Events
Greek Fringe is all about unveiling independent artists who are not afforded the attention they deserve. Our mission is to curate events that do just that! Keep an eye on our page for upcoming events in Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Nicosia, Athens and who knows where else?!
What's on
DIGITAL EVENTS
Greek Fringe is thrilled to present an interhemispheric collaboration, bringing together two award winning creative forces – the strikingly original Amalgamation Project (Cyprus) and prophetic poet and rapper, Luka Lesson (Australia).
This promises to be a dynamic showcase of contemporary Hellenic diversity that connects young Creatives from the source with the diaspora.
These artists have pushed the boundaries within their own fields, and we are taking it a step further by merging art forms and continents in a digital presentation that lays claim to the NOW.
SUPPORT THE ARTISTS
Though we intend on producing mind altering events in real life, due to COVID-19 we are kicking off with a series of digital events in an effort to protect the public and those involved. Despite being online, the same amount of love, sweat and tears go into producing these works, so we encourage people (if you have the means) to throw some coin at the artists we feature.
We have devised a tiered system of payment so you can pay what you feel to support the many people that have devoted their time and talent to this event. Click on the “SUPPORT THE ARTISTS” button below.
Meraki Trio ft. Eisvoleas // Bufos Puppet Theatre
Meraki Trio
A versatile and gifted singer, songwriter and composer, Semeli Papavasileiou effortlessly spans the worlds of rebetika, Greek folk to original compositions even dabbling in hip hop. Her velveteen voice and solid guitar work never fail to captivate. Semeli, joined by Alexandros Kentris on bouzouki and Glafkos Smarianakis on violin and vocals make up the Meraki Trio, a rebetiko outfit who write their own compositions that are inspired by the music of Smyrne and Piraeus. These three extremely talented young individuals are at the forefront of the contemporary trad scene in Greece.
Special Guest – Eisvoleas
Eisvoleas is a veteran of the Greek hip hop scene, based in Galatsi Athens. His hip-hop flirts with traditional sounds of Greece and the Balkans and is worthy of recognition beyond the Greek border. Semeli’s collaborations with Eisvoleas underpin a reimagining of Greek culture that connects the past to the NOW.
Bufos Puppet Theater
This puppet show is inspired by rembetiko music, a music of love, joy, pain and sorrow that reflects the lifestyle of a marginalized subculture. Starring Jovan, a contemporary rembeti, we are enchanted by his style and finesse where even the everyday routine of making a coffee becomes art.
Featured Artists
Music - Visual - Performance - Words
The financial crisis in Europe has led Greece to emerge as a hub of creativity and innovative thinking. The Greek Fringe is a movement that seeks to expose Greece and its booming arts scene and thrust attention upon diasporic art throughout the Globe.
Elsa Mouratidou
About
MUSIC
Elsa Mouratidou was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. She started her music studies at the Contemporary Conservatory of Thessaloniki and joined Ayia Triada Children’s Choir as a child, which had a great impact on her future career. She also studied Greek literature at the University of Thrace. Elsa continued her studies in phonetics, with Eleni Mihalopoulou, attending several seminars (with Spyros Sakkas, free vocal improvisation with Savina Yannatou, chorus (χορός) in ancient Greek drama with Michael Marmarinos and more). She is one of the founding members of the a cappella band STRINGLESS (world folk music in a polyphonic mode). Her parental roots go back to the Caucasus mountains. This is the cord that links her with the music of the Black Sea. She is the lead vocalist of ARGATIA ENSEMBLE (Pontian, Armenian, Turkish, Laz, Georgian folk music). Her love for the Celtic tradition lead her to the band TIR FADA where she is the lead vocalist, singing Irish and Scottish tunes. Always searching for new inspiration, she takes part in various projects like MAROUVA (Cretan folk music), ‘Απ’ τα κουμπάκια ανάμεσα’ TRIO (tango, fado, rebetiko and more). She took part in theatre productions as a singer, as well as a vocal coach for the National Theatre of Northern Greece, and other venues. She has been working as a performer for 24 years and as a vocal coach for the last 16.
Jorge Sotirios
About
WORDS
Jorge Sotirios grew up in a country town in Australia and worked in his father’s milk bar whilst attending a French-based high school. He acquired his Masters in Journalism integrating his undergraduate studies in Political Economics, Philosophy & French. After editing (R)EVOLUTION magazine in the nineties, he wrote extensively for the print, radio and stage media, whilst organising events that dealt with Hellenism at the crossroads of Latin, Asian and Antipodean cultures. Writing for ATHENS NEWS he journeyed to areas as diverse as Mount Athos, Istanbul and Paris. His books include LONESOME GEORGE, C’EST MOI! which drew on his wild travels through the Amazon basin and Galápagos Islands, and GRAFFITI OVER MARBLE, focusing on the Greek crisis not only from an economic perspective but more importantly on the social and psychological ones.
