As never before, the danger of losing the current academic year in the conditions of occupation is visible. Drama School of the National Theatersince all of his teachers – 38 people – officially announced last night that they were resigning from their duties.

As they announced on January 24, the deadline by which they would expect any indication from the government to amend the DP. 85/2022 (which, in the opinion of a large part of the art world, humiliates the degrees of their schools) was February 8, the deadline for losing the school year. The teachers did not receive this instruction, and the meeting they held on Tuesday with Ministry of Culture. “Unfortunately, we are terminating our partnership with the National Theater School and waiving our current contracts and/or extending our contracts for a second semester in line with the curriculum of the year,” they wrote in their announcement and urged the state to take responsibility.

foggy landscape

With the theater school left without teachers and occupied by its students, the Chiller building is also occupied by drama students, and the Rex Theater was added to the occupied buildings on Tuesday evening, the National Theater is currently hit particularly hard by the mobilization of artists.

Its artistic director, Yiannis Moschos, believes that the landscape remains fluid. As for the theater school, Mr. Moschos also expects the attitude of her students. “At the moment there are no absentees, and there are places until the end of February. If the children want to return to the classroom, we will treat this accordingly, and the attitude of the teachers, who not only quit, but said they did not want to renew their contracts, can also change,” he said. Occupation of Rex, he added, of course , is a blow to the National Theatre, and what he intends to do is “come in consultation with both occupations and let logic prevail.”

“If children want to return to the classroom, we will take appropriate measures, and the attitude of teachers may also change,” says G. Moskhos.

Talking to “K”, Vassilis Poulantsas, President of the Board of Directors of the National Theatre, recalled the organization’s recent statement expressing serious concern about P.D. 85/2022. “Teachers are also actors, most of them. They feel unfair to the industry. I can’t stand their decision to retire – it’s their right to decide how to help their industry get what it’s entitled to,” Mr. Poulantzas stressed, adding that the possible appointment of new professors, on the one hand, is not included within the purview of the Ethnikos board of directors, on the other hand, it may concern a school that will still be occupied.

However, the possibility of appointing a new teaching staff has been ruled out by Dio Cangelaris, director of the National Theater School of Drama, who remains in her post.

There were no comments from the Ministry of Culture about the resignations, while in previous days the government adopted two legislative decrees exempting them from P.D. the employment of artists in the state and the obligation to use special wages for artists extends to the municipalities.

Mobilization

In the meantime, the mobilization of artists is expected to continue, with the Panhellenic Federation of Spectators and Spectators meeting today to decide what to do next. On Wednesday afternoon, creative unions, student associations, occupation coordinating bodies and other trade union bodies took part in a protest action near the building of the Ministry of Culture, where a short symbolic occupation took place. “Shame and shame on the government that it has come to this and not withdraw the presidential decree,” he said. actor Makis Papadimitriou told K.who participated in the protest. “What is happening is extremely insulting not only for artists, but for the whole culture. Until there is some change, we will not stop our mobilization,” said Kora Karvounis, while Pavlos Orkopoulos, who also attended the protest, noted that “art expresses the feelings of people, but we feel that we are humiliated, instead of give us strength. and the courage to be able to communicate with the world we are addressing.”