Will the curtain over the cultural sector in Thessaloniki rise again?

Performance from Neo Theatro © Neo Theatro

by laura andrés Tallardà

The lockdown has affected the cultural sector from Thessaloniki: from musicians, to theatres, writers, painters and artistic organizations. We analyze the challenges that the artistic sector from the city is facing.

The curtains from theatres have fallen, music festivals have been cancelled, and bars, usually crowded, have closed their blinds with the coronavirus situation. The lockdown has affected countries and cities from over the world. In Thessaloniki, the lockdown has also closed a window of opportunities for artists, who are living (or sometimes trying to survive) in a challenging situation. “This situation has affected writers, musicians… everyone. At the beginning it is cool to have some time off from everything else, but as it progresses, it gets difficult from the psychological aspect as well”, explains Kosta Vreto, who is a guitarist in the band Wardrum, composer, arranger, producer and music teacher.

Vreto feels that there has not been enough support for the cultural sector in the city, not only because of the lockdown, but in recent times. “For the past five years, in Greece there has been a difficult scene. It’s easier for mainstream Greek music, because there is a big audience to play for. But for more alternative groups not so much”, he states.

In June 2020, there was a protest from the arts sector in Thessaloniki. Art workers, musicians, actors and many more were protesting through dance, music and art performance. The main goal of the movement was to demand more support from the Greek government. “Our work was closed first and will be opened last. We can’t stay on the ice. We can’t pull the plug from one industry”, Giota Negka, a Greek singer, stated.

Performance from Neo Theatro © Neo Theatro

Are online events a viable alternative?

In a context of necessary social isolation, alternative online events have been common in Thessaloniki. “We have organized two online events, the first one on Easter and the second one on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We’ve uploaded for free five videotaped performances from the theatre’s archive. We want to thank all the artistic collaborators and actors who participated in creating these performances from the bottom of our hearts”, Ioanna Markella Chalkia, Artistic Director from Neo Theatro Thessalonikis, states. This theatre was established in 1983 and it presents a range of theatrical plays alongside other cultural events in Thessaloniki and on tour for children, young audiences, and adults. “A videotaped performance can in no way replace the essential, unique and lively experience offered by the theater. We wish and hope to meet again soon in the theaters, but until then, we stay home and safe”, Markella adds.

But: are online events really working? There are different opinions about it, but the fact that most of them are free can be problematic from the economic perspective. “Sometimes, you can do some online events or shows. But that doesn’t pay off. For me, it is really easy because I can work in my studio as well, recording other bands or arranging music for other people. But if my only work was to play guitar, it would have been very hard”, Vreto exemplifies.

When the online events are implemented with a learning aim, there are also several difficulties. Argyro Skitsa, is the president and founder of “Sxedia Stin Poli” (an artistic pedagogic organization) and also a musician. In this organization, they create artistic and cultural workshops for children, to help in their learning process. But they have also faced several issues. “We work with refugee children as well, but it’s not easy to participate in the program. They are living in camps and they cannot go out. It’s also difficult for the children, because they have a gap in the learning processes”, she explains.

Performance from Neo Theatro Thessaloniki © Neo Theatro

Wardrum concert in a festival, 2017 © wardrum

How can art help to improve people’s life?

Art can be everywhere: in our daily life, while we have a shower and sing a song, when we watch a movie or series before going to bed or when we walk through the street and find some beautiful buildings. But maybe now, we need art more than we ever did. With the coronavirus, theatres, cinemas, writers, painters, and music bands have tried to improve people’s life in a difficult moment. “Arts and culture can help people in confinement and isolation because they can give people hope, and at such times, we need hope more than ever. Social distancing keeps us apart, but arts and culture contribute a great deal by finding creative ways to keep us connected”, Markella states.

Kosta Vreto, guitarist in Wardrum © wardrum

In a moment when we are not always able to see our family and friends, the Internet has emerged as a way to communicate, but it can also make us feel lonelier sometimes. Art can become a remedy to make us be a part of something. “Art is a way to feel a member of a community. It moves your spirit and your soul, it’s socializing. It’s a process of learning, a process of exchanging with others”, Skitsa points out.

Music, for example, is constantly evolving and reflecting social situations. When we listen to a song, we can get different feelings depending on the moment. Even if we listen to a song some years later than when we first heard it, we can have a very different approach to it. But, somehow, we all need music. “I think that no one can live without music, without sound. We can make music even when talking to one another. Everybody is pronouncing in a different way. Whenever there is a difficult situation like this one it’s a good point to start evolving with the culture we have”, Vreto affirms.

What about the future?

The future is uncertain, and it is almost impossible to predict what will happen in the next months. There are certain obstacles that the city is facing now, according to Skitsa, and will probably keep facing in the near future. “I think in Thessaloniki there are challenges at many levels and culture is one of them. Young people often have two options: moving to another city or going to work in public schools because they cannot work only as artists. They leave the tunnel of unemployment to go to the public schools. That means that these young artists lose some of their creativity in the present time”, Skitsa.

Arts will have a huge impact in the scene of the city and hopefully the curtain from the cultural sector in Thessaloniki will rise again soon. “We are optimistic. We believe that artistic creation will be reborn as soon as the lockdown and the restrictions due to the pandemic come to an end. We don’t want to focus on the negative impact. We believe that after the unprecedented situations we live in, positive opportunities will arise. We will observe creative contributions and collaborations which may lead to innovations in the cultural sectors”, Markella declares.

When a door closes, a window can open up and difficult situations can also lead to opportunities. “Maybe this situation is a good thing in some aspects. For the past 10 years or so, the main bands that are getting out there are bands that have the money or are willing to pay. Even the management side is getting hard now. Maybe this is a chance for people to actually discover music for what it’s worth, to listen to a song because it is a good song, not only because you can hear it on the radio all day long”, Vreto concludes.

Wardrum concert in a festival, 2015 © wardrum