Title: In Memory of Spyridon Peresiadis
Date: 6th of September 2025
Place: Mesorrougi Village, Achaia, Greece
PROGRAMME
08:00–10:00 Divine Liturgy
10:30–10:35 Greetings
10:35–11:00 Artistic Intervention
11:00–11:30 “Spyridon Peresiadis” Awards Ceremony 2025
11:30–12:00 Readings
12:00–12:30 Traditional Dances
12:30–13:00 Refreshments – Visit to the House of Peresiadis
14:00–15:00 Local Tasting
“SPYRIDON PERESIADIS” PLAYWRITING AWARDS 2025
This year, and for the very first time, the “Spyridon Peresiadis” Playwriting Awards 2025 will be presented. They are the outcome of the nationwide playwriting competition, aiming to highlight contemporary dramaturgy while connecting it with the legacy of the Mesorrugi-born playwright.
OTHER EVENTS
In the spirit of promoting and strengthening themes of inclusion, the Golfo Festival invited Georgia Louzi-Roukoutaki, Secretary General of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece and Head of the institution’s Theatre Group, to read (braille) a monologue from Golfo.
Nikos Gravánis, an amateur actor from Akrata who continues the tradition of community-based artistic creation—a pursuit in which Spyridon Peresiadis himself actively engaged since the late 19th century—reads the famous curse of Thanasoulas to his son Tasos, from Golfo.
Zanna Kallipoliti, great-granddaughter of Spyridon Peresiadis, reads the poem To My Mother, written by the author on the occasion of his mother’s death.
Panagiotis Koumpouras, philologist and poet, presents biographical details of the honored playwright.
Eirini Pagoni, visual artist, presents an ephemeral art installation titled The Thread Through Time.
Eirini, notes about her artwork: "Geometric Art was named after the geometrically stylized designs with which the ancient Greeks decorated temples, pottery, textiles, and more. My work is inspired by history and ancient Greek culture, but also by the traditions of the avant-garde. It alludes to Bauhaus and Russian Constructivism, while simultaneously referencing knitting — a traditional female practice.
I design my abstract geometric compositions using fibers, velvet, leather, and metal, with aluminum —my primary material— representing light in contrast to darkness; it is our mirror; it is the fragile metal-symbol of our time: shiny, ephemeral, reflective of consumerism, in contrast to the Antiquity of stone and bronze.
This particular work draws on the ready-made, a contemporary artistic trend that connects the old with the modern. The woven piece from my grandmother, Eirini, embraces my metallic construction and experiences a second life."
 | Panagiotis Koumbouras - Philologist, Poet Panagiotis Koumbouras was born in Konitsa, Ioannina (1953). He is a poet, a retired educator, and a philologist. He resides permanently in Akrata, Aigialeia, where he is actively involved in amateur theater as both an actor and director. His poems have been published in literary magazines and anthologies in Greece, Cyprus, and other countries. He has received awards and distinctions for his poetry and his educational work. His poetry collections include:
|
 | Nikos Gravanis Nikos Gravanis, an amateur actor from Akrata, who continues the tradition of amateur theatrical creation—a pursuit in which Spyridon Peresiadis himself took a leading role as early as the late 19th century—reads from play Golfo the famous curse of Thanasoulas upon his son, Tasos. |
 | Zanna Kallipoliti - Actress Zanna (Ioanna) Kallipoliti, great-granddaughter of the playwright Spyridon Peresiadis, studied Early Childhood Education and Public Administration at Panteion University. She has been involved in theater since 2012, performing with the municipal theater groups of Vrilissia and Marousi. In recent years, she has been a member of the theater troupe “Art and Action”, participating in numerous plays, such as: The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, Molotov Cocktail by Neil Simon, Romeo and Juliet by Bost, The Suicide by Nikolai Erdman, Lysistrata by Aristophanes, The Imaginary Invalid by Molière, Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, Our Great Circus by Iakovos Kampanellis, Hoist the Anchors by Thanasis Papathanasiou and Michalis Reppas, Our Town by Thornton Wilder, among others. She has also occasionally appeared in television series. |
 | Georgia Louzi - Roukoutaki - Actress Blind since birth. A graduate of the Department of Political Science at the Athens Law School. She was appointed to the Public Power Corporation (D.E.H.), where she worked for 15 years as a telephone operator. Her involvement with the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece began in the 1980s, initially as a beneficiary participating in various departments. During this time, she was awarded by the organization for her speed in reading Braille texts. Since 2007, she has been a member and representative of the Lighthouse’s Theater Group, taking on leading roles in plays such as The Jewish Wife by Brecht, Filumena Marturano by Eduardo De Filippo, and The Ghost of Marseilles by Jean Cocteau, among others. She also actively participates in the organization’s Knitting Workshop, generously sharing her knowledge. In 2008, she was honored as a “Blind Mother Role Model,” and in 2025 she was recognized by the Women’s Union of Western Crete “I Vritomartis” as an inspiring example of a woman and mother with a remarkable life journey. Since 2013, she has continuously held an administrative position on the Board of Directors of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece. |
 | Eirini Pagoni - Visual Artist Eirini Pagoni was born in Aigeira, Achaia, Greece. She studied Fine Arts at New York University (USA), under Theodoros Pantos. She also studied costume design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and at ESMOD - School of Fashion Design in Paris. At the same time, she pursued theater studies out of a keen interest in theatrical expression. Eirini is a multifaceted personality who moves comfortably across various artistic fields, earning awards and distinctions in both Greece and abroad. Her work has been presented in solo and group exhibitions, and her pieces are part of numerous private collections. |
