The Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Cyprus Center of the International Theater Institute are organizing the “18th International Symposium on Ancient Greek Drama,” which will take place on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the “Konstantinos Leventis” at the Leventis Art Gallery in Nicosia. The Deputy Minister of Culture, Ms. Klea Hatzistefanou Papaellina, will open the Symposium.

This year’s eighteenth edition of the Symposium, themed “The Tragedy of Democracy: Ancient Myths, Contemporary Political Divisions, and the Resonance of Ancient Drama in the 21st Century,” focuses on the complex relationship between tragedy and democracy, examining the political reflection inherent in ancient tragedy and its contemporary interpretations and reinterpretations, in light of the social and political challenges from the late 20th century through the 21st century.

Ancient tragedy emerged within the institutional and ideological framework of Athenian democracy and, drawing on the mythical past, posed crucial questions about power, justice, collective responsibility, and the individual’s place in the community. The Symposium explores how ancient myths and tragic narratives are reinterpreted through contemporary dramaturgy and direction, engaging with identity crises, social rifts, political polarization, and war. At the center is democracy as a field of tension and reflection, with ancient drama remaining a tool for artistic inquiry and political dialogue about the present.

The organizers’ goal is to present a variety of theoretical approaches, ranging from dramaturgical analysis, political theory, theater semiotics, philosophy, and sociology, performance studies and theater criticism, to theories of reception, intertextuality, and cultural translation. Equally important is the contribution of directors, playwrights, and actors, who convey ideas and insights from contemporary theatrical practice with political or social dimensions.

Fifteen speakers—academics and theater practitioners—from Germany, Greece, the United Kingdom, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Norway, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

On the first day of the Symposium, Saturday, November 7 (10:00 a.m.–1:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.), ten speakers from the academic and theater communities will present their perspectives in three sessions: “Democracy and Otherness: From the Ancient Stage to Contemporary Interpretations,” “Transformations of Myth and Tragedy in Times of Crisis,” and “Ancient Drama on the Contemporary Stage: Direction, Bodies, and Voices.”

• Piero Totaro (Italy), Professor of Ancient Greek Language and Literature and History of Greek Theater at the “Aldo Moro” University of Bari, and Director of the International Center for Research and Studies on Carnival, the Mask, and Satire (CMS)
• Thea Selliaas Thorsen (Norway), Professor of Classical Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim
• Eleni Papazoglou (Greece), Professor of History, Theory, and Reception of Ancient Theater, Department of Theater, School of Fine Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
• Nikolaus Müller-Schöll (Germany), Professor of Theater Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt (Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main)
• Pavlína Šípová (Czech Republic), Former Assistant Professor at the Institute of Greek and Latin Studies, Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Researcher in the fields of Greek theater, literature, and translation, and Official at the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Department of International Relations and the European Union
• Małgorzata Budzowska (Poland), Associate Professor in the Department of Drama and Theater at the University of Łódź in Poland, and Research Associate at the Archive of Greek and Roman Drama (APGRD) at the University of Oxford
• Dio Kangelari (Greece), Theater Scholar, Director of Studies at the National Theater’s Drama School
• Giovanna Di Martino (United Kingdom), Honorary Research Fellow at the A. G. Leventis Foundation for Ancient Greek Literature, University College London, and Research Assistant at the Archive of Greek and Roman Drama (APGRD), University of Oxford
• Eleni Anastasiou (Cyprus), Ph.D. in Theater Studies, Director
• Ivica Buljan (Croatia), Director and Artistic Director of the Zagreb International Theater Festival

On Sunday, November 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a roundtable discussion will be held on the topic “The Tragedy of Democracy on Stage: Contemporary Interpretations of Ancient Drama.” The guests will share their thoughts and experiences from their participation in contemporary stage adaptations of ancient Greek tragedy, exploring its relationship with democracy and the questions of our time. Participants include Io Voulgaraki, Director, Associate Artistic Director of the National Theater of Greece; Eri Kyrgia, Theater Scholar, Playwright, Translator; and Varnavas Kyriazis, Director, Actor; Lea Maleni, Actress, Director; and Neoklis Neokleous, Actor, Director. The discussion will be moderated by Christos Georgiou, theater scholar and director of the KKDITH.

The “International Symposium on Ancient Greek Drama” began in 1990 as an initiative of the then Committee on Cultural Identity and Development of the International Theater Institute and is organized biennially by the Department of Contemporary Cultureof the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the KKDITH. By hosting prominent figures from the academic and theatrical communities, it promotes dialogue between the study of ancient drama and theatrical practice. The proceedings are published and serve as a resource for research and study.

18th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ANCIENT GREEK DRAMA

Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 2026 “Konstantinos Leventis” Amphitheater, Leventis Art Gallery