Artist Callout
What we’re looking for?
We’re after work that represents the experience of modern Hellenic diversity from emerging artists and creatives living and working in Sydney and Melbourne. We also wish to extend this callout to artists living abroad whose work can be included in a digital capacity.
Our curatorial ethos is broad and inclusive and we’re open to all types of media.
We give preference to work that:
Represents the experience of the modern Hellenic diversity
Is new, surprising, subversive, inventive and different
Uses traditional elements in unconventional ways
About
It is time for the celebration of Greece, its people, history and art to shift to a new level. The Greek Fringe will attract talent that represents the experience of the modern Hellenic diversity. The Greek Fringe will shift beyond the folkloric representation of migration to explore the contemporary Hellenic diaspora throughout the Globe and the dynamic arts scene of mother Greece.
The financial crisis in Europe has led Greece to emerge as a hub of creativity and innovative thinking. The Greek Fringe seeks to promote and celebrate contemporary culture, which can often be overshadowed by a glorified notion of the past.
The Greek Fringe is a movement that will expose Greece and its booming arts scene and promote diasporic art across various forms of media. Though the theme is Greek, the festival aims to attract people who appreciate contemporary art and culture, regardless of their heritage.
As humans evolve, so too does language, culture and influence. If we don’t engage with the evolving artscape of Greece and communities abroad, the risk is that Greek culture can become stagnant and obsolete. We are here to facilitate new and emerging interpretations of Greek culture. There is an appetite among younger generations of the diaspora to explore and connect with not only the Greece of their Grandparents but the Greece of now.
We are here and we are claiming the now.
Con Kalamaras
Co-founder & Director
Professional insomniac, Con spends every waking hour thinking about Greek Fringe and is constantly throwing ideas at Christina (his partner in crime) as they shape and mould the Festival into something exciting, fresh and evolving. Con is a first-generation Greek events producer/ curator/ practitioner based in Melbourne. His world circulates around art projects, concerts, and festivals including the Melbourne Rebetiko Festival. He lives and breathes music, producing radio and is seen to obsess over records and rare recordings. When not playing music, he juggles his life between the city and the country and is the proud owner of two chickens both called Greg and his cat, Minion Sassy Pants.
Christina Bacchiella
Co-founder & Director
Founder of Sydney Greek Jam, Christina is big on community engagement and providing a platform for underrepresented artists. This concept was the genesis for Greek Fringe and exposing hidden talents is what gives her a real buzz. She is an innovative coordinator of projects and people and has worked on a stack of indie events, including the Melbourne Rebetiko Festival. She plays percussion in a rebetiko band and strums the tzoura strictly in the confines of her loungeroom (much to her dog’s torment).
Michael Alexandratos
Content Producer | Words
Michael Alexandratos is a writer, researcher and publisher based in Sydney. Taking a lead on literature, he will shed light on burgeoning writers in the Greek scene and conduct interviews with our featured artists. Michael runs the blog Amnesiac Archive, which is dedicated to research into music and recorded sound, and Cycladic Press, which publishes books and zines on aspects of Modern Greek cultures. He can often be seen rummaging through dusty boxes of records in junk shops, swearing that he will not end up as a hoarder.
Vasilki Tsouka
Content Producer | Performance
Vasiliki Tsouka is an arts manager and a dramaturg based in Melbourne. We are thrilled to have her on board as she has her finger on the pulse of performance art throughout the world. Since she was a young girl growing up in Athens, Greece, she has always loved art, literature and theatre, passions that she carries into her professional career. Though having lived in Melbourne the past five years, she keeps her connection to Greece by listening to Rebetiko while cooking her Grandmother’s recipes.
Kon Karamountzos
Audiovisual Production
Kon has worked in media for years and is considered part man, part legend with all things production. This guy is responsible for the editing of all the slick videos you see on our site and the crisp sound and visuals that will bless your senses at our future events. His passions include well-tuned instruments, sonic chaos and a well-earned drink after a day in the production coal mines.
Overdue Studio
Visual Design / Web Development
Overdue Studio is a visual design studio creating thoughtful design solutions digitally and physically. From concept and design to realisation, the studio offers a full creative service in photography, branding, print, digital, object and exhibition design. It is Overdue Studio’s honour to collaborate with Greek Fringe, together they promote music and culture with creativity and authenticity.
Contact Overdue Studio for design enquiries.
Support
We LURVE our sponsors! They are the force that enables us to shed light on the obscure, the underrepresented and the mega-talented. Its thanks to them that we can explore what contemporary Hellenic culture can bring to the table beyond cuisine.
If this strikes a chord with you, get on board and…
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