Speech by Andros Kyprianou, General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL, at the ceremony to present the “Tefkrou Anthia – Theodosis Pierides Cultural Contribution Award”
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 11th November 2015, Nicosia
On behalf of the C.C. of AKEL, I welcome you all to this year’s ceremony of the “Tefkrou Anthia – Theodosis Pierides Cultural Contribution Award”. We know the prestige and value the name of the Award has. This is the reason why the selection of the honourees is based on the deepness and value of their work. This award wishes to salute and thank first and foremost the honourees themselves, but also the people of the arts and letters of our country in general who in really difficult conditions are working tirelessly to push society forward.
In this respect, the people of culture and the arts do not owe anything to the state. On the contrary, it is the state that owes them because they contribute every day to the enrichment of our cultural life, the defence of our cultural heritage, the development of our people’s cultural level, the raising of our people’s awareness and to the cultivation of the values and principles that should govern the society of tomorrow.
Unfortunately, each one of us can see that in today’s society there is anything but conditions to cultivate the letters, arts and culture. Instead, they are under daily attack. The way smallest day to day matters, as well as big and important issues are projected, undermine our cultural values and promote erroneous models in society.
Daily newspaper articles, for example, are full of tension, but are devoid of cultural content. They are full of words, but devoid of any real meaning. Unfortunately the basic rules of spelling and syntax are often ignored. Headlines and magazine covers highlight what is projected as news ∙ those who are termed as “cosmopolitan” or “celebrity”. The trivial is more and more dominant, camouflaged and viewed as “exciting”. Leading worthy figures from the world of literature or prominent minds of research are neglected as what is first and foremost promoted is what is “commercial” and “catchy”.
In view of this situation, the Left has a role and duty to resist, highlighting the cultural values that must characterize a modern, democratic and humane society. This is the role and responsibility we assume; the role assigned to us by our own history as a Movement from which sprang great figures of literature, theatre, the arts and culture. The Local Cultural and Sports Associations/Clubs of the People’s Movement of the Left, created by the pioneers of our Movement in the cities and countryside, operated as centres of political ferment and anti-colonial struggle. However, they were also and must continue to be today agencies of cultural and social creativity. Dance, theatre, literature and poetry found a fertile ground in these Cultural Associations/Clubs. Tefkros Anthias and Theodosis Pierides – two cultural artists who enriched our country’s culture and arts and whose work is recognized outside of Cyprus too. Christoforos Savva, Solon Michaelides, Vladimir Kafkarides, Pavlos Liasides, Solomos Frangoulidis, Achilleas Pyliotis, Nicolas Economou and so many other cultural artists, have left a vast cultural heritage with their work and talent that we will always reflect on with affection. These and so many other artists today too are also contributing through their own cultural creations to our country’s artistic and cultural creation.
As AKEL, we fully understand the responsibility we have towards the cause of culture, but also to our people. That is why we first and above all make our own self-criticism, assessing objectively what we have achieved, but also what we haven’t achieved always having in mind that we can do much more. This is the reason why we do not want to sit back and rely on our glorious past. We want to open up roads for the future of culture in our country. We will do so by creating basic infrastructures; by developing amateur creation in towns and villages with the support of the state; by upgrading the cultural activity at all levels of education, through various cultural programs; by promoting cultural programs at the level of local self-government; by promoting joint cultural projects with the Turkish Cypriot community; by creating cultural programs in order for Cyprus to become a cultural hub and centre of the Eastern Mediterranean and by the state offering moral and material support of culture and its artists.
The active support and involvement of all led to efforts such as the Paphos Cultural Capital of 2017. This is an attempt to provide a platform for artists and a high quality cultural project, which is addressed to everyone. It is essentially an open invitation to all the people of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to create together, but also become partakers of the great cultural work done in our country. At the same time, it aspires to create infrastructures and such a culture so that the interest in culture will continue after Paphos 2017. AKEL calls on everyone to contribute so that this cultural activity will prove to be wholly successful.
In the current situation all this seems at least sceptical, mere words. This perception is not without reason. The people of culture and creative artists are experiencing the contempt and more or less attacks by the state, contrary to what Mr. Anastasiades was promising during the elections when he was a candidate. After the presidential elections he forgot his pledges for “permanently flexible advisory bodies on culture”, the upgrading and promotion of our cultural heritage, the development of cultural creation through other structures and for an emphasis on cultural infrastructures. Even the policy on the price of books, as announced before the elections, after the elections is collapsing as a result of the heavy taxation being imposed.
The renowned Greek composer Hatzidakis once said that the two enemies of politics and culture are populism and elitism. His assertion has proven to be absolutely correct. Neither empty rhetoric, nor the perceptions that culture supposedly emanates from the few and privileged for the few and select. As AKEL we have set this goal: we should not be the same as those who believe that it is enough to give promises so that they win something in return and the very next day turn their backs indifferently. The perception that culture is a luxury item that should serve the laws of profit and when it is not profitable it is therefore not needed, must not be part of our own outlook on culture. We should not admit even for a single moment that today in Cyprus only those who are willing to subordinate their thoughts and work in order to progress by submission must survive. We must not accept that we should see people who have made a great contribution to the theatre, literary and artistic legacy of our country to be neglected and side-lined. We must not allow the elementary means for survival to be deprived to cultural artists who so long as they live are treated with indifference and confronted with apathy, but after death they are honoured, perhaps even with exaggeration.
As AKEL, we want culture and its cultural artists to be at the forefront of the struggle for reunification and peace in our country; to be with us and we on our part with them in the struggles and assertions for our people to be able to liberate themselves from the grip of austerity and the Memoranda. A true artist is one who through his work aims to change the world, to make it better. Of course, in the entire course of class societies different social, political, ethical, philosophical and aesthetic concepts were formulated that reflect the different experience of life, hence different pursuits as well. We believe that the arts and letters, culture in general, not only express the material life, but also the conscience of the era ∙ of each specific historical period. They give the impetus for the next step to be taken in the development of humanity; so that human thought can make the next leap forward. We therefore believe that the people of culture and the arts must be at the forefront of the struggle alongside the people. This is why we want to provide them with a platform.
Tonight we honour the contribution and work of two important people of the letters and arts – Elli Peonidou and Paschalis Papapetrou. Two people, each one in his/her own way who are modestly and quietly, but ceaselessly, serving their art.
Elli Peonidou is a prolific writer. But we did not decide to present her with this award just for that. We did so because she is a rare intellectual figure. Poetry, prose, books and translations, but also social and political action focusing on the rapprochement of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots at a time when it had a great cost. Elli defied the cost and dared to contribute to the movement in her own way.
Paschalis Papapetrou also a modest man and true artist, is presented with the award tonight not only because of his significant filmography, but also for his overall contribution to our homeland. He is a man with ethos, a passion for his art and sensitivity, but primarily a love for the people, our homeland and culture. With his work he portrays the Cyprus we love, the Cyprus we long for, the Cyprus we dream about. He kept and still keeps alive the image of the history of the life and the real wealth of Cyprus and its people.
I warmly congratulate both of them, as I congratulate all those involved in tonight’s event.
