Ten years of “Routes”
Text: Avgi Kalogianni | Photos: Routes in Marpissa
Come, walk… and celebrate with us in Marpissa!
In Paros the word Routes means “Routes in Marpissa”. If you are from Marpissa you know the first name of everybody involved in this renowned festival. However, if you read articles or interviews with the mass or social media you won’t find even a single name. Here the ‘I” has given way to the “We”: the volunteer group of the Routes.
The Routes sprinted at full speed in the past ten years! With the interesting and imaginative events, they’ve organized they have managed not only to attract attention to Marpissa and the nearby beauties but also to win numerous distinctions.
Every year “The Routes” have something new in store. Two things stay the same: the marvelous graphics and the traditional revelry with Kiriaki Spanou and Nikos Economides at the finale of the festival!
On the occasion of the Festival’s tenth anniversary, the Volunteer Group told us about its own Route: “We wanted the Festival to be an incentive for people to come and walk in Marpissa, to discover every corner. We also wanted to create the conditions which would urge the Parians to take a fresh look at their island and come in contact with the questions of viable development in a direct and experiential way.
Our goal was to give emphasis to the rich cultural heritage of Paros, by means of a contemporary artistic approach. Thus, in May 2010 an initially small group of volunteers took the decision to organize an experiential, cultural festival.
During these ten years we gained a thorough knowledge of the history of our place and created new bonds with the locals. As we see the village children growing up and taking part in the volunteer group we feel that we have sown a small seed for the values of volunteering in the coming generation.
In the “Routes”, besides the feeling of creating something beautiful along with friends we have also experienced strong emotions and our work has met with enthusiasm and positive comments by both visitors and the participating artists.
Anyway, we’ll never forget the surprise, love, emotion and gratitude expressed by the older inhabitants of Marpissa in the first year, as after many decades they saw the village bursting with joy, laughs and music!”.
This year’s “Routes in Marpissa” organise a three-day celebration with many surprises in the centre of the Aegean Sea. Having as a point of reference the team’s archive on the cultural heritage of Paros and being inspired by the joyful and moving moments shared with volunteers, residents, artists and visitors over the years, a long festive table will be set and we are all invited.
Summer 2019
More info HERE.
