“Together in the Light”  – A concert in total darkness with Alkinoos Ioanidis

“Together in the Light”  – A concert in total darkness with Alkinoos Ioanidis

Monday 28th March 2022 & Tuesday 29th March 2022 at:  21.00

Alkinoos Ioanidis invites us to experience and perhaps understand what it is like to live with blindness, in a concert / experience, in support of the charitable CNPC “I read for Others”!

In a world where increasingly life is based on image, we may forget that there are those who can “see” beyond the surface, to the essence of things.

In an artistic movement of sensitivity and inclusion, Alkinoos Ioannidis sings in support of “I Read for Others” in the first concert in Greece… in the dark!  Joining him is the writer and singer Thodoris Tsatsos, who, in his own musical way, introduces the audience to the experience of life with blindness.

Thodoris Tsatso  – Logikos ek genetis / Rational by birth

Alkinoos Ioanidis warmly embraced the initiative of a concert in the dark.  Having expressed similar sensitivities in the past, since, in collaboration with the “Movement of Disabled Artists” he gave the first universally accessible concerts in Greece, he wanted to participate on a non-profit basis in this special collective effort.

An invitation for empathy and understanding of what it is like to live with a visual disability.  What it is like to be different.  A concert from Great Events in complete darkness, so that we can all be “Together in the Light”.

But how did this idea come about, for such a different musical event?

A few words about Great Events:

Great Events is a series of concerts and cultural activities aimed at funding and communicating support to institutions and organizations that inspire and contribute to society.  The bodies that are supported are selected by the public, through open voting on the internet.

In this context, in February 2019, Great Events, through their website, www.spoudaia.gr asked the public in what cause they would like a support concert to be organized.  About 1.800 people voted online and nominated “I Read for Others” as the organization of their choice.  The continuous lockdowns delayed the performance of the concert, which, however, finally found its way to implementation, through the collaboration with the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation.

The co-founder of Great Events, Haris Aslanidis, a man with social sensitivity, but also a disability himself, states:  “We felt the need to create a different event, an opportunity to create experiential memories, which aspire to remain engraved forever in the minds of participating listeners and musicians”. 

A few words about I Read for Others:

I Read for Others was founded in 2015 on the occasion of a discussion about literature between Argyro Spyridaki and her congenitally blind friend, Thodoris Tsatsos.  Argyro suggested to Thodoris that he read Jonothan Coe’s “House of Sleep” and when he replied that unfortunately the book was not included in the audio library for the blind, Argyro decided to do something about it.

Today, I Read for Others is a certified body owned by the Intellectual Property Organization (OPI) for the production of audio books for the blind and print-disabled users and has three main pillars of action:

Its primary pillar is the enrichment of the audio library for the blind through recordings of all kinds of readings by volunteer readers.  Following that, the need arose for live readings in nursing homes, hospitals, penitentiaries and home readings for people with disabilities and mobility and visual impairment.  The third pillar of the actions of I Read for Others is the public awareness campaign on blindness (adults through students) through experiential workshops and other events.

Today, the organization counts 6.083 members throughout Greece and carries out activities in three cities:  Athens, Chania, and Heraklion, Crete.  I Read for Others contributes to the creation of a strong volunteering trend in our country, as it creates meaningful relationships and builds bridges between people, volunteers and beneficiaries.

At a glance:

Concert:  “Together in the Light” with Alkinoos Ioannidis for the support of the non-profit company “I Read for Others”

Venue:  The Michael Cacoyannis Foundation

Start time:  21.00

Ticket price:  €15

Production Organization:  Great Events

Press & Infoinfo@spoudaia.gr & 210.412.3407

Contact person:  Christos Lagnis Panoilias

Visual communication:  Toasted.design

Ticket presale:

https://www.ticketservices.gr/event/alkinoos-ioannidis-mazi-sto-fos

At the Michael Cacoyannis Box Office

Ticket Services booking office:  Panepistimiou 39, Pesmazoglou Stoa

By phone: 2107234567