1a. Mount Athos - The Holy Mountain

1b. Alexander the Great

The greatest personality in History, born in this area, is Alexander the Great.

The Cultural Capital promotes and honors the man, his history and the effect he had, in East and West, in Art and History, with a series of events dedicated to his personality and legend:

• A major visual arts exhibition on the subject of: "Alexander in Western Art", (Tellogleion, starting: 1st October)
• A major historical exhibition on the subject of: "Alexander in the East" (Palataki, starting: 2nd December)
• An exhibition of publications and bibliography about Alexander the Great (starting: 2nd December)

2. Events for the general public

Starting on Easter Sunday, the Organization for the Cultural Capital of

Europe, "Thessaloniki 1997", resumes the events for the general public. The Easter Feast, with roasted lambs, music and dance (Pedion Areos), will be followed by the events scheduled for May:

• "May Day "(A Workers' Holiday) and "Days of '36": organized in co-operation with the Labour Unions Centre, at the city's neighborhoods (Tsinari, Lahanagora, Ifanet, Venizelou).
• A Flower Exhibition: in co-operation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, at the New Seafront.
• "The Canaries in Thessaloniki": in memory of Anatoly Grichenko (Diagonios, starting: 3rd May).
• The Literature of May (Avlea, starting 2nd May).
• A cinematographic tribute to the labour class (starting: 7th May).
• Participation in "Intellectual May" and in the Book Festival, by financing the establishment of new bookstalls.

 Parallel events on the occasion of the great exhibition of the treasures of the Holy Mountain (June):

• the "Balkan Cafe" (July),
• events for the programme "From the Ends of the Earth" (August, at the Nea Elvetia Park),
• "Days of Music" with Bregovic, in a world-premiere of a work composed especially for Thessaloniki,
• a concert by the group "U2" (if the negotiations and agreements are successful),
• a "Memorial Week for the Jews" (September),
• the "Lauds for the City" (October),
• the closing ceremonies, with a detailed review of all the activities of the Organization for the Cultural Capital of Europe (December - January).

3. Ethnic Communities

a. Events concerning the Jews of Thessaloniki

In co-operation with the Jewish community of Thessaloniki the following activities will take place:

Events:

• a memorial week for the Jews of Thessaloniki, (inauguration of the Holocaust monument), (14 to 21 September),
• a recital by Murray Perahiah (Aula of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 10 May).

Publications:

• a joint-publication of the seven-volume work by Joseph Nehama,
• purchase of books for the Synagogues of Thessaloniki and Veroia,
• purchase of books "Memento of the Jewish Community",
• the production of a CD with Jewish music of Thessaloniki,

Cinema - Television:

• a script by Vassilis Vassilikos, on the subject of Jews,
• a series of documentaries that will be shown on the ET3 channel.

The Organization for the Cultural Capital of Europe, "Thessaloniki 1997", gladly accepts, supports and co-finances all twelve programmes of events which the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki has programmed for 1997, as are the following:

• the Exhibition of Artistic Photographs of Museum Objects,
• the visit by 100 Lyceum students from Paris,
• the Exhibition of Contemporary Greek-Jewish Painters from Thessaloniki and elsewhere,
• the International Convention of Directors of Jewish Museums of Europe,
• a one-day event on the subject of the "Spanish-Jewish of Thessaloniki",
• the Convention of European Jewish Communities,
• the International Rabbinical Convention, et al.

b. Events concerning the Armenians of Thessaloniki

In co-operation with the Armenian community, the following events are presented:

• the Gomitas Quartet (Aneton, 13 - 14 October),
• the Khachaturian Chamber Orchestra (Aneton, 20 - 22 October),
• a speech by Sarian, a musicologist, on the subject of the five contemporary Armenian composers (17 October),
• a tribute to the poet Yerishe Charenz (November),
• an exhibition of contemporary Armenian composers (Municipal Gallery, 16 October - 15 November),
• a speech by professor Yorgos Dimitrokalis on the subject of: "Byzantine Thessaloniki and Armenian Architecture" (9 November),
• a speech by professor Ioannis Hassiotis on the subject of: "The Armenians of Thessaloniki, Yesterday and Today" (12 November).

4. A r c h a e o l o g y

Activities:

• the programme "Aristovoulos: Archaeology in Education" (May - June, October),
• "Archaeological Promenades" (May - June, October - December)
• "The City Beneath the City: The Archaeological Atlas of Thessaloniki".

Exhibitions:

• "Epigraphs of Macedonia"
• an exhibition of archaeological copies from Vani, Georgia (official Georgian Participation),
• an exhibition on the subject of ancient theatres,
• the purchase of moulds of the Encantadas from the Louvre,
• the maintenance of antiquities and artifacts (Diagonios, 17 - 31 May).

Publications:

• "The Coins of Macedonia",
• "The Mosaics of Macedonia and Thrace",
• "Tafel ", "De Thessalonica eiusque agro", et al.

Events:

• "Archaeologists in the Sky, I" (Kissas - Papazotos)
• "Archaeologists in the Sky, II" (Andronikos),
• "Archaeologists in the Sky, III" (Siganidou - Vokotopoulou).

