Artemis Chrysostomidou is an emerging dramaturg, director and writer from Greece. After an open call last season, she was selected to become one of ETC’s seven scholars 2019. As part of the Artist Residency Programme, Artemis assisted Düsterbusch. City Lights, the first stage adaption of the novel by Alexander Kühne, directed by Cornelia Crombholz from 26 February to 13 April 2019 at Theater Magdeburg (Germany).
A few months later, she tells us about her experience in Magdeburg and in Dresden, where she was invited for the ETC International Theatre Conference.
“My selection from European Theatre Convention as a scholar with the Artist Residency Programme was a marvellous chance to work abroad in a well-organised state theatre and to meet people who profoundly influenced my life.
In this experience, the working team of ETC was always positive, supportive and present whenever it was needed. The existence of an institution which consists of people dedicated to their work with a real need to support theatre beyond borders gives me, as a young European director, joy, braveness and confidence about my work and most important about our European family.
We all realise the major necessity of structures that cultivate creativity, intimacy and unity in a present full of hate and nationalism. However, my gratitude is due to another reason as well - taking part in the ETC International Theatre Conference, a significant event around contemporary theatre’s issues where new collaborations began.
So, while I was thinking about my next work for theatre, I met Heiki, another ETC Scholar, and we decided to work together. Now we are preparing Mortality Hooray, a theatre project on tour consisting of two plays of mine about instructions, the obsession with youth, the medical sciences, the fight for love and the reality; reality is funny. Every member of the group comes from a different country and next year we will present our work in various European theatres.
The acquaintance with ETC was an unexpected and exciting gift, continuing with new collaborations, enthusiasm and faith to hard work, to a united Europe and to its supported institutions. I am deeply grateful.”
Follow Artemis Chrysostomidou’s work at www.artemischrysostomidou.com.
Picture: © Pierre Balazs
