2022 - Synthesis
As we walk through the last period of the pandemic that since March 2020 has invaded humanity's everyday life, we are trying to trace the new data it brought to contemporary culture. After a careful evaluation of these data, we came up with the concept of Synthesis as the thematic identity of the 9th Mill of Performing Arts Festival (2022). Concerning artistic production, by the term Synthesis we mean osmosis of people, artists and producers, collaborations of institutions and companies, creative synergies and interactions of artistic groups of different backgrounds and fields, as well as the synthesis of different art forms into a homogeneous result.
The aim of the theme's choice is the unification of creative individual parts of the map of contemporary culture in order to highlight the importance of collectivity and networks as places of gestation of contemporary culture in the new day that dawns after the events of the pandemic. We believe that in this new day, the codes, languages, trends and forms must and should be differentiated from those of the past so that the emerging results will be different. Included within the concept of Synthesis are all those whose agenda is identical to ours, with inclusion, equity and total accessibility having the first word.
THE FESTIVAL
The Mill of Performing Arts is an annual festival for the performing arts.
It takes place every year at the end of September, in Larissa (Greece), at the premises of the industrial monument “Mylos Pappa“, which includes scenes and stages of theatre, dance, music, puppetry and cinema, but also less conventional, indoor and outdoor spaces that can host performances, concerts, rehearsals, workshops, installations, exhibitions and all kind of cultural events.
The aim of the festival is to highlight the contemporary trends of the performing arts, to promote inclusivity, accessibility, artistic diversity and original creation and to bring artists and audiences into creative dialogue, turning challenges into opportunities.
The program of the festival includes theatre, dance, music, dance theatre, music theatre, performance art, contemporary circus, puppetry, stand-up comedy, exhibitions, installations, fine arts, photography, seminars, workshops, concerts, screenings, street arts, interactions, symposia etc.
Mill of Performing Arts was held for the first time in September 2014, as an initiative of SMouTh (Synergy of Music Theatre) which was embraced by the Mayoralty of Culture and Science of the Municipality of Larissa. Since 2016, the Mayoralty co-organises the festival together with SMouTh who is holding the artistic coordination. In 2018, in collaboration with the Greek National Opera, the festival hosted the national meeting of music theatre companies. Since 2017 a part of the festival is dedicated to the inclusion and accessibility, and in 2020 it was fully accessible. Since 2021, MPArt is funding member of the Festival Network METAVASI, together with Volos Festival and the Comedy Festival of Trikala.
