Day: March 22, 2024

PRESS RELEASE Open Call for Emerging Artists from Cyprus Applications by April 8th 2024 Cyprus Theatre Organisation is involved in the activities of a Roadshow of Performances within the 'Theatre in Palm' platform. In 'The Roadshow' each partner from the following countries, presents two performances, throughout the year 2024. The Roadshow resembles twelve lights glittering, each light lighting up in every partner country at a different time, by presenting two performances each, consecutively. Performances will not move but create movement by when they light up. Preliminary dates and info for the TIP roadshow can be found here. The Call (for selected countries only): Cyprus Theatre Organisation, invites applications by emerging artists from Cyprus, who wish to be funded to travel, for 3-5 days, to selected destinations, to be part of the Roadshow performance audience, meet the artists, network, engage with the scene, and, upon their return produce a short work/presentation inspired by the visit. Up to 15 emerging artists will be chosen to enjoy this opportunity to broaden their professional horizons and travel abroad in 2024-2025. Emerging Artists must be Cypriot citizens or residing permanently in Cyprus. For the purpose of this call, Emerging artists are theatre or performing arts students, recent graduates (0-5 years), other newcomers in the field of professional theatre, people interested in gaining new professional competencies, and making new openings in the field of performing arts. If any of these resonate with your career path… ?Actors and performers ?Script writer and playwriters ?Choreographers and dancers ?Set designers and costume makers ?Lighting designers ?Sound designers and musical directors ?Composers and musicians ?Producers and play directors and assistants ?Creative Theatre people in general Theatre in Palm is for you! Place and Time of Theatre visits (one place for each artist, but may apply for more than one): ?Amsterdam: 15-19 May 2024 Stichting ZID, Netherlands ? Reggio Emilia: 26-29 July 2024 Fondazione E35 per la progettazione internazionale, Italy ?Stockholm: 26-30 August 2024 Intercult, Sweden ?Turku: 3-6 September 2024 Turku University of Applied Sciences, Finland ?Lisbon: 24-27 October 2024 JÁIT - international theatre, Portugal ?Barcelona, November 2024 (specific dates to be announced) ESPRONCEDA/LEMONGRASS COMMUNICATION, Spain Last day to apply: April 8th Decision date: Announced by end of May Monetary support: Will be defined according to distance but the amount will not exceed pound 1000 per person to cover all expenses and allowances. Applicants are required to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements, insurance, and the above sum will cover all per diems and fees for the visit with receipts provided. To apply: Please send an updated CV and full contact details (including site/social media), specifying which Country you are applying for (may have more than one on the application), confirming availability for the specific dates of the country's Roadshow performances, along with a short letter of intent describing your work and how you feel the visit will aid you. Please send applications to nmourouzi@thoc.org.cy, marking in the subject '@Roadshow' by April 8th 2024. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos will pay a working visit to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, while on Monday he will pay an official visit to Kazakhstan. During his visit to the UAE, Kombos will meet with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, a Foreign Affairs Ministry press release said on Friday. "Discussions will focus on bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the aid sent through the Maritime Humanitarian Corridor," the press release added. Kombos will then depart for Kazakhstan, where he will pay a one-day official visit on Monday, at the invitation of his counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu. According to the Ministry, during his stay in the capital Astana, Kombos will have a private meeting with Nurtleu, followed by extended talks between the delegations of the two Ministries, after which t he Ministers will make statements to the media. It is further noted that discussions will focus on bilateral relations between Cyprus and Kazakhstan, developments in the Cyprus problem, relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan, regional developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia, as well as developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Minister will also be received by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Senate Maulen Ashimbayev, and will have a meeting with the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan Berik Asylov. Kombos will also visit the Astana International Financial Centre, the press release concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Discussions on EU-Turkey relations and any reference in the conclusions of the EU member states leaders will be postponed for April following the consultations and discussions held on the sidelines of the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. Sources told CNA that following the discussion this week on a possible reference in the European Council's Conclusions, Cyprus is in coordination mainly with Germany and France with a view to discussing the EU-Turkish relations at the next extraordinary summit in April. According to the same sources, the aim is to have a strategic discussion prior to the adoption of conclusions, for which there was not enough time at this summit. It is expected that more countries and the European Commission will be involved in preparing the debate in the coming period, which has been pending since December. The rationale of this approach is that Turkey will also have the time to send a signal regarding, among other things, the Cyprus issue. The message being sent by Nicosia, the sources said, is that EU-Turkish relations can evolve gradually dependent on progress made in the Cyprus problem, adding that Cyprus does not object to a positive agenda on EU-Turkish relations. Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. In January, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The inclusion in the European Council Conclusions of a special reference to the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus for the creation of a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, was 'of great importance', Cyprus' Government Spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, said on Thursday evening in a post on 'X'. Shortly before that, it was announced that conclusions had been reached, in which the EU 'calls for an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire', the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, wrote in his own post in the same platform. Letymbiotis, in his post, welcomed as 'extremely important' the inclusion in the European Council's conclusions, of a special reference to the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus for the creation of a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza. 'The European Council welcomes the implementation of the initiative which will provide necessary humanitarian aid', he ad ds. 'Cyprus took an initiative with substantial contribution to a major humanitarian crisis, the value of which is recognised by our partners in the EU and beyond', the post concludes. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The new High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to the Republic of Singapore, Nikos Panayiotou, presented his credentials to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a special ceremony held at the Istana Palace in Singapore recently. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Friday, during the ceremony, Panayiotou conveyed the warm greetings and the personal wishes of President Nikos Christodoulides for the further deepening of relations between the two countries. It is added that during the meeting that followed, the friendly relations between the two countries and the mutual interest in expanding bilateral sectoral cooperation were reaffirmed, with the High Commissioner briefing President Shanmugaratnam on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and thanking him for Singapore's principled stance. President Shanmugaratnam wished the new High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus every success in his work, noting that he will have the support of himself and his Governm ent in strengthening the relations between Cyprus and Singapore, the press release concluded. Source: Cyprus News Agency