POLYPHONICA was established in 2011 as a non-profit company with cultural and social objectives. It strives to provide children and youths from underprivileged backgrounds (regardless of their place-of-origin, their religion or their language) with the opportunity to participate in a community that offers them a chance to learn and create.
POLYPHONICA is an organization devoted to music, the fine arts, and literature, whose broad goal is to encourage children and youth to develop their potential by acquiring self-confidence and self-respect, qualities essencial for their development as responsible people and citizens in society.
POLYPHONICA’s first project was the creation of a cross-cultural youth choir, the POLYPHONICA VOICES, in which young people learn to sing in a correct and safe manner, in order to communicate and to cooperate. Teachers of this group are the experienced musicians Mariza Vamvoukli, Elsa Kundig and Myrto Tikov. Registrar fir the Choir is Elli Kosteletou. The choir has been designed for young people between the ages of 7 and 15.
In March of 2014 POLYPHONICA organized a percussion workshop, including mainly African drums, the POLYPHONICA DRUMS TEAM. This workshop has been designed for young people between the ages of 8 and 15, who come in contact with the music and the rhythms of international ethnic tradition. This section is under the direction of musician and teacher Giorgos Fasolis, assisted by Michalis Afolanio. In 2017 this workshop was enriched with African Dances thus creating the DANCE & DRUMS CONNECTION group (see below).
In October 2015 POLYPHONICA initiated a dance class, the POLYPHONICA DANCE, for ages 8-16. Body movements, theatrical games, patterns which provide confidence, improvisation, openness and group interaction would help youngsters gain coordination, fluidity, reflexes, precision, awareness of their actions in space and time. The teachers working with the young group are Candy Carra and Maria Foundouli, dancers/choreographers/movement specialists/teachers and the advanced group Yiannis Nikolaidis, dancer/choreographer/teacher.
POLYPHONICA AEGEAN, created In November 2016, is based on the island of Mytilene and is addressed to local, immigrant and refugee children. Two children’s choruses have been created, one in the city of Mytilene and the other in the village of Moria. POLYPHONICA AEGEAN is functioning under the guidance of musician/ teacher Mariza Vamvoukli, assisted by Giorgos Gergos.
In October 2017 POLYPHONICA created POLYPHONICA UKU TEAM, a ukulele workshop addressed mainly to the children of the choir, under the guidance of musician Elli Kosteletou.
In October 2017 POLYPHONICA intiated the class DANCE & DRUMS CONNECTION with dancer Anna Karamitsou and percussionist Antonis Papadopoulos. In this workshop, which tries to connect African dance and precussion all participants alternate in playing djembe drums and dancing and create their own choreographies, which they present to the puplic in open rehearsals or small performances.
In November 2017 with the new workshop POLYPHONICact children are initiated in acting/theatrical activities. This workshop was created in collaboration of the well-known THEATRO PORTA with the initiative of scenographer/writer/director Paris Mexis (member of POLYPHONICA'S Board). The program is run by Sofia Paschou of the THEATRO PORTA and teachers alternate, in order to give the chidren the opportunuty to get acquanted with all theatrical parameters.
Since October 2018 and in collaboration with ACTIONAID HELLAS two choirs have been created - children and adults - with teachers Elsa Kuntig and Elli Kosteletou. Rehearsals are held at Epikentro /ActionAid (Colonos), which is a support center for our fellow citizens who face financial problems and social exclusion.
Participation in the musical activities of POLYPHONICA is free-of-charge for the underpriviledged children. POLYPHONICA is supported by sponsorships and donations, an association of “Friends” and by volunteers.
POLYPHONICA is run by the General Assembly of its Founding Members and a seven-member Board of Directors.