ANASTASIS GRIVAS: Greece

Anastasis Grivas was born in 1966. He studied Statistics and Informatics at Athens University of Business and Economics. After working for years in the field of informatics as programmer/user/salesperson, and as tutor for the European Educational Programs, his last educational job was for Stavrakos School for Cinema, Sound Engineering and Radio/TV Production.

 

 

Being always a great fan of contemporary music and increasing his interest in free improvised and experimental music he started his mail order (Contra Music) in 1995 focusing in the above fields, while he was working for the Greek Music Club ( A well known distribution and music store in the fields of contemporary, classic and jazz).

 

 

Since then and under the influence of Minimalist Composers like Pauline Olieros, Phil Niblock, La Monte Young and improvisers like Keith Row, Derek Bailey, Fred Frith he focused on sound design, inventing custom string instruments and the use of live electonics.

 

 

In the year 2000, he founded Ektopia, a non profit company and Small Music Theatre, a small venue in Athens, soon to become the home for free improvised, experimental, avant/post rock and creative Jazz music in Athens.

 

 

Anastasis has written reviews and articles for Greek music magazines presenting artists, movements and labels from the fields of avantgarde, free improvised, electroacoustic and experimental music. (Metamkine, CRI, Recommended, Tzadik,e.t.c).

 

He has performed live or in recording sessions with artists like Nikos Veliotis, Savina Yannatou, Coti, Costis Drigianakis, Rhodri Davies, Andrea Neumann, Angharad Davies, Markus Wettstein, Martin Kuchen, Ignaz Schick, Burkhard Beins, Gert Jan Prins, Luc Hutcamp, Johannes Bergmark, Joao Castro Pinto, Fredy Studer, Giuseppe Ielasi, Isabelle Duthoit, Marc Wastell, Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Anna Homler, a.o.He has performed participating in festivals: 2:13 Festival –2002/2003,2006(Athens), Offene Music – 2002, (Hamburg/Germany), Klappstuhl – 2002, (Wuppertal/Germany) – 2002, Hetzoscopio – 2003, (Barcelona/ Portugal), Synch – 2004, (Athens), Irtijal – 2004 (Beyruth/Lebanon), Irtijal (Paris) – 2007, Bios Performance Festival (Athens) - 2007 He has collaborated with Slovenian choreographer Snjezana Premus and Japanese dancer Takako Sagawe for “Monographia”- a solo dance project presented in Small Music Theatre (Athens), Bios Art Center (Athens), Lent Festival (Maribor/Slovenia) , Kojhi Dance Festival (Japan).

 

 

 

 

Name of your organisation: Ektopia Productions

 

Website of your organisation: www.ektopia.gr

 

www.smallmusictheatre.gr

 

How is your organisation funded? There is no funding.

 

Explain what your organisation is about (to somebody who does not know about it).

 

Ektopia is a non-profit company founded in October 2000 with the objective of supporting and promoting Avant, Electro acoustic, Free Improvised and Experimental music.

• Runs the Lab for Electro Acoustic Media – monthly performances and lectures which focus on Electro Acoustic and Concrete Music in Live Electronics and Sound Design, CD Releases.

• Runs Small Music Theatre – A small venue in Athens, with daily gigs with its basic focus on presenting and promoting projects, artists and collaborations from the fields of Experimental, Free Improvised and Electronic Music.

Describe how your organisation is engaged in international cooperation and exchange.

 

Artists from different backgrounds but with an interest in exploring sound qualities, form possibilities, inventive instruments and collective playing experience from all around Greece, were not only hosted but could also meet their colleagues from other countries. Activities:

 

The Experimental Music Club 2:13 – monthly lives dates and the yearly 3-day 2:13 December Fesitval with the most inventive experimental Greek and non-Greek artists. (More information: http://www.aptera.gr or www.myspace.com/213fesitval

 

