The 1st International Street Theatre Festival took place in Athens, from October 16 until October 20, 2009. The concept, as well as the responsibility for the organzation of the Festival, belongs to the Street Theatre “Helix”. The proposal was submitted to the National Centre of Theatre and Dance, which accepted and financed with the amount of 120.000,00 Euro. Without the financial support of the National Centre of Theatre and Dance, as well as of the Ministry of Culture, such an ambitious plan wouldn’t have been realized. Then, the Municipality of Athens, together with its Cultural Organization, put under their auspices the Festival and offered their aid, giving us away the areas where the performances took place, as well as areas for the advertising of the Festival. The Secretariat of Youth, assisted the organization with the amount of 25.000 Euros, while OPAP granted us with the amount of 50.000 Euros. The International Theatre Institute (iTi) sponsored the Festival, while the Embassy of Poland covered the expenses of the group which represented Poland.

The initial proposal, which was submitted to the National Centre of Theatre and Dance, anticipated the participation of six foreign groups and 6 groups from Greece, with a budget mounting to 230.000 Euros. After the announcement of the Festival, there was a huge interest expressed from all over the world. The biggest surprise of all, though, came from Greece, given the fact that in our country does not exist the relative tradition concerning street theatre and very few groups are occupied with this kind of theatre. More than fifty groups expressed their interest and all of them were included, either in the Main or in the Free part of the Festival. The final account was: 60 groups and single artists, out of which, ten from abroad and fifty from Greece. Eighty performances per day took place and more than 240 performances during the three days of the Festival.

The primary intention of the Festival was the showing off of the public areas, as areas of expression and communication, as well as the showing and development of Street Theatre, as a theatrical form, with particular communication dynamics, with unconventional and essential artistic proffer. All actions take advantage of the public areas, as the dominating scenery as well as a meeting point, with a numerous and multifarious public. All performances are for free, so besides the educational and recreational role, the social role of Street Theatre and its unselfish offerings is also elevated.

A significant priority for the Festival is its gradual decentralization, so that part of it, to be able to be realized in different cities every year.

The Festival has competitive features. This year, four awards were given. In the Main Festival, the Overall Concept Award for a street spectacle was given to the group TEATR BIURO PODROZY from Poland, escorted with a prize of 4.000 Euros. The Street Spectacle Proposal Award was given to the French team CARNAGE PRODUCTIONS, escorted with a prize of 4.000 Euros. An Award, designated exclusively for Greek teams, equivalent to a formal invitation in another international Festival, was shared by two groups, PLEFSIS and OBJECTO, which were invited to participate in the International Festival PAPET FAIR, which will take place in Sofia-Bulgaria. In the Open part of the Festival, an award was given to ALVARO and ITINERANTE CIRCO FUNK from Uruguay, corresponding to a formal invitation for the Main Festival of 2010 and escorted with a prize of 2.000 Euros.

The Awards were granted by different Committees, consisted of famous theatre personalities. In the next year’s festival two more Awards will be granted: one of the Public and one of Design.

Based on the data concerning: the groups’ participation, the participation of the public (in spite of the dates change, because of the elections, as well as the not-favorable at all weather conditions during the second day of the Festival), the extended advertisement (mainly, as far as the printed information is concerned), the unexceptionable support by other organizations, besides the National Centre of Theatre and Dance (Secretariat of Youth, OPAP, Municipality of Athens, Cultural Organization of the Municipality of Athens, Olympic Estates, Embassy of Poland, Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute, individual Sponsors and Communication Sponsors), as well as of the wide reception, so much from the part of the artists, as well as from the part of the public, we can certainly say that the 1st International Street Theatre Festival accomplished in full its objects, marking a significant success, with its scanty means actually, promising an even better organization for the 2nd International Street Theatre Festival, in 2010.

The successful and generally acknowledged organization of the Festival, occurred through publications, extended reports in the net and Blogs, the great reception, so much from the part of the Groups, as well as from the Public, rises the request that this festival must be continued and established as a significant institution for the city and the theatre.

It’s our conviction, and we can reassure you, that we can make this Festival even better, we can make the city and artists awaiting for the next one and we can amend our possible mistakes and defaults.

On account of safe weather conditions, of organization and unobstructed participation of the artists, as well as of the public, we consider necessary the fact that the next Street Theatre Festival, must be realized during the second fortnight of June (establishing this date as the date of the Festival’s realization every year). More specifically, June 21-28, 2010.

The change of government, as well as the financial crisis, in Greece and Europe, make hard for us the organization of the next Festival. We fight against time, trying to obtain the necessary financial sources, in order to be able to realize the Festival within the above time period. In any case, we will be in contact and we ill inform our friends and interested groups and individual artists about our next steps. Anyway, whoever wishes to participate, he can submit his proposal from now, containing full data about the spectacles they wish to present, as well as the necessary technical requirements.