The Cyprus Choreography Platform was organised for the first time in 2001, further to the initiative of the Culture Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, and took place at the Falcon School Theatre in Nicosia under the title “Dance Encounters”.
Since 2002, the Platform has been taking place at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol, which became along with the Cultural Services, the co-organiser of this annual institution of the Deputy Ministry of Culture.
The CCP has always aimed at supporting, developing and showcasing new choreographies and contemporary dance artists in Cyprus, as well as at promoting their work in international festivals and events.
In the course of time, the Platform evolved and became enhanced with parallel events, introduced in 2007, also establishing a collaboration with Limassol Municipality. In 2008, the 1st Dance Throughout the Year edition was organised by Dance House Lemesos, which continues to this date to host this annual event, enriching the programme as an invaluable partner.
Cyprus Film Days International Festival is an annual institution of the Deputy Ministry of Culture organised by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture in collaboration with the Rialto Theatre. It has been established as the most successful fiction feature film festival, introducing international independent cinema to the Cypriot audience.
The Festival aims at promoting the international and Cypriot film production, to support and showcase the work of independent filmmakers, to put new talents to the spotlight, as well as to become a hub for the three surrounding continents.
The Festival’s Artistic Directors select the films and establish the programme of screenings and parallel events. An international jury, consisting of high-calibre personalities of the film industry, decides upon the awards (Best Film, Special Jury, Best Director etc.) in the ‘Glocal Images’ competition section. Also, the audience has the opportunity to vote for the best film. In addition to the ‘Glocal Images’ section, ‘Viewfinder – A close-up of contemporary cinema’ presents films that have already received awards during the past festival year. All films in the two main sections are Cyprus premieres.
Click here for the website of Cyprus Film Days International Festival
One of the greatest and most important contemporary dance events takes place at the Rialto Theatre every June.
Contemporary dance enthusiasts have a unique opportunity to discover a series of fascinating performances from different countries, which reflect diverse contemporary dance trends, schools and movements, thus building bridges between Cyprus and the world.
A very important international dance meeting with the participation of many European countries. A dance panorama presenting contemporary dance trends.
The Festival, which has already been established in the European dance scene, attracts the interest of various countries hence the large number of participations.
Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival is an institutional event of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, organized by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre in collaboration with the embassies and the cultural centres of the participating countries.
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In 2006 the Rialto Theatre took its first timid steps to organise a series of events dedicated to diversity and tolerance. The colourful world of the Ethnic Festival has always been an encounter of sounds and bands from different countries.
Virtuoso instrumentalists from the international music scene meet together, search, and adopt influences and trends, creating performances that exceed the borders of all kinds.
Click here for the website of the Cyprus Rialto World Music Festival
The International Short Film Festival of Cyprus which acquired an international character in 2011 and became an annual institutional event of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, is the official short film festival of Cyprus, organised by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture in collaboration with the Rialto Theatre.
Its main objective is to promote the art of cinema by presenting a diverse selection of short films from Cyprus and the world. The ISFFC introduces the work of talented directors who successfully use creative cinematic idioms to narrate a story through a short film.
An International Jury awards the best films in the national and international sections, while the Festival’s Artistic Directors select and invite the films. Fiction, documentaries, experimental, student and animation short films are eligible to participate in the Festival’s competition section.
In addition to the national and international sections, the Festival includes events, film workshops and parallel programmes with Cypriot and international filmmakers.
Click here for the website of the International Short Film Festival of Cyprus
The Cyprus Jazz & World Music Showcase, which takes place at the Rialto Theatre, presents a comprehensive image of the local contemporary music creation. It is an institutional event of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, organised by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre. The primary objective of the Showcase is to present, encourage and introduce to the audience of Cyprus and to international film professionals the work of local and non-local composers and musicians who deal with improvisational music. In order to secure this objective, prominent personalities from the international music scene such as international festival organisers, producers and representatives with whom the Cyprus Music Information Centre and the Rialto Theatre collaborate, are invited to attend the Showcase every year.
Workshops and discussions with international guests enhance the artists’ information and education, as well as that of local institutions dealing with the island’s cultural development in terms of more innovative music production methods and music promotion on an international level. Another important objective of the Showcase is to ensure music networking both in Cyprus and abroad. Within this context, the event provides an additional incentive to Cypriot artists, since it offers to all participants the opportunity to establish collaborations between them, as well as to create synergies with artists from other countries.
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Cyprus Choreography Showcase (SΧΚ) takes place every two years at the Rialto Theatre and aims at showcasing the work of local choreographers abroad, as well as at creating greater visibility for the Cypriot contemporary cultural production. The SXK has become an institutional event that presents selected choreographic pieces, conceived and created in Cyprus over the past two years. More specifically, the SXK offers the opportunity to Cyprus-based choreographers to present their works, within an organised context, to artistic directors and international contemporary dance festival representatives, thus fostering collaborations with global dance networks. In this way, the Showcase enhances the choreographers’ efforts for international promotion and presentation of their works abroad. At the same time, the SXK offers the chance to the local audience to re-watch some of the most memorable choreographic productions.
The SXK is an institutional event of the Deputy Ministry of Culture co-organised by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Culture and the Rialto Theatre. Cypriot choreographers or permanent residents of Cyprus living and working on the island during the past five years have the right to participate in the SXK. A special Committee is responsible for selecting the choreographic works. After examining and evaluating the submitted proposals over a period of two years, the Committee proposes the projects that participate in each SXK edition.
Click here for the Facebook page of the Cyprus Choreography Showcase
