The National Library of Athens at Stavros Niarchos Cultural Foundation
https://www.snfcc.org/en/snfcc/national-library-of-greece/
ESCLS one-day Symposium in collaboration with the MA Programme
‘Creative Writing, Theatre and Culture Industries’, University of the Peloponnese
Call for Participation
Antiquity and modernity are mutually defined by their constructed
antithesis. However, modern European literature and the arts –from theatre and
cinema to fine arts, architecture, music to the performing arts — extensively resonate
ideas, images and other aspects of antiquity in general and of specific antiquities, such
as Chinese, Greek, Roman antiquities and beyond.
The symposium seeks to revisit influences of antiquity on modern European arts by
extending the scope of antiquity to include all ancient cultures and traditions, and by
seeking to explore different shades of antiquities’ formative resilience in modern
artistic discourses and practices. Ancient myths, religious practices, artworks and artists
are particularly relevant to the proposed revisiting which may concern European art
from the Renaissance to the present, and study the variation of antiquity’s effects on
modern European art traditions which reclaimed or opposed it in diverse and
contradictory ways.
Indicative themes:

• Modern and contemporary reception of ancient art, artists, historical
  personages, events, myths and rituals in European literature as well as the visual
  and performing arts
• Representations of antiquity (Western and non Western) in European literature
  and the arts
• Evocations of antiquity in the creation of modern and contemporary literary
  and artistic canons
• Rewritings and Adaptations of ancient classics in modern literature and the arts
• Antiquity and colonialism
• Antiquity and resistance
• Political employment and/or reoccupation of terms and traditions connected
  with antiquity
• Thinking Anew the Ancient and the Modern/Contemporary
  Participation
  You are invited to participate by giving a 15’-20′-long paper but there are also
  other participation formats, such as seminars where participants are asked to
  contribute their thoughts on a one of the above-mentioned subjects for 10’ or
  just participate the discussion that follows as a registered participant.
  You are invited to submit the title of your proposed contribution together with
  and a Bionote (100 words) by 25 January 2026 to: aspirop@uop.gr typing the
  title: “Revisiting Antiquity”.
  Please note that the symposium participation is free of participation fees but
  travel, accommodation and possible dinner expenses are self-funded.
  Info about travel and accommodation in Athens will be released soon.
  Organiser: Professor Angeliki Spiropoulou, University of the Peloponnese, Dep.
  of Theatre Studies, School of Arts.