David Pammenter, Citizen artist, Theatre maker, Cultural activist, Pedagogue and Academic
Principal Lecturer, Faculty of  Arts, University of Winchester( Retired), UK

(Introductory speech on the Celebration of 10 years of the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network -TENet-Gr at the 6th Athens International Theatre/Drama & Education Conference 2008)

Thank you for giving me the time and the opportunity to speak to you at this time of celebration of the ten years of real achievement by Hellenic Theatre/Drama and Education Network (TENet). We meet at a time of great change and transformation I would like to begin by reading you a poem born from an earlier time. It was written by Bertolt Brecht about the period of time shortly before he had to leave Germany as number 6 on the death list of Adolph Hitler's  Third Reich.
It's title: To Those Born Later

Γιώργος Μπινιάρης
Σε ρυθμό ελληνικό*
"Ο τόπος γεμάτος υπόγεια ρεύματα, γεμάτος ήχους. Η γλώσσα γεμάτη μνήμες και ρυθμούς. Και ο λόγος των ποιητών παρήγορος. Ο «Ερωτόκριτος» του Κορνάρου στα χωριά της Χίου, «Των ερώτων τα θαύματα» στην αυλή του παλιού Πανεπιστημίου στην Πλάκα, στο Μουσείο και την Πινακοθήκη της Σπάρτης, στο Κάστρο της Ακροναυπλίας. «Η σονάτα του σεληνόφωτος» του Ρίτσου στο Μιστρά και τη Μονεμβασιά. «Τα ρόδα της αυγής» του Παπαδιαμάντη στη Χίο και τη Λήμνο. Συναντήσεις με μαθητές και με δασκάλους μέσα από τα χορικά του Σοφοκλή και του Αριστοφάνη στις Σπέτσες και αλλού.
Οι πόλεις στέκουν εκεί σαν τις παλιές αρχόντισσες: Θεσσαλονίκη, Ξάνθη, Καστοριά, Σπάρτη, Ναύπλιο, Μυτιλήνη. Και οι νέοι των πόλεων, όταν βραδιάζει, ξεχύνονται στις προκυμαίες και τις πλατείες, πλήρεις ρίγους ερωτικού. Χιλιάδες φωνές, μυριάδες βλέμματα, δάκρυα και χαμόγελα παντού..."
* Στη Σμαρώ, τη Μαργαρίτα, τη Ντίνα, τη Γεωργία και το Νίκο

ΣΕΞΤΟΥ Περσεφόνη
Για τα γενέθλια σου...
"Το Πανελλήνιο Δίκτυο για το Θέατρο στην Εκπαίδευση έχει αποδείξει μέσα στα 10 αυτά χρόνια ότι το Θέατρο μπορεί να ξυπνάει συνειδήσεις, να ταρακουνάει τα λιμνασμένα ύδατα και να άρει τα στερεότυπα και τις προκαταλήψεις. Το έχει καταφέρει μέσα από συνδιασκέψεις, ημερίδες, σεμινάρια και έντυπα που ενώνουν και συμφιλιώνουν εκπαιδευτικούς και καλλιτέχνες του θεάτρου από διάφορες χώρες, από διάφορα ειδικά γνωστικά πεδία, με διαφορετικές προσεγγίσεις και εμπειρίες. Η ξενοφοβία καταργείται. Η συνεργασία καλλιεργείται.

.

ASHWELL Marigold Arts Consultant (Drama), UK
"It has been such a privilege to work with the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network since soon after the first members gathered in 1998. You have achieved so much - your regular courses and seminars, your much loved summer schools, the visits and exchanges and of course the excellent conferences have impacted on the lives of many of us. Most important you have really nurtured teachers and other practitioners so that they can bring drama to the lives of young people in so many different contexts. So much of this has been achieved in your own time well beyond your normal work and you give that time generously and endlessly with a total commitment to bringing the drama and all of the arts right to the heart of education. Thank you and many, many congratulations."

ΜΠΑΚΟΝΙΚΟΛΑ Χαρά, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Θεατρικών Σπουδών, Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
"Εδώ και μερικά χρόνια, ο Νίκος Γκόβας, εμπνευστής και πρωταγωνιστής ενός πολυεπίπεδου προγράμματος για το θέατρο στην εκπαίδευση, έριξε μια γέφυρα προς το τμήμα Θεατρικών Σπουδών του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών΄  την πρόταση να θητεύσουν οι φοιτητές του τμήματος σε σχολεία, ως βοηθοί και συνεργάτες των καθηγητών που διδάσκουν Θεατρική Αγωγή. Επρόκειτο για ένα είδος πρακτικής άσκησης η οποία, τελικά, υπήρξε όχι μόνο γόνιμη για τα νέα παιδιά, αλλά και ωφέλιμη για τα σχολεία στα οποία φιλοξενήθηκαν. Τα συμπεράσματα, λοιπόν, ήταν εκατέρωθεν θετικότατα.
Σήμερα, γίνονται όλο και περισσότερες προσπάθειες για να ενισχυθεί η θεατρική παιδεία, να βελτιωθεί η ποιότητα των ποικίλων σχέσεων ανάμεσα στο σχολείο και το θέατρο, και να αποκτήσει η κοινότητα των νεαρών θεατρολόγων μια στέρεη ταυτότητα στο χώρο της εκπαίδευσης. Πολύ θα ευχόμουν να δούμε κάποτε και τις προσπάθειες της Πολιτείας προς αυτήν την κατεύθυνση..."

