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The ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture' and the Kids' Guernica Exhibition came about due to the close cooperation between Spyros Mercouris and Hatto Fischer.
Spyros Mercouris and Hatto Fischer Photo: Kostas Kartelias
As Honorary President of the ECCM Network linking European Capitals of Culture, as well as President of the NGO Horizon and as board member of the Melina Mercouri Foundation, Spyros Mercouris brought to bear this organisational framework to facilitate the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture'. Spyros Mercouris is also a special advisor to Kids' Guernica.
The combination of a Symposium and a Kids' Guernica exhibition stems from the fact that Spyros Mercouris had attended the first exhibition organised by Poiein kai Prattein in Kastelli, Crete 2006. He became then convinced that this work by children would be a wonderful addition to the symposium and to any European Capital of Culture willing to host such an exhibition.
Hatto Fischer, as Associated Member of the ECCM network and as co-ordinator of Poiein kai Prattein, a non profit Urban Society, with experiences in cultural planning but also in cultural actions with poets, architects, philosophers to improve the life of citizens in cities, brought about the linkage to Kids' Guernica and in complementarity to Spyros Mercouris speakers of the Symposium linked especially to cultural planning.
The NGO Poiein kai Prattein and its president Anna Arvanitaki facilitated the organisational basis for both the symposium and the exhibition. Thomas Economacos, Arts Coordinator of Poiein kai Prattein, initiated the Kids' Guernica action painting with children of the 108th Municipal School of Athens and organised the attendence of the school's children at the opening of the Kids' Guernica exhibition.
Jan Brueggemeier, media artist and former coordinator of heritageradio, set up this website together with Mike Ritter as webmaster, in order to provide the infrastructural support. Editorial work on this website was done by Hatto Fischer.
Foremostly have to be thanked all those who participated in the Symposium. They showed through their active participation and presentations the importance of not only any dialogue, but a special one due to taking place in the special Greek atmosphere marked by light and thoughts. As Carin Fisher, chair person of the session 'Dialogue between Cultures', expressed it, she feels to be at home in Athens. Without their contributions to the ECCM Symposium 'Productivity of Culture' and without the tremendous welcome given to the participants by the numerous children from the 108th Municipal School of Athens, such a coming together of many people from different parts of the world would not have been possible.
The materials to be found on this website reflect but only partially the kind of spirit which prevailed over these four days. It started with the Poetry Reading by Michael D. Higgins at the Athens Centre. That was made possible thanks to the support of the Greek-Irish Society and the Athens Centre.
The ECCM Symposium ended with an excursion to Nafplion thanks to the support given by the European Union Club and by Philippos Logothetis personally.
A special thanks goes as well to the City of Athens, the Melina Mercouri Foundation, the NGO Horizon, the European Union Club as well as to the Eugenides and the Niarchos Foundation as well as to the Karouzos Construction Company for their support.
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