5. Once Upon a Time (The Red Yarn)

The following exhibitions have been organized:

• The Child within the Circle of Time, by the Benaki Museum (Yeni Jami, 15 May - 15 Jume),
• From the World of the Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Goethe, 16 May - 7 July),
• Pinocchio (Italian Institute, 21 May - 30 June),
• Publications of Children's Tales (Melissa, 16 May - 30 June),
• Children's Creations Based on Tales (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June),
• Dolls, Engraved Picture Cards and Toys, (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June),
• Magic Gardens in Melissa - stage settings by A. Vetta, (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June),
• Tales of Life, from the KAPI (Rehabilitation Centres for the Advanced in Age), (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June),
• A Journey through Pictures into the World of Tales and Strip Cartoons (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June),
• Children's Topics, by K. Anastasiadi, (Melissa, 15 May - 30 June).

"The Red Yarn", within the framework of the programme "The Merry-making of Children", organizes the following spectacles and games:

• Godjo's Circus without Animals (Seafront, 16 May - 15 June),
• In the Tower of Tales (Seafront, 16 May - 15 June),
• Carousel (Seafront, 17 May - 25 May),
• Children's Dance Rituals (Melissa & Seafront, 24 - 25 May),
• Japanese Kites (30 - 31 May),

The folowing events for music, opera, theatre, street theatre and popular theatre have been organized:

• Hansel and Gretel, by the Bucharest Opera (Alexandreion Melathron, 15 May),
• Children's Theatrical Songs, by Vomvolos (Seafront, 17 May),
• Tales of the World, by the Zouka and Yannatou Dance and Theatre Company (Amalia, 31 May - 1 June),
• Tales in the Forest, by the Greek Lyrical Stage (Aula of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 19 May),
• Small musical and theatrical performances (Melissa and other outdoor sites, 19 May - 10 June),
• Tales in the Street, Experimental Stage (24 - 25 May),
• Puppet Theatre, by T. Sarri (Melissa, 22 -26 May),
• Karaghiozis, by Th. Spiropoulos (Melissa, 30 May - 2 June), and
• With Dances and Instruments: Island Teasings (Melissa, 13 - 14 June),

Other events:

• Spinning a Yarn (Melissa, 25 - 30 June),
• Writing Tales for Children, (Melissa, 21 - 24 June),
• Tales in an Oblique Tone (Melissa, 3 - 6 June),
• Illustrators and Narrators, (Melissa, 20 - 25 June),
• Tales of Memory with Tale-loving Readers (Melissa, 15 - 17 June),
• A Narrative of Great Greece (Melissa, 29 - 30 June), and
• A scientific two-day event - It Was and Was Not - Club of the Friends of Tales (Melissa, 12 - 13 June).

Within the framework of this programme, the following educational programmes have been organized:

• Children's Activities: Let a Tale Start ... (Melissa, 13 May - 15 June),
• The Chair-leg Has Been "Un-chair-legged" (Melissa, 10 - 11 June),
• Fashion - Fashion-show: Mini, Maxi and Pleat (Melissa, 7 - 8 June),
• Built Memories (Schools & Melissa, 20 March - 15 June), and
• A Visit to Godjo's Odd Circus: Educational Tours (Seafront, 16 May - 15 June).

6. E V E N T S F O R T H E Y O U N G P E O P L E

The following art workshops are being organized:

• "Pictor ", (starting: 9 May)
• The workshop and an exhibition of works by Yannis Kounelis (starting: 2 June),
• The workshop "Artspace Praxis", on the subject of strip cartoons (duration: 6 months),
• A ceramics workshop,
• A painting workshop for children,
• the Vertiskos Seminars, (starting: 20 July),
• The Vocal Art workshop of Spiros Sakkas (starting: 1 October),
• The Cinematographic Studies workshop, at Stavroupolis (starting: 16 June),
• "Contemporary Music", by the Musical College (1 November),
• Pan-European Festival of Youth Choirs (Anatolia, 18 December),
• A Meeting of Music Schools, (Aula of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, starting: 27 June),
• A meeting on "The Aesthetic Element in Education" (27 June),
• An exhibition of constructions made by students (Pavilion 1, 8 - 25 May),
• "Masterclass", by Bruno Leonardo Gelber (Avlea, 3 May),
• "Masterclass", by Herman Prey (Avlea, 27 may), and
• Student activities at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and at the University of Macedonia: Musical Competition Prizes and "Honour to Papastavrou", (Avlea, 23 September),

Other events:

• The "Crossroads of Three Continents", for boy scouts (at the EOT camping site, Epanomi, 18 - 27 July),
• Events for motorcycles (July),
• A series of events on the subject of "Incarceration and Freedom", (September), and
• A three-day Rock festival (the Port, 22 - 23 - 24 September).

7. S p o r t s

The sports programme, which is a part of the Artistic / Cultural

Programme, includes a series of events, as are the following:

• the Basketball All - Star game,
• the Volleyball of January,
• the Volleyball Final Four competition,
• the Korac Cup Bsketball Finals,
• the "Crossroads of Three Continents" (by the Corps of Greek Boyscouts),
• The Finals of the Panhellenic Children's Basketball Championship,
• Table Tennis Competition,
• Panhellenic Students Chess Competition,
• a Sports Festival,
• the participation of the Greek National Youth Football Team at a tournament in Japan,
• an International Football Tournament,
• the Pella - Thessaloniki Marathon,
• a Wind Surfing Marathon,
• a speedboats race.