During the six years of its existence, Small Music Theatre hosted many Greek and non-Greek musicians. Just to mention a few: Evan Parker – Peter Kowald – Guenter “Baby” Sommer – Burry Guy – Fred Van Hove – Radu Malfatti – John Butcher – Rodri Davies – Burckhard Beins – Xavier Charles – Jerome Noetinger – Kim Cascone – Kent Tagred – Francisco Lopez – Ignaz Schick – Floros Floridis – Savina Yannatou – Nikos Veliotis – Katerina Zenz – Luc Hutcamp – Isabelle Duthoit – Vojtech & Irena Havel – Luis Tillet – Blaine L. Reinninger – Phill Schonfeld -Carla Torgenson – Dirty Three -Lumen – Chris Eckman – Lost Bodies -Dimitris Kamarotos – Ilios – Vasilis Papavasiliou – Coti – Koji Asano – David Grubbs – Thalia Zedek – Morning Star – Terry Lee Hale – Bohman Brothers – Mooz – Phill Durant – Ionian University- Free Improvisation Ensemble – Hugo Race – Film – David Toop – Taku Unami – Lee Patterson – Bertrand Denzler – Nicolas Valsamakis – Tony Conrad – Axel Doerner – Marissa Nadler – Sharif Sehnaoui – Jassen Hindi – Lamia Bendioui – Josh Pearson – Robert Moeslang – Xabier Erkizia – David Cross – Noise Makers Fife’s – PinknRuby – Dyane Kurtz – Baby Dee – Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo – Chris Cobilis – etc.

 

Describe how your art space relates to the local community. If you are about to open an art space, explain how you related to the local community in your previous experiences.

 

Small Music Theatre is a small venue in Athens, Greece. It started in October 2000 with its basic focus on presenting and promoting projects, artists and collaborations from the fields of Experimental, Free Improvised and Electronic Music. It soon became a home where musicians from different backgrounds – but with an interest in exploring sound qualities, form possibilities, inventive instruments and collective playing experience from all around Greece- were not only hosted but could also meet their colleagues from other countries.

 

Simultaneously, Small Music Theatre is pleased to host Avant groups and artists from the genres of Folk, Pop, Rock, and Jazz. Well-known artists and groups as well as those at the beginning of their career are invited to perform here.

 

Today’s Small Music Theatre program contains:

• The Experimental Music Club 2:13 -monthly live dates and the yearly 3-day 2:13 December Fesitval with the most inventive experimental Greek and non-Greek artists. More information: http://www.aptera.gr

• The Lab for Electro Acoustic Media – monthly performances and lectures which focus on Electroacoustic and Concrete Music in Live Electronics and Sound Design (More information: http://www.labforelectroacousticmedia.gr)

• SEPTEMVRIANA – a September festival organised by Tobruk Records and Echo Music with Avant Rock Bands, Noise and Experimental Artists.

• Alternative / Underground bands / artists from the acid fold / Avan / post rock / pop / electronic.

• Contemporary Jazz and Improvised music concerts.

• Projections, ‘Chamber’ dance or ‘Chamber’ theatre performances!

• Special selections from Folk, Ancient / Traditional Greek, Byzantine, Asian music.

• Lost in Thyme – A spring time fest focusing on contemporary song makers and folk artists from all around the world and different backgrounds.

What are the major internal and external challenges your organisation is facing?

 

To be able to continue and even extend our creative activities since no other support than our volunteering work is given to us.

 

To extend the interactivity between artists from different artistic fields and countries with the aim of exchanging ideas, experiences, skills and furthermore to form a release co-projects (performances, DVDs, CDs, books…)

 

What are the main achievements and strengths of your organisation?

 

During the 7 years of its existence, it achieved to be probably the only organisation / venue in Greece to be recognised of irs consistent presence in the fields of Experimental and Electronic Music.

 

The artistic freedom, intimacy and interaction, the non-profit character of its function, the artists’ enthusiasm and the audiences’ support, made smallmusictheatre soon to be “the artists’ bedroom” as a known Greek artist mentioned once!

 

Many Greek, established by now, bands, with dynamic presence in the music scene and discography, first appeared in the smallmusictheatre, as it is the place that supports and likes to host the first steps of talented young artists.