The Greek Festival of Sydney - Perspectives Past, Present and Future

The Greek Festival of Sydney was established in 1980 by the Greek Community Council, a body representing all the major Greek organisations of the time. In a climate sympathetic to multiculturalism, it arose out of the Greek Community's need to express and to maintain cultural and artistic practices. The festival sought to do this through a variety of cultural events such as theatrical performances, concerts, lectures, film screenings etc, aiming to promote Greek culture not just within the Greek Community but also within the broader context of the Australian community. For the first 6 years of its existence the Festival came under the umbrella of the Carnivale and like the latter, in its early years, it tended to be somewhat "folkloric" in nature, show-casing traditional aspects of Greek culture while at the same time attempting to grapple with contemporary issues such as "Cultural Conflict of Greek Youth in Australia".
(Sixth Greek Festival 1985)

In 1986 the Greek Festival ended its association with the Carnivale and after a few years in recess it forged new links with the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW - an association that continues to the present day. The Greek Orthodox Community is one of Australia's oldest organisations representing Greek migrants. Apart from operating churches, afternoon Greek schools, kindergartens and a hostel for the aged, it provides a wide range of migrant related social services. In more recent times, it has taken on board the need to meet its members' cultural and artistic aspirations. With this change came a shift in emphasis and content. While in the past much of the content had been provided by the Greek government, hence forth the focus was to be on promoting and supporting cultural initiatives not only of Greek/Australians of NSW but of all Australia. An established event in the multicultural arts calendar of Sydney, the Festival is now preparing to enter its 20th year.

Since coming under the umbrella of the Greek Orthodox Community, the Festival has undergone major changes. Firstly the number and diversity of events has increased significantly. This has been matched by a growth in attendance - over 180,000 people last year representing a three fold increase in the last four years. With the emergence of second and third generation Greek/Australians has come the need to create hybrid cultural expressions, which draw their inspiration not only from the shared migrant experience of previous generations but also from a sense of identity which incorporates Greek roots with contemporary Australian experiences. Increasingly, Greek-Australians are looking outward rather than inward - confidently if self-consciously acknowledging that they are part of the diaspora while attempting to distill the essence of their Greekness in an Australian context. The Greek Festival has played a key role in providing a forum for show-casing these cultural expressions and aspirations. This year's events cover the full spectrum of artistic expressions - theatrical performances, concerts, art exhibitions, film screenings as well as lectures, presentation of awards, workshops and of course the annual street fair.

Having looked at the genesis and evolution of the Greek Festival, it is pertinent to reflect - where to from here? In the first instance it is essential that it maintain a balance between on the one hand its credibility as a premier cultural and artistic event and on the other hand its role as a conduct for the tangible fruits of multiculturalism - in recent times, a policy under siege. As the prestige of the event grows, it is attracting more and more the attention of Greek and mainstream academics and artists. Nevertheless, it is of paramount importance that the Festival provides the opportunity to showcase the artistic and academic achievements of Greek/Australian. Furthermore it is only if the latter becomes involved in the organising and administrative process of the Festival that their interests will be truly reflected in the programme of events. If the Festival is to retain its dynamism, which in the past has allowed it to go from strength to strength, it must become more mainstream and aim to reach a broader audience. Although through the years, the Festival has sporadically hosted cross cultural events, a more proactive policy should be adopted with a view to increasing its multi-cultural base and its links with the indigenous members of Australia society.

Cultural diversity is an intrinsic part of Australian society. Celebrating this diversity in the form of an arts festival further legitimise it and provides an enormous boost to the collective self-esteem of the Greek community.

The long term aim of the Festival organisers and the Greek Orthodox Community is to establish a permanent cultural centre to ensure continuity in the artistic life of future generations of Greek Australians and their fellow citizens. Many realities for migrant communities have started as dreams. Let us hope this is no exception!