The emptiest cultural centre

This year’s Kypria ‘International’ festival has to be the most depressing event to date:
In what is supposed to be the country’s flagship cultural extravaganza, punters can ‘enjoy’:
– two concerts by our state orchestra (who perform throughout the year)
– five music/theatre events in Greek by Greek companies
– a performance by an African dance troupe that tours annually and a Portuguese fado singer seen on our shores last year
There is no co-ordination between events and not even so much as a website promoting this ‘fesitval’. And all this courtesy of the taxpayers and the Ministry of Culture.
This is a nation that has slated umpteen million euros for a new national theatre and a new centre for performing arts. The heart hardly pounds with joy in anticipation of what we’re going to house in it.
K. Cleanthous, Nicosia

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