Culture-vulture Anna Cominos recently visited Melbourne’s Greek Centre of Contemporary Culture and was blown away by the vision and commitment, which is driving this hive of Greek Cultural activity.
It is an act of empowerment to see a major cultural institution, in this case Melbourne’s The Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, presenting another way of interpreting ‘being Greek’. At a time when the mainstream media are flogging cultural characteristics into a homogenised global village, it is inspirational to meet a cultural body creating a calendar full of events that honours and celebrates ‘being Greek’ in a contemporary world. Education and cultural events here blend to offer a positive identity as well as inviting the broader Australian community to become involved.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria had a very clear intention for creating The Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, explains the Greek Centre’s Director Jorge Menidis. “We seek to go beyond looking back at our heritage, we want to be part of the contemporary mainstream culture. The Greek Centre is located in the heart of downtown Melbourne and sits in next to the oldest Chinatown town outside of China, on traditional Wiradjuri land and we want to honour our place in this exciting contemporary culture. We want to celebrate being Greek today and celebrate our future.’
The enterprising board of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria have developed The Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture to offer a year-long cultural program of events and are quickly changing the perception of what it means to be Greek today.
Education
The Greek Centre’s extensive Education program has various levels for participation. It hosts a thorough K-Year 12 Greek language programme for Greek-Australian students as well as Greek Language students studying their Higher School Certificates in Greek. They also run a successful after-schools Greek language programme at six Melbourne primary schools, which offers both children’s and adults drama classes in Greek.
In fact, the Greek Community are so committed to the everyday use of the Greek language and its survival that the Centre annually promotes people speaking Greek for a month. Aware that we live in a multicultural society, they also offer Modern Greek for non-Greek speaking adults at their Cultural Centre in the heart of Melbourne’s business district. They take the issue of the Greek language seriously and even offer advanced classes for Ancient Greek speakers and scholars.
Seminars
Academics from all over Australia and the world have participated in the impressive free seminars series in Greek History and Culture held here. The ever-popular Seminars have grown directly from community curiosity and the specialised knowledge of many academics. Not wanting to back away from topical issues, I recently heard Aboriginal cultural activist Gary Foley speaking on the Parthenon Marbles at the seminars.
Apart from the massive Education program, the Greek Centre also have various cultural events that take place during the year focussing on food, film, writing, music and culminating in the very popular Lonsdale Street Festival in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, which is right at the Greek Centre’s doorstep. While not all Greek Centre events are held at the Lonsdale St Building, many are held here. Featuring a versatile and established performance space, the GC team are now also keen to create an exhibition space.
Food
In July, the Greek Centre presents the popular Flavours of Greece. The basis is creating a pop-up, in-house restaurant that allows ‘foodies’ to explore the tastes of fine Greek food. Flavours of Greece features a dinner created by an accomplished Greek-Australian chef, cooking demonstrations, kids cooking classes, wine-tasting and even a food trivia night. The event has been so warmly embraced that the Greek Centre are planning to hold four dinners: July 9, 15, 16 and 17. You can buy tickets to the events via their website.
Music
‘If music is the food of life play on’, wrote Shakespeare. The dynamic music series Live at The Greek, has proven to be very popular with audiences taking them on a journey through Greece’s rich tapestry of music. Always a good night out, Live at the Greek happens fortnightly at the Greek Centre.
Story
In early September, The Greek Centre will for the first-time present a ‘Storytelling Festival’ that has grown from the annual Greek Writer’s Festival. Considering that story is the heart of all writing and that Greeks have an appreciation of storytelling, the story telling Festival’s a worthy evolution of the power of story. Audiences and performers alike are sharpening their talking skills in anticipation. It will include children’s Storytelling, script readings, play-readings and the innovative ‘1 Story told 5 Ways’ by working performers.
Film
Come October, The Greek Centre is involved with the Greek Film Festival. Operating for over 22 years, The Greek Film Festival highlights Greek films and features a strong Student Short Film festival. Regular film sessions happen at Melbourne’s Palace Como but The Greek Centre also presents a fantastic opening night event at the Art Deco Astor Theatre.
Lonsdale St Festival
The many activities of the Greek Centre come together and are celebrated at the ever popular Lonsdale St Festival. Originally known as Antipodes Festival, it has an attendance of over 100,000 people over the annual weekend and features Greek dancing from all part of Greece, Greek musicians, yummy Greek food, stalls with a Greek theme and of course a high profile Greek Singer performing on the centre stage. A massive operation, Lonsdale St Festival is a must for all visitors to Melbourne.
The Greek Centre Building
The striking blue and black features of the facade of The Greek Centre in Lonsdale Street, gives a sense of motion, like waves rolling or olives branches blowing in the winds. The impressive Greek Centre building sits in the heart of Melbourne. It is 14 storeys high and has taken the traditional historically Greek area of Lonsdale St and re-configured into a vertical precinct. Most of the businesses found in the building are Greek, including the National Bank of Greece.
“The Greek Centre’s existence and activities are a direct reflection of the make-up of the board of the Greek Community of Melbourne and Victoria. The Community is over 100 years old and the board is made up of Greek-Australians. People who were born in Australia, so of course the cultural agenda is going to reflect contemporary culture, a look forward,” clarifies GCOMV secretary Costas Markou. Having nursed the Greek Community through difficult times, The Greek Centre’s cultural activities must now be a positive outcome for the GCOMV Board.
It can feel the current ‘crisis’ in Greek culture is being nursed by the Greek diaspora. Much like many activists of the Greek Independence of 1821, which was fuelled and supported by the Greek diaspora. At this particular juncture in world history, it is the Greek diaspora that is meeting the provocative common mainstream news view that has made the word ‘crisis’ identifiable with all that is Greek and Greece. The impressive Greek Centre of Contemporary Culture in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, and its hard-working team is curating an extensive series of contemporary Greek projects that all contain the essence of being Greek, good-will and kindness, curiosity and inclusiveness.
To sign up for the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture events join their e-news or to check out what is happening and to purchase tickets to any events, go to www.greekcentre.com.au
