Drunks by Ivan Vyrypaev (directed by E. Tsichli)
- The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (directed by A. Xafis)
- One Spring Awakening after Vedekind (directed by G. Liakopoulos)
- Oxygen by Ivan Vyrypaev (directed by G. Koutlis)
- Scenes from a Marriage by I. Bergman (directed by I. Voulgaraki / D. Georgiades)
- Nekyia from Homer’s Iliad (directed by Th. Papakonstantinou)
- The Secret Love Life of Ophelia by Stephen Berkoff (directed by K. Arvanitakis)
- Under Milkwood by Dylan Thomas (directed by V. Georgiadou)
- Hamletmachine, Heiner Müller (directed by G. Zamboulakis)
Aristophanes’ Frogs, Athens Conservatoire, 2014
@ Greek Film Archive
Presentation of six short films, directed by Konstantinos Antonopoulos, Haris Vafeidis, Alexandros Voulgaris, Dimitris Kotselis, Vardis Marinakis and Nikos Pastras featuring the school’s graduating class (2015)
@Athens International Film Festival “Opening Nights”
Presentation of six short films, directed by Elina Psikou, Giorgos Fourtounis, Jacqueline Lentzou, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, Renios Dragasakis, Araseli Lemou featuring the school’s graduating class (2016)
Volvo, Opening Nights (2016)
@ Cannes Film Festival
School students starred in the short film Copa-Loca, directed by Christos Massalas, which was nominated for the Illy Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017
Copa-Loca, Cannes Film Festival (2017)
In addition to the standard educational program, the School organizes seminars, visits to museums, exhibitions and archaeological sites, theatrical performances and musical events.
In August 2014 the School held in Samos the research seminar Pythagoras of Samos: Research on the thought and diffusion of his philosophy in the western world. The seminar was made possible with the generous financial support of the Schwarz Foundation. Workshops were led by A. Deniozos, G. Kakoudaki, A. Karazisis, P. Stefaneas and K. Arvanitakis.
Since 2015, the School offers specially designed lifelong learning seminars for professionals (actors, directors etc) as well as educational programs for prospective drama students.
Youth Theatre
The Youth Theatre Education Department was created within the Drama School in 2014 aiming to offer a correspondingly high level of theatre education to children and adolescents. Today it offers courses to children and young people from five to 22 years old. Our approach lies in the belief that theatre can be an indispensable pedagogical tool which shapes generous, brave and open-minded spirits. In the nine months the program lasts each year, young people train in a number of theatrical techniques that activate body and mind.
In addition, the Youth Theatre Department designs educational workshops for marginalized young people, and seminars for professionals working with young people at risk.
In 2021-2023 the project Humanitas – Process Drama and Processwork: Staging human rights of LGBTQI youth is implemented under the Active Citizens Fund in collaboration with our partner, Processwrok Hub.
The Active Citizens Fund in Greece is supported through a €13,5m grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants 2014-2021. The program aims to develop the sustainability and capacity of the civil society sector in Greece, and to strengthen its role in promoting and safeguarding democratic procedures, active citizenship and human rights. The Fund Operator for the Active citizens fund in Greece is the Bodossaki Foundation in concert with SolidarityNow.
The objective of the project Humanitas is to advocate for young people who face discrimination because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and to raise awareness in their school or social environment.
Leading activity of the project is a TIE performance which will be presented in three stages: An introductory discussion on LGBTQI youth issues, followed by the performance for young people, and concluding with a facilitated self-reflection discussion with all participants. This process will offer a safe space to all participants to familiarize themselves, become sensitive to and educated around LGBTQI issues. Three performances will be held for schools and three more for general audiences. The performers will be alumni of the Athens Conservatoire Drama School, especially trained for the performance during the project. The course of the project will be filmed and a documentary will be accessible to everyone online.
SUPPORTING OUR ALUMNI
The strong bonds created between the School and its students, carry on well after their graduation. The Ω² group of graduates was created to offer graduates opportunities to work together on projects of their own choosing. During its first three years of existence, the group has put on 14 productions that won awards and had successful professional runs.
