LITERATURE PRODUCTIONS
SARDAM ~ interdisciplinary literature festival
Sardam 2013
SARDAM combines readings and workshops by Cypriot writers, as well as writers from Greece, Italy and Croatia. This project aims at bringing the audience closer to a more direct, unconventional enjoyment of literature, through innovative and unusual readings that combine literature with other forms of art like video, spoken word-slamming, dance/movement, dramaturgy, performance writing, audience interaction, voice experimentation, sound/music and so on. Sardam, through its workshops, also aims at offering interesting writing techniques regarding the short story, as well as alternative methods of experimenting with words in relation to the body.
Sardam 2014
This second edition of SARDAM presents readings and workshops by writers from Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain, through solo performances/presentations or cooperations with other artists. For the first time the main event will be presented in two cities, Limassol and Nicosia, whereas all workshops will take place during the festival’s last day, in Limassol. Once again, SARDAM aims at bringing the audience closer to a more direct, unconventional enjoyment of literature, through innovative and unusual readings that combine literature with other forms of art like video, spoken word-slamming, contemporary dance, voice experimentation, sound/music and so on. This year’s SARDAM, through its two workshops, also aims at offering an interesting perception of writing as a process of erasing, as well as ways of reading and performing poetry.
Sardam 2015
The writer Maria A. Ioannou and the group aRttitude present the third edition of SARDAM: alternative literary readings festival, with readings and workshops by writers from Cyprus and abroad. The main event will be presented in two cities, Limassol and Nicosia, whereas one workshop will take place in Nicosia and two workshops in Limassol. Once again, SARDAM aims at bringing the audience closer to a more direct, unconventional enjoyment of literature, through innovative and unusual readings that combine literature with other forms of art like theatre, technology, Spoken word / Slamming, contemporary dance, music and so on. This year, for the first time, the audience will also enjoy Sound Poetry, as well as a literary technological/interactive installation.
Sardam 2016
Writers from Cyprus and abroad share innovative ways of writing and presenting literature, through enjoyable readings / performances and workshops. A common ground is the emphasis on original writing / live reading techniques and the combination of literature with both contemporary and more traditional ways of artistic expression, like Theatre, Technology, Dance, Music / Sound, Slamming / Spoken Word, Visual Arts and so on. Every festival aims at presenting always something new. Last year, the programme included, among others, an interactive literary installation, as well as Sound Poetry. This year, for the first time, the audience will have the chance to experience the combination of literature and Architecture, Visual Writing, as well as the intermixing of words with wheatpaste and stencil art. This year’s festival also includes selections from the work of two Cypriot Writers (Panos Ioannides, Giorgos Kalozois), as well as a parallel event on the last day of the festival: a one man show by the guest poet-performer Vasilis Amanatides (Greece). This year, the awarded slam poet Sergio Garau (Italy) returns to the festival for an amazing workshop.
Sardam 2017
SARDAM returns for its fifth year, bringing the audience closer to literature, through contemporary ways of writing and performing literature!
Writers-performers from Cyprus and abroad share innovative ways of writing and reading/presenting literature, through enjoyable readings / performances, workshops and parallel events. A common ground is the emphasis on the combination of literature with both contemporary and more traditional ways of artistic expression, like theatre, technology, dance, music / sound, slamming / spoken word, visual arts and so on. Every festival aims at presenting always something new. In its previous editions, the programme included, among others, an interactive literary installation, a combination of literature with architecture, visual writing, poetry through stencil/graffiti art, as well as sound poetry. This year, some of the above elements are preserved, and new combinations are presented. The tribute to a Cypriot writer is continued (an artist presents the work of a writer, without the participation of the actual writer), and so is the parallel event SARDAM SOLO, which presents a literary performance of a longer duration by a guest writer-performer from abroad. This year, one more parallel event is introduced, SARDAM GROUP, during which a production which has been presented abroad, is also presented to Cyprus. This year’s festival also showcases its guest of honour, the amazing writer-performer and sound poet from Hungary Katalin Ladik – Yoko Ono Prize 2016. Katalin Ladik, besides participating in the group readings/performances in Limassol and Nicosia, will also present an innovative live lecture in Limassol, on the last day of the festival.
Sardam 2018
SARDAM festival returns in its sixth edition, including even more events and bringing the audience closer to literature, closer to literary performance and closer to the combination of literature with other arts!
Writers-performers and other artists from Cyprus and abroad will be sharing original experiences of writing, reading, as well as innovative presentations/performances of literature, through a variety of events and workshops. Common ground will be the combination of literature and spoken word with traditional and modern means of expression like theatre, technology, contemporary dance, slamming, visual arts, architecture, sound poetry, visual poetry and so on.
