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The cultural department of the Danish Institute at Athens has planned a large and wide programme with a number of arrangements that will take place all through 2005 and in twelve different Greek towns. The aim is partly to give an easily accessible description of the man behind the authorship, partly to stage and make some of Hans Christian Andersen's central messages come alive. Greek as well as Danish artists, authors, actors and musicians will take part in the Greek project by presentation of new and old works inspired by H.C. Andersen's fairy-tales and stories. And finally new fissures and layers will be opened at the Goulandris Museum of Natural History by a month long educational programme where fairy-tales will be read as contributions in the debate about nature and spirit. That applies for example to "The Nigthingale", "The Dryade", "The Clock" and "The Oaktree's last dream".

The celebration will be divided up into three units or steps. "My life's fairy-tale", "Andersen seen through the eyes of the artist", and "Andersen still lives and inspires". Each unit consists of an art exhibition that acts as an umbrella and inspiration for a large number of other events.

· The unit "My life's fairy-tale" consists of an art exhibition with 22 planches displaying the life and age of Andersen and with 12 drawings and cuttings. The exhibition is produced in Greece, and Andersen's journey and stay in Greece is a part of this story. The exhibition will travel to 12 towns in Greece. During the exhibition there will be children activities and fairy-tale readings for children and adults as well as film showings.
· The unit "Andersen seen through the eyes of the artist" is  an art exhibition with Danish and Greek illustrators and with sculptures and installations. During the exhibition there will be lectures, children activities and concerts.
· The unit "Andersen still lives and inspires" is an art exhibition by Danish artists and a month's educational programme where Andersen's relation to nature will be examined through his fairy-tales. A number of schools participate in the programme and will be invited to the Goulandris Museum of Natural History.


PRELIMINARY HCA PROGRAMME
In cooperation with The Goulandris Museum, Stoa tou Vivliou, Technopolis, EKEVI, Kentro Melina Mercouri, Aisopos

Tuesday 1st March
"In homage to the writer Hans Christian Andersen"
Launch of the programme of celebrations in Greece of Hans Christian Andersen's bicentenary.

· Announcement of Hans Christian Andersen ambassadors by H.E. Niels
 Henrik Sliben, the Danish Ambassador to Greece
· Reading of Hans Christian Andersen's "Journey in Greece" by actor
 Constantinos Themelis
· Soprano Natasa Angelopoulou performed R. Schumann. Text by  H.C. Andersen. Piano: Nikos Christodoulou
· Reception

Venue: The Benaki Museum on Piraeos Str.

Monday 7th -17th March
"The Life of a Great Story Teller" -A travelling exhibition consisting of 22 banners telling the story of  Hans Christian Andersen's life in pictures and facsimile documents from the writer's world and time - including letters, portraits and personal
belongings.

Additional events
· 7th March at 8pm: Opening and reading of the fairytale "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Konstantinos Themelis
· 8th March: Puppet theatre "Look! It's Andersen!" by Emanuella Kapokaki
· 9th, 15th and 17th March: Theatrical activities for children, by Ioanna Kissa
· Film

Venue: Stoa Vivliou, Pesmazoglou 5. For further information, please contact 210 32 44 298

Saturday 2nd April - 14th April
"Andersen seen through the eyes of the artist"
Danish and Greek illustrations, installations and sculptures by Anitta Ksanthou

· 2nd April at 8pm: Lecture: "Heroes and Love in Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales" by Myrto Georgiou Nielsen
· 5th April: fairytale reading by Konstantinos Themelis
· 2-14th April: film
· Theatrical activities by Ioanna Kissa
· Workshops for children, by Greek children's illustrators
· Puppet theatre "The Red Shoes", by Emanuella Kapokaki

Venue: Technopolis D 12, Piraeos Str. For further information, please contact 210 32 44 298

Friday 7th  April
Concert with the Danish ensemble 'Nordlys'
Hosted by Hans Christian Andersen ambassador, Mrs. Niki Goulandris.

Venue: The Goulandris Museum of Natural History, Levidou 5, Kifissia. For further information, please contact 210 32 44 298

November-December
"Andersen still lives and inspires"
Art exhibition by the Danish group Colibri, and exhibition of illustrations

Additional events
· The spirit in nature. One month paedagocical programme at the Goulandris Museum of Natural History
· Workshops for children, by Greek children illustrators
· Reading of Andersen's fairytales
· Concerts under the conduction of Nikos Christodoulou

Venue: Kentro Melina Mercouri and  the Goulandris Museum of Natural History

H. C. Andersen Ambassadors in Greece
The Danish Ambassador to Greece, Niels Henrik Sliben, appointed three H.C.Andersen Ambassadors: Mrs. Niki Goulandris, Director of the Goulandris Museum of Natural History; Mr. Stefanos Manos MP, former Minister in the Nea Dimokratia government; and Mr. Nikos Christodoulou, Music Director of the City of Athens Symphony Orchestra and Choir.

Niki A. Goulandris is a well-known personality in Greece. Her message combines ecological principles with cultural values and she has contributed significantly to nature conservation while also promoting man's cultural achievements. She strongly promotes the concept that the hope for the future lies in the interplay between biological and cultural processes, which would add new ethical dimensions to the understanding of human situations. Her strong conviction is that the world needs a new code of values for the future if a proper equilibrium between nature and society is to be achieved.

Stefanos Manos was first elected MP in 1977 for the Nia Dimokratia party. He has been Minister of Industry and Energy, Minister of Environment and Public Works, as well as Minister of National Economy. He is well known for a number of environmental initiatives, for example the introduction of environmental regulations for industries, for the shut down of the polluting power station at Keratsini, for stopping the creation of new industrial complexes in the Athens area, and for initiating strict regulations against noise pollution. In 1998 he left Nea Dimokratia and in 2004 he was elected as an independent MP in collaboration with Pasok.

Nikos Christodoulou studied composition with J.A.Papaioannou and piano in Athens. He was associate composer at the Greek National Radio in 1977-82 and he composed music and songs for the ever-popular children series "Lilipoupoli" in Greek Radio 3. He led the "Helios Festival: a Carl Nielsen celebration" in Athens in 1999  and appeared at the Music Harvest
Festival in 2000 with the Odense Symphony Orchestra where he conducted the world-premiere of the first Symphony of Lars Graugaard. In 2000 he was invited by the Konzerthaus Berlin and led the "Nikos Skalkottas Tage" Festival with the participation of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. In 2001 he conducted the world-premiere of the opera "The Possessed" by Haris
Vrontos, at the Greek National Opera, and later he returned at the Greek National Opera with Rossini "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" in the New Year's Eve performance. In 2002 he conducted the world-premiere of "Vrontos cantata Julian L'Apostate" with the Greek National Radio Symphony and Choir. He opened the Athens Festival 2003 season with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and the Athens Festival Choir.

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