Myths and Tales from across the Divide

Photo: CIPS / Marcos Gittis

We thought you were monsters

A Theatre Workshop with Unknown Dimensions

They all live on the same small island and yet they are worlds apart. Not because some speak Greek and some speak Turkish. Not because some live in the south and some live in the north of the divided country. But because there is a wall existing in their minds.

Behind the scenes

The Making of “Myths and Tales from Across the Divide”

The Feature

THEATRE BREAKS DOWN THE “WALL” IN PEOPLE’S MINDS

After only twelve workshops these young people fully comprehend that hate and prejudice are legacies that they have been saddled with by previous generations. These are not their own feelings but the feelings of their parents, grandparents, teachers and politicians and they have to live with the consequences.

The Project

The idea

The idea arose from the collaboration between director, Achim Wieland, actor, Marios Ioannou, and the former director of the Goethe Institute of Cyprus, Dr. Johannes Dahl. As a contribution to “Pafos 2017”, the program of the European Capital of Culture, there will be performances that feed from traditional Cypriot storytelling and will grow to bring together the young people from both parts of Cyprus

The concept

Myths and tales usually have double meanings. Folk tales and fairy tales are ancient stories that have been preserved in the history of a society and passed down through the generations to teach and retain culture. Modern myths are slightly different and are created to control attitudes towards historical events and project the political dimension from one generation to the next

The participants

There was a public audition in which any interested parties were encouraged to introduce themselves. Young adults who are open to listening and communicating were required – those who could bring their own stories and are also interested in theatre. They should be amateurs – “real people with real stories”

The project

During the twelve workshops the participants will get to know each other, bring their own stories and work out a form of presentation and these narratives will be given a frame of action

The goal

The young people will learn that they are all very similar to each another and any in-built negative feelings such as hate or prejudice will fade

The performance

Performances will be shown in school yards. “Schools are temples for programming humans. Here the kids are taught whom they should hate, love or reject. Schools manufacture brains.” (Marios Ioannou)

The tour dates

Pafos Premiere
Saturday, June 24th 2017, 20:30h
5th Elementary School Moutalos (Outdoor Basketball Court)
Kiamil Tazian, Neas Synoikeas, Pafos

Nicosia Performances
Sunday July 2nd 2017, 20:30h
Lefkoşa türk lisesi (Outdoor Basketball Court)
FREE ENTRANCE

Thursday, July 6th 2017, 20:30h
B Elementary School Kaimakli (Outdoor Basketball Court)
Arrenagogeiou 31 Kaimakli

The Project Leaders

Achim (artist/designer, director) and Marios (actor, director), the founders of the Theater Collective SRSLYyours, have collaborated on various stage projects for eight years and their plays, Woyzeck and Fear Industry, attract international attention. Myths and Tales from across the Divide is their first project with theatrical laymen. more ...