By Bejay Browne
A cultural foundation will be established in Paphos to create and promote events in the town, the mayor announced at an event at Palia Ilektriki.
Phedonas Phedonos shared his thoughts and ideas for creating such an establishment to an audience made of representatives from various established cultural associations and members of the public, a spokesman for Paphos municipality told the Cyprus Mail.
“The idea was already there after our cultural capital title of Pafos2017, the municipal council decided some time ago on this matter, but it has taken some time to prepare all of the necessary things and now the mayor has started the conversation with the public to gauge the first reactions, ideas and suggestions.”
He added that this is in order to be prepared to discuss the matter further with the municipal council to then proceed to establish the foundation.
Phedonos said that the entity will be established and supported by the municipality but that it will act independently.
“This is a unique Pancyprian project, as the foundation will have an independent Board of Directors, its own Artistic Director and staff, and will also be responsible for the management of cultural infrastructures,” he informed the audience.
The foundation will be operated along the same lines as Pafos2017, with its Artistic Director and board of directors nominated by members of the council.
“It will be totally independent though and it is necessary to take this move to ensure that the cultural life of Paphos will continue to go on,” said the spokesman.
The mayor said that the foundation will also be responsible for the production and organisation of a number of various events already taking place in Paphos, such as opera, parades, carnivals and religious celebrations, and will eventually be responsible for organising new events, not excluding the possibility of creating a new theatre.
“The matter will be discussed at the next council meeting and I believe they are keen to establish it as soon as possible,” he said.
The mayor made it clear that many issues have to be clarified through dialogue which is now underway, such as staff issues, how to manage infrastructure and so on.
The spokesman said that, obviously, the board of directors would be Cypriot, but that wider community and other nationalities would be able to get involved by volunteering, as they did with Pafos2017. However, he added that this would be the job of the new artistic director to decide.
A number of follow-up open audiences in support of this initiative, and thoughts and proposals on how to implement it, will take place in the near future.
The mayor also invited representatives of the cultural institutions of the town and interested members of the public to submit their proposals and opinions in writing within one week to: [email protected]
