Faces
of the Hero:
Themed
Events
Programming
2021

Which are the Faces of the Hero?

In celebration of the two-hundred-year anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center presents a series of events under the general title Faces of the Hero, designed and realized thanks to an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

The heroic example set by the warriors of the National Uprising serves today as an opportunity, an invitation and a challenge to revisit the concepts of “hero” and “heroism”, through the performing and visual arts, dance, readings, lectures, exhibitions and educational programs for adults and children.

Putting together a diverse and multifaceted program, our selection of featured events is guided by the same philosophy that governs the overall operation of the SNFCC, and which has been tried and tested with success over the past few years: a public space that’s open to everyone, regardless of age or educational background, which provides cultural experiences and opportunities for entertainment and learning without economic, social, or other obstacles of any kind. In addition, this year’s program was designed upon the key principle of making full use of the facilities and premises of the SNFCC, developing synergies with our kindred organizations, the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera, and investing in the Center’s outreach.

The connecting tissue, which runs through the entire series of themed events, is our intention to pose the question “How is the heroic archetype conveyed through the history of art?”. In that view, and as the title “Faces of the Hero” indicates, we will attempt to explore the journey of the Hero and the transitions of his form from the ancient times until the present day, using art as our vehicle, to encounter the heroic archetype at different moments through the course of time.

Our featured events dedicated to the celebration of our national anniversary, however, run alongside a broad range of ongoing activities throughout the course of the year, with launches of new events series, theatrical productions, art installations, and new series of educational events, culminating festively, as always, in the SNFCC Christmas World.

In the process of devising our program, we are informed and guided by the current conditions, to design events that can be adapted to include the presence of an audience or presented exclusively online, in compliance with the measures for the protection of public health, as these are announced.