For depreciation from the Municipal Authority of the Municipal Theater “Olympia – Maria Callas” (the old lyric) and for a private grant, the Kostas Bakoyannis party, “Athens Tall”, speaks in a statement.

At the same time, it raises questions, which it also raised in the yesterday’s City Council and in the end adds that Athens will become the only European capital, which will not have its own theater.

“With great concern and frustration we are watching the movements of the Municipal Authority, leading the historic Olympia theater to depreciation. A large and significant part of the theater program is assigned to a private person under a foggy status, “the announcement initially said and then stresses:

“The Municipal Authority grants the Athens Municipal Theater to a single private-theatrical producer, without any open invitation, competition or institutionalized process.

Culture is a social good. However, with the profitability of the mayor’s admission to the City Council, the Municipal Authority is preparing to turn a purely lyric theater into another scene that will host private productions.

The following questions are born:

1. How many productions and how long will the Municipal Theater be assigned to the individual?

2. Who will receive tickets from the private productions. The municipality or the individual.

3. Will the individual pay rent to the municipality, who pays rent to the Bank of Greece? Is the supremacy legal?

4. What staff and technical equipment will the individual use?

5. If the individual staff and equipment is used, what will happen to the people who are currently employed in the theater?

6. How many performances and how long will the music ensemble of the Municipality of Athens have in Olympia, which is their “home”?

7. What will be the criteria in choosing the individual’s performances? What is the role of the artistic director?

8. The projects that the producer will be uploaded will meet the terms of the theater, which require the physiognomy to remain lyrical?

The Municipal Music Theater of Olympia-Maria Callas, the old Opera Stage, has in recent years managed to become the theater of the city.

From 2020 and for 4 years, Olympia has presented a program that honored its brilliant story. With great productions, with international collaborations, with the effective participation of musical ensembles. A program of his own.

The producers who worked with Olympia were many and different. Their technical role was purely supportive. They met the demands of every work decided by the artistic director and OPANDA, to climb the theater. They did not use the Municipal Theater to upload their own performances.

Athens has great theaters, Olympia has another mission. Why can who individual can take the risk and give a step of artistic expression to a large number of artists? Especially young? Which individual can make productions, addressing special audiences, ensuring the quality and musical orientation of the theater? These are not done by the private initiative, which is necessarily a profit. “

And the announcement concludes: “Without any consultation, without even discussing the matter in the competent body, which is the OPANDA Council or the Municipal Council, the Municipal Authority agreed to assign Olympia. It agreed to be Athens, the only European capital without its own theater. “