How have EU values shaped Cyprus?
Source: Cyprus Mail
As Cyprus reaches 20 years of EU membership, the event Are We European Now? invites the public to reflect on what Europeanness means today, beyond policy and symbolism, and within the realities of daily life. Over two days, ABR (Alternative Brains Rule) under the project EUnity20 brings together artists, researchers, activists and citizens in a programme that pulls together public discussions, performances, screenings and participatory workshops.
Taking place at ARTos House, Nicosia on Friday and Saturday, the event opens a space for honest questioning: How have EU values shaped Cyprus? Where are they still absent? And what kind of future do people on the island want to build?
At its core, are four discussions exploring environmental protection and democratic participation, equality, sex education, LGBTQI+ rights, borders, fear, belonging and civic voice, protest rights and youth engagement.
All panels are facilitated by journalist and podcaster Eleni Antoniou. The first discussion, with Klitos Papastylianou and Andromachi Sofokleous, is titled Whose Land, Whose Voice? This panel focuses on Cyprus’ environmental challenges, from Natura 2000 to democratic participation in land-use decisions.
The second discussion, with Costas Gavrilides and Maria Epaminonda, is titled Bodies, Beliefs, and Who Decides and places the spotlight on how cultural conservatism shapes bodily autonomy, identity and equality despite EU frameworks.
Fortress or Home is the title of discussion three, where Giorgos Charalambous and Nicos Trimikliniotis examine migration, identity and Cyprus’ shifting relationship with the European project. The final discussion is titled Permission to Speak and Giorgos Koukoumas and Christiana Xenophontos will look at political participation, protest regulations and why young people feel increasingly unheard.
These conversations are supported by performances, exhibitions and hands-on workshops, including sessions where participants create postcards and letters addressed to the EU and the Cyprus Parliament, alongside artistic activations throughout Saturday.
A key participatory element is The Box of Full-Filling, a workshop by Nurtane Karagil that gathers personal statements, slogans and found objects into a collective snapshot of lived experience.
The event opens on Friday evening with screenings, performances and an introduction to the Visual Voices exhibition. Part of the art collective’s Relate series, it showcases artists with migrant backgrounds and sets the tone for a weekend where artistic expression and public dialogue meet to examine Cyprus’ evolving relationship with the European project.
Are We European Now? 20 Years Later
2-day programme of art, dialogue, and collective exploration marking 20 years since Cyprus joined the EU. December 19-20. ARTos House, Nicosia. 6pm. Greek (with English translation & Greek Cypriot Sign Language interpretation). Facebook event: Are We European Now? 20 Years Later
The original article: belongs to Cyprus Mail .
