Valia Tamvaki: Epic poems

I do not know who is going to read this text and in return the reader probably does not know me either. However, I think I would like to bridge this gap. 

I have been involved with ZID since Karolina started directing Odyssey until now, with FATE project. I am not sure how familiar people outside Greece are with the epic poem of Odyssey, but since I am from Greece, I would like to share some information about it. This epic poem was composed before even the Greek language was formed and passed on different generations through storytelling and songs. It follows the previous work of Homer, named Iliada which focuses on the war against Troy. Odyssey describes the long journey of coming back home to Ithaca (20 years). In both epic poems the cruelty of war is exposed. Gods are deeply involved in the story, making things complicated for the hero, who has limited power over his own fate. 

A vital concept of the Greek culture is present in Odyssey: Philoxenia. Philoxenia means hospitality and the word is formed by two words Philos= Friend (such as philosophy) and Xenos= Unknown/Stranger/foreigner (such as xenophobia). In ancient Greece Gods were very passionate and emotional; on top of that, they had the ability to transform into animals or people. Greeks treated unknown people (xenos) as if they were Gods, since they were scared that it could be the case; a xenos could be a God in disguise. Until today, philoxenia is a complex, moral code with deep roots and many levels. 

The three key concepts of philoxenia, storytelling and journey have been part of my experience with ZID also in the FATE project. The theater opened its doors to unknown people and warmly welcomed everyone. During the training, people have been searching for their own Ithaca, the place they want to reach, through a journey rich in cultures, personal stories, contemporary issues and artistic languages. The originally unknown people, became friends (filoi) who supported each other and shared their stories. FATE started as a training which developed into a journey of artistic exploration and made participants wiser and richer in experiences and emotions.