The time is ripe
Clearly, this step toward renewal could not have been undertaken had the circumstances not been favorable, as they happen to be now – by a fluke. Firstly, Giorgos Loukos, a Greek of the diaspora, is highly successful in his field abroad, stays abreast of international artistic events and is in a position not only to select interesting events for the festival but knows what is required before these can be registered on the international cultural network, from which they are entirely absent. Secondly, as he is not bound by other interests or commitments, he can go ahead and break with vested interests, something that no other Hellenic Festival director has dared to do until now. Thirdly, the prime minister, who chose Loukos personally for the post, has provided and will continue to provide him with full support in order to effect a break with the past. This is the lucky combination of circumstances that has given the two most important Greek festivals an opportunity to eliminate elements of provinciality, improve their present plight, broaden their horizons and welcome in the new century. It should be added here that when Loukos discovered that the Greek Festival had run up a debt of 6.5 million euros with last year’s festival, the government decided to settle the issue with the personal intervention of the prime minister.