ΚΑΚΟΥΔΑΚΗ Τζωρτζίνα, ηθοποιός, θεατρολόγος
"Τι κάνει το Πανελλήνιο Δϊκτυο για το Θέατρο στην Εκπαίδευση; Δίνει βήμα.
Έπιτρέπει πολλές διαφορετικές φωνές, με αφορμή το θέατρο στην εκπαίδευση, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα, φωνές που ακούγονται μέσα από την χαοτική αφάνεια της ανοργάνωτης πολιτείας μας και υπενθυμίζουν ότι κάπου πάντα γίνεται κάτι και κάτι πάντα προκαλεί κάτι ακόμα.
Αυτή η συστηματική καλλιέργεια της αισιοδοξίας είναι νομίζω η πιο δυναμική διεκδίκηση που μπορεί να έχει μια ομάδα πολιτων για το κοινό μελλον."

Αντιγόνη Παρούση, Τμήμα Εκπαίδευση & Αγωγής στην Προσχολική Ηλικία, Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
"Είναι όμορφο να ονειρεύεσαι και από το τίποτα να δημιουργείς. Το Δίκτυο για το Θέατρο στην Εκπαίδευση ξεκίνησε σαν όνειρο από λίγους και έγινε πραγματικότητα για πολλούς.
Μια ευχή: Ας κρατήσουμε στέρεα και δημιουργική αυτή την πραγματικότητα που τώρα πια είναι δική μας."

BARON-COHEN Dan, President of the International Drama/Theatre & Education Association (IDEA), Chair of the World Alliance for Arts Education, member of the International Committee of the World Social Forum
"I was deeply inspired by my first experience of your Athens conference in 2006 which spanned a three-day pre-congress master-class, contemporary local and international panels, diverse practical workshops, passionate debates about educational policy, and so many warm and engaged conversations about the drama of 21^st Century education! The Hellenic Network has grown to become one of IDEA's most innovative and effective national associations. It stands out for its dual respect for pioneering and emerging scholars, practitioners and activists, and its rare commitment to a generous but rigorous social responsibility. I'm sure this 10th anniversary marks the first of many decades of exemplary organization, visionary hope and international collaboration. A warm congratulations to you all in the Hellenic Theatre/Drama Education Network!"

Mario Gallo, TEATRO ricerche, Italy

"My collaboration with Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network first started in 2001, at the 2nd International Theatre and Drama Education Conference: an extraordinary human and professional experience… Nowadays this collaboration continues to be alive, with the enthusiasm of Nikos and his colleagues that every year work hard to reach a useful aim to leave us a legacy for the new generations: the democratic dialogue among cultural diversities all over the world, the human and professional growth of the different people that work in the field of education and art. All this is huge work, and useful for everyone that has difficulty in defending the main values of life (respect, listening to others, right to knowledge) from the constant political, social and cultural decay, that risks suppressing the freedom of expression of young people.
Thanks for your work … with deep respect"

COPELIOVITCH Andrea, PhD, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
"I got acquainted with TENet-Gr in 2002, in Exeter. This year it’s going to be the 3rd Conference I’m attending, I think Nikos and the other members are real warriors for they have started all this movement with their desire to improve their tools in Drama Education, and suddenly they have hosted five huge international conferences, all sorts of publication, summer courses, etc – TENet-Gr has become a cultural movement, real, accessible to all the people involved with Art and/or Education and I believe it's bringing life to Greek Theatre. It’s great to have seen it growing and to be a small part of it."

