Outside Greece, Melina Mercouri is famous first for her career as an actress, but next to that, as a campaigner for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures whilst she was minister of culture during the 1980s.

The The Cultural Organization of Prespes is presenting a tribute to the late actress – I don’t have any other details of it, but I would imagine that her passion for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles will play a part in it.

From:
Greek Reporter

Prespeia 2013 Tribute To Mercouri
By Nicky Mariam Onti on August 14, 2013

The Cultural Organization of Prespes, the Melina Mercouri Foundation and ADaM Productions of Badminton Theater are presenting the performance, Melina – Wherever I Travel To, Greece, on Aug. 23-24 a tribute to the late actress and former Culture Minister Melina Mercouri, who fought to have the stolen Parthenon Marbles returned from the British Museum.

The premier of the performance is to take place at the Prespeia International Festival and will then be as well presented at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus on Sept. 7.
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Like a lot of the recent posts I’ve made, this was meant to be posted ages ago, but wasn’t.

Anyway – its interesting, as it indicates that the current Greek government wants to deal seriously with the issue of the Parthenon Marbles. However, it shoudl be noted that this is not an independent committee such as Marbles Reunited or the Australian Committee or many others around the world. This committee is instead more of a steering group – of special advisors to the Minister of culture.

I still believe that there is a need for a Greek Committee – that can get involved with raising the profile of the issue as people, rather than politicians – although I understand that the Greek Government want dealing with the issue within Greece to be seen as an issue entirely handled by the government.

From:
Athens News Agency

>New committee established to press for return of Parthenon Marbles
Last Updated Thursday, 20 September 2012

The culture ministry on Wednesday announced that it will re-establish a special advisory committee to coordinate actions aimed at securing the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles.

The president of the Melina Mercouri Foundation, Christoforos Argyropoulos, archaeologist Eleni Korka, attorney Irini Stamatoudi, who heads the Intellectual Property Organisation, and foreign ministry representative Panos Kalogeropoulos were listed as members of the committee, announced by Alternate Culture Minister Costas Tzavaras.
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