Pepi Nikolopoulou
Three of Greece’s leading cultural institutions, the Athens Epidaurus Festival, the National Theatre of Greece and the Kalamata International Dance Festival, are joining forces to launch SYSTEMA – For the Greek Performing Arts, a new international platform dedicated to promoting contemporary Greek theatre, dance and performance beyond national borders. The inaugural edition will take place from 20 to 26 July 2026 across Athens, Epidaurus and Kalamata.
Building on the successful foundations of the Athens Epidaurus Festival’s grape (Greek Agora of Performance) and the National Theatre’s Showcase initiatives, SYSTEMA represents the next step in a shared strategy for international cultural outreach. Between 2023 and 2025, these programmes welcomed more than 250 artistic directors, curators and journalists from over 40 countries, while participating productions travelled to more than 70 venues across Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada.
Why SYSTEMA?
The name SYSTEMA derives from the Ancient Greek word sústēma (σύστημα), meaning the coming together of interconnected elements into a unified whole. True to its etymology, the initiative functions as a living organism: an alliance of institutions and people committed to supporting the vitality, diversity and unpredictability of contemporary Greek artistic creation. More than a showcase, SYSTEMA is a platform for connection, exchange and visibility, a mechanism for cultural stimulation and continuity that seeks to strengthen the international presence of Greek performing arts while fostering meaningful dialogue across borders.
More than a festival showcase, SYSTEMA aims to function as a living ecosystem that connects artists, institutions and international professionals. Through this new collaboration, the three organisations seek to strengthen the visibility of contemporary Greek performing arts and create new opportunities for international touring, networking and artistic exchange.
The initiative is supported exclusively by Mastercard and the National Bank of Greece, whose contribution enables the creation of an International Outreach Fund to support future international presentations of participating works. Their support also allows more than 80 representatives from festivals and theatres worldwide to attend performances and discover new Greek productions.
Seven Days of Theatre, Dance and Performance
The 2026 programme will feature 19 productions presented in historic venues across Athens, Epidaurus and Kalamata, including the Piraeus 260 industrial complex, the Ziller Building of the National Theatre, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus and the Kalamata Dance Megaron. Alongside the performances, the programme will include networking events, pitching sessions and curated meetings between artists and international presenters.
Participating artists include acclaimed theatre directors, choreographers and performers such as Lena Kitsopoulou, Dimitris Karantzas, Nikos Karathanos, Maria Hassabi, Iris Karayan and many others working across theatre, dance, music and interdisciplinary performance.
Contemporary Themes, Global Conversations
The programme reflects the urgency and diversity of today’s Greek performing arts scene. The selected works engage with memory, time, identity, political resistance, the female experience and the body as a site of tension and transformation. Drawing on sources ranging from ancient Greek drama by Aristophanes and Euripides to contemporary playwrights such as Guillaume Poix, the productions explore issues of consumption, alienation, environmental fragility and existential uncertainty.
By bringing together local narratives and global concerns, SYSTEMA seeks to create meaningful encounters between artists and audiences while positioning Greek contemporary creation within an international cultural dialogue.
Beyond the Stage
In addition to its main programme, SYSTEMA will present a parallel series of events, including AFTER, a curated programme of late-night live music performances, professional networking sessions and special experiences in Epidaurus and Kalamata. Audience members will also be invited to participate in the newly established National Bank of Greece – Mastercard Audience Awards, recognising the productions that resonated most strongly with viewers.
Conceived as both a meeting point and a long-term cultural strategy, SYSTEMA signals a new era of collaboration for Greek performing arts. By uniting major institutions, independent artists and international cultural networks, the platform aims to ensure that contemporary Greek theatre and dance continue to travel, evolve and engage audiences around the world.
Programme Highlights
The inaugural edition of SYSTEMA will unfold across Athens, Epidaurus and Kalamata, presenting 19 theatre, dance and performance productions by some of the most compelling voices of the contemporary Greek performing arts scene.