Besides the group events and workshops in Limassol and Nicosia, which have been taking place every year, the festival continues the action SARDAM TRIBUTE, which this year pays tribute to the Cypriot prose writer Ivi Meleagrou (1928-), through the artistic lens of the musician Lefteris Moumtzis. SARDAM SOLO/GROUP as a parallel event during the last day of the festival will continue this year as well, presenting a longer literary performance by international writers-performers. This year’s GUEST OF HONOUR will be the Italian poet-performer and inspirer of the terms “pre-textual poetry” and “epigenetic poetry” Giovanni Fontana (1946-). Moreover, for the first time, this year, a site-specific creative writing workshop on Travel Literature will take place in Paphos. This year’s programme also includes a lecture by the awarded writer and academic Thodoris Rakopoulos.
Sardam 2019
SARDAM festival, recently honoured with the 2019-2020 EFFE Label as one of Europe’s most remarkable festivals, returns in its seventh edition, drawing its audience closer to literature, literary performance and the combination of literature with other arts!
Writer-performers and other artists from Cyprus and abroad will be sharing original writing as well as innovative presentations and performances of literature. The festival events’ common focus is the combination of literature and spoken word with traditional and modern means of expression like theatre, technology, sound/music, visual arts, sound poetry, etc.
Besides the annual group events and workshops taking place in Limassol and Nicosia, this year’s festival will feature the SARDAM TRIBUTE, in which director Maria Kyriakou will present the work of Cypriot prose writer Sofronis Sofroniou. For the first time this year, the festival will host the SARDAM RESIDENCY, a cooperation of the poet-performers Mara Genschel (Germany) and Dovydas Laurinaitis (UK). Visiting Cyprus for the second time, this year’s GUEST OF HONOUR will be the Japanese sound poet Tomomi Adachi, recently honoured with the prestigious award Prix Ars Electronica 2019 for his improvisation skills in the use of technology, music and words. Additionally, this year’s festival will host the awarded Greek prose writer Elena Maroutsou, who will present an exciting creative writing workshop on myth, fairy-tales, flash fiction and bonsai stories. Queer Ink publications will also showcase some of their books at the festival’s book exhibition.
Sardam 2020
SARDAM returns for its fifth year, bringing the audience closer to literature, through contemporary ways of writing and performing literature!
Writers-performers from Cyprus and abroad share innovative ways of writing and reading/presenting literature, through enjoyable readings / performances, workshops and parallel events. A common ground is the emphasis on the combination of literature with both contemporary and more traditional ways of artistic expression, like theatre, technology, dance, music / sound, slamming / spoken word, visual arts and so on. Every festival aims at presenting always something new. In its previous editions, the programme included, among others, an interactive literary installation, a combination of literature with architecture, visual writing, poetry through stencil/graffiti art, as well as sound poetry. This year, some of the above elements are preserved, and new combinations are presented. The tribute to a Cypriot writer is continued (an artist presents the work of a writer, without the participation of the actual writer), and so is the parallel event SARDAM SOLO, which presents a literary performance of a longer duration by a guest writer-performer from abroad. This year, one more parallel event is introduced, SARDAM GROUP, during which a production which has been presented abroad, is also presented to Cyprus. This year’s festival also showcases its guest of honour, the amazing writer-performer and sound poet from Hungary Katalin Ladik – Yoko Ono Prize 2016. Katalin Ladik, besides participating in the group readings/performances in Limassol and Nicosia, will also present an innovative live lecture in Limassol, on the last day of the festival.
Sardam 2021
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SARDAM returns for its fifth year, bringing the audience closer to literature, through contemporary ways of writing and performing literature!
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SARDAM festival returns in its ninth edition. Writers-performers and other artists from Cyprus and abroad will be sharing original experiences of writing, reading, as well as innovative presentations/performances of literature, through a variety of events and workshops. Common ground will be the combination of literature and spoken word with traditional and modern means of expression like theatre, technology, slamming, visual arts, sound poetry, and so on.
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This year’s SARDAM, due to Covid-19, will combine live readings/performances with pre-recorded acts. The workshops of the festival will be live and not online like last year, following all necessary safety measures against Covid-19. A safe pass and a mask will be required.
Sardam 2022
10-year anniversary special edition
This year’s SARDAM festival celebrates 10 years of presence and literary performance! This fascinating celebratory edition of the festival hosts important guests from previous editions (Katalin Ladik – Yoko Ono Prize 2016, Tomomi Adachi – Prix Ars Electronica 2019, and others), as well as some new additions to the festival like Narcisse (Champion of the Poetry Slam of France in 2013 and the Poetry Slam of Cyprus in 2018), Adonis Volanakis (participation in Documenta14 in 2017) and others. Due to the festival’s 10-year anniversary, the Main Event of the festival will be showcased at Rialto theatre for the first time, on the 24th of September! Like every year, writers-performers and other artists from Cyprus and abroad will be sharing original experiences of writing, reading, as well as exciting literary performances, through a variety of acts, workshops and parallel events. Common ground will be the combination of literature and words with traditional and modern means of expression like theatre, technology, sound / music, spoken word, visual arts, sound poetry, videopoetry, and so on.
