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Myth of the City 1995

 

          

           Poets and Planners with Irenaios of Kissamos    Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

 

 

Program of 'myth of the city', 9 - 15 september 1995

Introduction

Poets and Planners, Architects and Philosophers discussed in 1995 under the theme 'Myth of the City' living conditions in cities. In addition, the poets made possible poetry readings e.g. in Kamilari in front of 500 people from the village and in Milian with all young and old from the surrounding area. These events took place in following locations: at Forthnet by Iraklion, in the village of Kamilari and at Phaistos, Technical University of Chania, with the bishop Irenaios of Kissamos and in the village of Milia.

‘Myth of the City’ was organized as follow-up to the Fifth Seminar, Cultural Actions for Europe held in Athens June 1994. The presence of poets in workshops like the one on urban/regional planning and culture led to this concept.

The organizational basis was provided by DIALOGOS (Thanos Contargyris) with the poetic group ‘Touch Stone’ the springboard for Hatto Fischer and Anna Arvanitaki to organise the event in Crete.

‘Myth of the City’ was supported in Chania by the Head of the Prefecture of Chania, Mrs. Aleka Markogiannaki.

It was done furthermore in co-operation with following bodies in Crete:

 

Saturday 9.9.1995

Everyone met at the port of Piraeus around 18.00 to depart with the ferry 'King Minos' of the Minoan Line departing for Heraklion in Crete at 19.00

                                    

                                     Phil Cooke and Brendan Kennelly

The group met on the deck after departure and immediately discussions started

Gathering on the deck

                   

                    Maya and Hatto Fischer

Richard Meheux and Phil Cooke (with back to camera) and Athens - Piraeus in the background

                     

                      Bruno Kartheuser discussing with Jose Reina L. Palazon

                  while in the background Baptiste Marray talks with Pedro Mateo

Sunday 10.9.1995

Arrival in port of Iraklion, Crete early in the morning

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon arrival: Sue Tilden, Anne Born    Photo: Hartmut Schulz

After arrival in port of Heraklion at 6.00 in the morning

  • Pick up by Plotin bus donated by Takis Antoniou (manager and poet of Plotin Travel agency)
  • Breakfast with option a visit to Knossos or a stroll through Heraklion
  • Afterwards departure by bus to the Foundation of Research and Technology of the University of Heraklion (FORTH)

Bruno Kartheuser talking with Phil Cooke while below Juergen Eckhard, Katerina Anghelaki Rooke and Sophia Yannatou together with Maya Fischer are relaxing since early in the morning after arrival in Heraklion.

 

The discussion at forth by Iraklion, crete: "The future of European Cities - Culture and Technology"

The discussion at FORTH in amphitheatre of IACM was organized by Katerina Papadaki and Dimitris Pattakos

11.00

Phil Cooke

Chaired by: Dr. Dimitri Stathakos, Research Director, Institute of Biology at “Demokritos” (National Centre for Scientific Research)

Opening remarks by Prof. Papadaki, FORTH representative

“Technological parks and the specific situation in Heraklion”

Viewpoints presented:

 

Introducing 'Myth of the City' and what lies ahead when traveling with poets and planners throughout Crete:

Hatto Fischer The concept of life in cities

After the discussion there followed a small reception.

At 14.00 group departed by bus for the village Kamilari

 

The village of Kamilari

 

Arrival in Kamilari                                                 Photo: Hartmut Schulz

After arrival and greeting by the people of the village. The people there had prepared for five days the event consisting of speeches, discussions, poetry reading, food, music and dance to 500 people.

20.00 Public event at the old school of Kamilari

Welcome by the President of the Community of Kamilari

A discussion about following themes took place: Local development, culture and tourism - future prospects of Kamilari to participate in EU projects

In 1995 explanations and proposals for future cultural actions were made by Anna Arvanitaki, Liana Sakelliou-Schultz, Jose Reina L. Palazon and Baptiste Marray.

These proposals were based on things discussed already at the Fifth Seminar, ‘Cultural Actions for Europe’ held in Athens 1994 as well during the Fourth Seminar, ‘Culture, Building Stone for Europe 2002’ held in Bruges 1993.