The programme spans large-scale productions, experimental performance, contemporary dance and new interpretations of classical texts. Highlights include Lena Kitsopoulou’s Bacchae at Piraeus 260, Dimitris Karantzas’ Alcestis, Nikos Karathanos’ Peace, inspired by Aristophanes and presented at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, and Maria Hassabi’s internationally acclaimed performance Us.
Dance works by Iris Karayan, Zoe Efstathiou, Christiana Kosiari, Antonis Vai and Ioanna Portolou’s Griffón Dance Company reflect the breadth and diversity of contemporary Greek choreography, while productions by Giorgos Vourdamis, Marilena Katranidou, Thanasis Kritsakis and Christos Theodoridis showcase the vitality of today’s theatre landscape.
Beyond the performances, SYSTEMA will host a parallel programme of professional exchange opportunities, networking events, project presentations, late-night music gatherings under the title AFTER, and site-specific experiences in Epidaurus and Kalamata. These activities are designed to encourage dialogue between artists, curators, festival directors and cultural professionals from around the world, reinforcing SYSTEMA’s role as an international meeting point for the performing arts.
A Shared Vision for International Outreach
The launch of SYSTEMA was accompanied by a strong emphasis on collaboration as a cultural strategy. Speaking at the official presentation, Athens Epidaurus Festival Artistic Director Michail Marmarinos described the initiative as “a gesture of cultural policy and collaborative ethos,” highlighting the importance of creating alliances within Greece’s cultural landscape.
He noted that SYSTEMA functions as a “living organism,” bringing together institutions and individuals in support of contemporary Greek artistic creation. Marmarinos also stressed that the platform extends beyond the three partner organisations, incorporating productions from Athens and Thessaloniki’s independent theatre scene, which he described as an essential creative force within the wider artistic ecosystem.
National Theatre of Greece Artistic Director Argyro Chioti underlined the belief that meaningful collaborations can open new horizons for the performing arts. According to Chioti, the partnership between the National Theatre, the Athens Epidaurus Festival and the Kalamata International Dance Festival creates a shared space for dialogue, exchange and international outreach.
“Through this initiative, artists gain more opportunities to engage with international networks, present their work and expand their presence beyond Greece,” she noted, expressing the ambition for SYSTEMA to become a vibrant meeting point for artists, presenters and cultural professionals from around the world.
The collaborative spirit of the initiative was echoed by Jenny Argyriou, Artistic Director of the Kalamata International Dance Festival, who described SYSTEMA as an important alliance between three major performing arts institutions united by a common goal: strengthening the international visibility of contemporary Greek creation.
Argyriou emphasised that the platform also highlights the role of regional cultural centres in shaping the country’s artistic landscape. Kalamata, she noted, has become an international reference point for contemporary dance, demonstrating how a city outside the major metropolitan centres can build a strong global presence through sustained artistic investment and vision. As the Kalamata International Dance Festival enters its fourth decade, SYSTEMA marks a new chapter in its ongoing commitment to international outreach.
The initiative is made possible through the support of the National Bank of Greece and Mastercard, both long-standing partners in efforts to promote Greek contemporary culture abroad. Eleftheria Volioti, Director of Cards at the National Bank of Greece, described SYSTEMA as a natural continuation of the bank’s support for the Athens Epidaurus Festival and GRAPE, highlighting its role in strengthening the international presence of Greek artistic production while fostering collaboration, dialogue and cultural exchange.
Sonia Cheimona, Marketing Director for Greece, Cyprus and Malta at Mastercard, underlined the company’s belief in culture as a force that brings people together and creates meaningful experiences. She described SYSTEMA as the next evolution of GRAPE, transforming a successful initiative into a broader and more dynamic platform developed in partnership with the National Bank of Greece and three of the country’s leading cultural institutions. Through this collaboration, Mastercard continues to support the international visibility of contemporary Greek performing arts while encouraging artistic exchange and the sustainable development of Greece’s creative community.