Sanja Krsmanovic-Tasic actress, pedagogue, program director DAH Theatre Research Centre, Serbia

"Dear friends from HELLENIC THEATRE/DRAMA & EDUCATION NETWORK, 10 years is an important anniversary for any organization, for your organization especially, as it was crowned with 5 fantastic international events and so much other important work. My very first impression was the feeling of liveliness and commitment, of life itself, when I participated on the Conference two years ago. I met professionals with fire in their eyes, still in quest for a better world. In the beautiful mellow Spring of Athens, I encountered 400 eager teachers and pedagogues from all over Greece, even from remote islands, who have come to improve their skills and become even better in working with the most precious beings in this world: children. There was a lot of spirit and optimism in the air, even when disscusing harsh subjects or presenting problems, local or international. This feeling of hope, of "Yes it is possible to make the world a better place!", of solidarity and high professionalism is something I carried with me from the Athens Conference in 2006. It is something that made me switch from "flirting" with IDEA in our country, Sebia, into being in a committed relationship and love with IDEA, becoming one of the core persons of our organization. So thank you Nikos Govas, and all the wonderful people from the Greek IDEA, thank you for making this work true and happening, for all of us, for the children, for the world.
With respect and deep affection."

O' TOOLE John, Professor, Chair of Arts Education Artistic and Creative Education The University of Melbourne, Australia

"Although this is my first direct encounter with the Network, I feel great kinship between Australia and Greece. Like us you started with no establishment, little support but enormous positive energy and a unified vision, I think. You didn't wait for drama to be made easy in the education systems (a wait for ever), but came out scavenging, and found the best people to bring over and have also got your own events and conferences and workshops going. Like us, you seized the opportunity to join what is now a vibrant and robust international drama education community (and you didn't let yourselves get sucked into phantom conflicts and territorial wars). I can't wait to come to Athens"

Θόδωρος Γραμματάς, καθ. Θεατρολογίας, Διευθυντής Εργαστηρίου Τέχνης και Λόγου, ΠΤΔΕ Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών

«Ήταν, ίσως, ένα όνειρο κάποιων ευφάνταστων εκπαιδευτικών με καλλιτεχνικές ανησυχίες και παιδαγωγικά ενδιαφέροντα, που πίστευαν στη μορφοπαιδευτική αποστολή του θεάτρου και τον ανανεωτικό ρόλο που μπορεί να διαδραματίσει στην εκπαίδευση. Έγινε πραγματικότητα κι αγκαλιάστηκε με ενθουσιασμό από τους μαχόμενους εκπαιδευτικούς, που συμπαρασύρθηκαν από τις προκλήσεις και συστρατεύτηκαν στον αγώνα για την εφαρμογή της επαναστατικής πνοής που φέρνει το θέατρο στο σχολείο. Συγχαρητήρια στους εμπνευστές και πρωτεργάτες του «Δικτύου» και κουράγιο για εξακολούθηση της προσπάθειάς τους»

Marcos Martinez, Professor of Theatre, Chair, Visual and Performing Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, California State University San Marcos, USA

«Ιt has been an honor to be a part of this organization's growth and witness something historical develop. I have made many good friends as a result of attending this conference and meeting people through the conference. I recently (Summer 2007) hosted two Greek theatre artists here in San Marcos, California. They worked with students here and we had a well attended public performance. We have been able to exchanged theatre techniques (Suzuki Method of Actor Training/Approaches to Ancient Greek Theatre) and it is clear that people in both countries are benefiting from the work of the conference and its organizers. Thank you for all the work you have done and continue to do. It is quite extensive, important, and historical work. These exchanges and workshops have been invaluable, thank you.
Best wishes» 

Patrice Baldwin, Chair, National Drama, UK

"National Drama (ND) is pleased to work in partnership with the Hellenic Theatre/ Drama &Education Network. Jenny Karaviti has come to National Drama Conferences in the United Kingdom and the Chair, Patrice Baldwin has worked in Thessaloniki in Autumn 2007. Several National Drama members will be running workshops and master classes in Athens in March 2008. The associations have worked well together also as members of IDEA Europe and look forward to working together in the future and making the partnership a continuous and strong one. It is hoped that the associations will work together soon on a 3 year youth project for young migrants that is being planned with several European countries."

 

John Somers, Honorary Fellow, Department of Drama, Exeter University, UK

"I have watched with great interest and excitement as the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network has grown in confidence, strength and influence. It has been a great privilege to work with its members as I am always sure they will give of their best. One of the most impressive aspects is the involvement of young professionals who are given huge responsibility and seem to respond magnificently. The leadership is exemplary and there is always a willingness to look outside Greece for inspiration. The regular courses, workshops, seminars and summer schools ensure that there is always activity.
Congratulations on a magnificent achievement."

 

Larry O'Farrell, Professor and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Learning, Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Canada

«My warmest congratulations to the Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. I was President of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association when the Network was admitted as a member. I remember how pleased I was that your country, with such a rich history in both theatre and education, should be represented in our global organization. In the decade since it was founded, the Network has evolved into an exemplary national association, hosting an important annual conference along with a wide range of workshops, seminars and publications. This is an accomplishment worthy of joyful celebration.»