 

The Poetry Festival in Kamilari 1995:

Invisible cities and changing landscapes


                    

                     Katerina Anghelaki Rooke and Hatto Fischer     Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

The poetry reading was started by

Katerina Anghelaki Rooke This is life

She was followed by all the poets who read their poems in their own language and then were presented in translation into Greek by Katerina Anghelaki Rooke. Each poet introduced the next one.

After the poetry reading in front of an audience of 500 people, all local residents, came the food and the music. Dancing lasted till early in the morning.

 

Phaistos

Monday11.9.1995

Trip to Phaistos and visit of the archaeological site followed by the

Phaistos discussion

11.00 Arrival in Phaistos

There was given a guided tour by Michalis Spyridakis to explain what happened to the former palace which was destroyed by two earthquakes.

              

Michalis Spyridakis                                   Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

After the tour, after a second breakfast, there was started the Second Phaistos discussion (the first one was held in 1994).

Papers were given by

 

14.00 Departure by bus for Chania, lunch en route

 

Chania

Program in Chania was done in conjunction with Prefecture of Chania, Technical University of Crete and the Municipality of Chania.

After arrival and settling in at the Iphigenia apartments of Michalis Boulakas in the Old Town of Chania people hat the time to explore their surroundings till the evening.

19.30 The bus departed from the square in front of the ‘Xenia’ hotel

20.00 Visit of the dance studio of Effie Caloutsi: Performance by the K.E.R. Workshop to see the dance performance:

The dance of the Vulture

Dance: Maria Stratinaki

Music: Dimos Tsigakos

The performance was filmed by Leonidas Manolikakis from Crete 1

Television to start a PR campaign to save the vultures in Crete from extinction.

This event was supported by the ecological group ACTION NOW which undertook studies for the protection of vulture birds. The group was represented by Gina Trapazali.

21.30 Departure by bus for restaurant and reception by the head of the Prefecture of

Chania: Mrs. Aleka Markogiannaki

           

Aleka Markogiannaki speaking to Eleni Iliopoulou and Hatto Fischer with Maya

Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

Tuesday 12.9.1995

9.00 Departure of bus for “old French School” of Technical University of Crete

               

 

9.30 Welcome by the Head of Prefecture of Chania: Mrs. Aleka Markogiannaki

First Session: Presentation of problems of cities as perceived by poets differently from planners

Chairpersons: Bart Verschaffel (University of Gent) and Hatto Fischer (Touch Stone / Dialogos)

a) for the analytical group: urban planning and urban concepts

Pavlos Delladetsima “The rhetoric of urban planners”

 

b) poetic observations about life in cities

Anna Borne “The city – ‘gemme of all joy or the place where Houses thick and sewers annoy the air – with Reference to the Reith Lectures”

c) first attempt at a synthesis of the experiences in Chania

Eleni Iliopoulou “Introduction into the realities of Chania”

11.30 Coffee break

12.00

 

                       

                 Richard Meheux with Maya, Juergen Eckhardt and Reina J. Palazon

                                                 Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

Second Session - differences between analytical and poetic approaches

a) analytical questions linked to urban agenda related issues

Introducing the questions: Juergen Eckhardt (architect) and Sue Tilden (planner)

Participants of the analytical group:

- This discussion was meant to take place with officials from the Municipality of Chania about matters of urban affairs linked to urban planning, economic development, tourism, culture etc.

b) poets and the city to following themes

Opening the discussion:

Bruno Kartheuser

„The city as the tension field between utopia and coercion”


14.30 Bus returns everyone to ‘Old town’ – afternoon free

19.30 Bus departs for evening program

20.00 Reception at the Technical University of Crete held at the French School

Introduction by Yannis Phillis, President of Technical University and poet

Introducing the poets: Hatto Fischer

Poetry reading by:



Wednesday 13.9.1995

9.00 Departure of the bus for ‘Old French School’

Third session chaired by Phil Cooke

11.30 – 12.00 Break

12.00 – 14.00

Fourth session chaired by Sofia Yannatou

City

Analytic perspective

Poetic inscription

Berlin

Juergen Eckhardt

Hartmut Schultz

Athens

Pavlos Delladetsima

Liana Sakelliou-Schultz

Antwerp

Bart Verschaffel

Maja Panajotova

Paris

Thanos Contargyris

Baptiste Marray

Dublin

Theo Dorgan

Brendan Kennelly

Nature and cities

Emer Ronan Assimakopoulou

Paula Meehan

Historical cities

Nikos Stavrolakis

Anne Born

Art cities

Richard Meheux

Andriette Stathi

American – European cities

Sue Tilden

Hatto Fischer

Strangers in cities’ streets

Socrates Kaboroupoulos

Pedro Mateo

Minorities in cities

Jakovos Tsourounakis

Bruno Kartheuser

Poetic cities

Yannis Phillis

Katerina Anghelaki Rooke

Large and small towns

Eleni Ilioupoulo

Jose Reina J. Palazon

Invisible cities

Anna Arvanitaki

Sofia Yannatou

14.30 Bus departs for Old town. Afternoon free

                     

Paula Meehan, Sofia Yannatou, Theo Dorgan, two shopkeepers and Juergen Eckhardt

                                                 Photo: Helmut Schulz

 

 

20.00 Cultural evening at “old French School” followed by evening dinner offered by the Mayor of Municipality of Chania: Mr. Jorgios Tzanakakis

 

Thursday 14.9.1995

9.00 Bus departs for the “old French School”

9.30 Fourth Session - a debate with the youth of Chania about

Violence in cities – violence against cities

                     

                      

 

Chaired by Dimitri Stathakos

The discussion is organised together with the Municipality of Chania (Centre for the Youth) and the Technical University of Chania. This session is under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Youth in Athens, Greece.

Main presentation:

Nikos Stavroulakis: “The city as victim of revisionism – with examples of

Thessalonika and Jerusalem and references to Sarajevo”

 

11.30 Press conference according to the motto:

If there is peace between cities, then there is also peace in the countryside –

Slogan of the Renaissance period

Followed by lunch reception

12.00 Return to Old Town, packing up and departure for Kissamos and Milia

               

               Dimitri Stathakos and Brendan Kennelly

                                                                       Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

Kissamos

14.00 Lunch and discussion with the Bishop Irenaios of the region of Kissamos about

The decline of rural communities and agricultural tourism or other possibilities to revive small towns

Poets with Bishop          Photo: Hartmut Schulz

17.00 Departure for Milia.

 

Milia

Thursday 14.9.1995

Upon arrival in Milia evening supper

21.00 Together with people and their children from near-by villages poetry reading in amphitheatre

 

Friday 15.9.1995

Stay in nature, going for walks or just informal talks

Morgen session in Amphi Theatre of Milia

Presentation by Bruno Kartheuser

„The city as the tension field between utopia and coercion”

followed by a final discussion for purpose of identifying the outcome of the 'Myth of the City' conference.

 

         

Dimitri Stathakos and Sofia Yannatou (at the very back to the left, covered by branches), Hatto Fischer, Maja Panajotova,Theo Dorgan and Paula Meehan, Mrs. and Bapiste Marray, Anne Born (right back) and with back to camera Reina Palazon                                                          Photo: Hartmut Schulz

18.30 Departure from Milia in order to return to Athens via Chania where everyone took the ferry boat ‘Knossos’ back to Piraeus

Arrival in Piraeus and Evening Poetry Reading by Brendan Kennelly

Saturday 16.9.1995

At 20.00 Poetry reading at the Library of Athens College


Brendan Kennelly with Katerina Anghelaki Rooke, Milia 1995

Photo: Hartmut Schulz

 

Introduction by Liana Sakelliou-Schultz

Poetry reading by Brendan Kennelly

 

Followed by reception.

This was a joint Touch Stone / Irish Cultural Event in Athens, together with the Greek-Irish Society and supported by the Irish Embassy to Athens, Greece.

The event in Athens was sponsored by the Athenian Brewery (Murphy's Irish Stout)

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‘Myth of the City’ was supported by

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"Myth of the City" was organised by Hatto Fischer and Anna Arvanitaki

Assistance by Richard Meheux

Photo documentation by Hartmut Schulz, Berlin

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