The online festival "Theatre in front of a Microphone" returns for its 6th consecutive year, offering children, teenagers, and young people from Greece, Cyprus, and the Greek diaspora the opportunity to create and present a radio theatrical play, fairy tale, poem, or story (up to 10 minutes long).

The "YOUTH THEATRE ON AIR" Festival is the result of a collaboration between the Theatrical Cultural Artistic Centre "Poupoulo" (Thessaloniki, Greece), the Motivation in Arts Foundation (Paphos, Cyprus), and the Creative Drama & Arts Centre (Melbourne, Australia). Its aim is to help the Greek language, culture, and theatrical expression travel across radio frequencies and the internet to Greek communities around the world.

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The unique and comparative advantage of this initiative lies in its digital nature, which allows for collaboration across borders and distances. At the same time, it is an action open to everyone through the world wide web and unites Greek youth from different parts of the world, creating "satellites" for the dissemination of the Greek spirit.

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The festival features three categories of submissions:

• Category A – CHILDREN

• Category B – YOUTH

• Category C – GREEK DIASPORA

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The opening ceremony of the 6th International Online Amateur Theatre Radio Festival "Theatre in front of a Microphone" was successfully held on Saturday, May 3, 2025, via Zoom. It was a celebration of theatre and culture that brought together voices, souls, and talents from Greece, Cyprus, and Australia under the

“Youth Theatre on Air” initiative.

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This event, which began in 2020 and has now become an institution, brought together more than 500 children and youth voices from 27 theatre groups: 11 from Greece, 12 from Cyprus, and 4 from Melbourne, offering the audience unique theatrical experiences.

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We would like to express our deep gratitude to everyone who supported and participated in this year’s festival opening: to our beloved children who bring the microphone to life with their talent and enthusiasm, to the parents who support their children’s creativity, to the educators, theatre instructors, actors, and artists who inspire and guide the groups, to the members of the jury who undertook the difficult task of selecting the awards with dedication and expertise, to the school principals who embraced the initiative, and of course to the dear audience who joined online for this major celebration of theatre and culture.

Special thanks to our long-standing media sponsors, ERT3 and RIK, for their continued support, as well as to radio producers Anna Giannakidou and Kyriakos Pastidis for their tireless commitment.

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During the ceremony, the results of this year’s awards were announced, as evaluated by the festival’s ten-member jury.

Awards

Primary Education

• 1st Prize: Peace — Primary School of Amygdaleonas, Kavala, Greece

• 2nd Prize: The Little Beaver and the Echo — 1st Primary School of Arta, Greece

• 3rd Prize: The Selfish Giant — Primary School of Maroni-Psematismenos, Cyprus

Secondary Education

• 1st Prize: Monogios — Theatre Group of Aradippou Gymnasium, Cyprus

• 2nd Prize: The Melody of the Forest — Th.Ei.K.K. Poupoulo, Greece

• 3rd Prize: Our Midwife — Greek Language & Culture Schools of GCM Melbourne, Australia

Honourable Mentions

Primary Education

1. Birds — 4th Grade, Chalkiades Primary School, Arta, Greece

2. The Forest of the Wooden Sharpener — 13th Primary School of Volos, Greece

3. The Moon-Coverer — Psathopyrgos Primary School, Greece

Secondary Education

1. Lost on the Way — Theatre Group, Teatro Angelico, Cyprus

2. The Red Moped — Artistic Gymnasium of Ampelokipoi, Greece

3. The Idiots — Regional Gymnasium of Livadia, Cyprus

Distinctions

• Editing – Primary Education: The Selfish Giant — Maroni-Psematismenos Primary School, Cyprus

• Editing – Secondary Education: (a) The Legend of Nian — Alphington Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia and (b) The Red Moped — Artistic Gymnasium of Ampelokipoi

• Greek Language and Theatre in the Diaspora: The Locket — Greek Language & Culture Schools, Balwyn Campus, Australia

• Sound Effects – Primary Education: The Selfish Giant — Limassol IΓ' (KB) – Agios Spyridonas Primary School, Cyprus

• Sound Effects – Secondary Education: The Melody of the Forest — Th.Ei.K.K. Poupoulo, Greece

• Music Composition – Primary Education: The Little Beaver and the Echo — 1st Primary School of Arta, Greece

• Music Composition – Secondary Education: The Legend of Nian — Alphington Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia

• Creative Writing – Secondary Education: Lost on the Way — Theatre Group, Teatro Angelico, Cyprus

• Theatrical Expression – Primary Education: Peace — Primary School of Amygdaleonas, Kavala, Greece

• Theatrical Expression – Secondary Education: Lost on the Way — Theatre Group, Teatro Angelico, Cyprus

• Audience Award: Monogios — Theatre Group of Aradippou Gymnasium, Cyprus

The works were evaluated with special care and professionalism by the ten-member jury, comprised of distinguished individuals from the arts and education fields:

• Mr. Asterios Peltekis, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Northern Greece, director and actor

• Mr. Kyriakos Pastidis, radio producer at RIK and educator

• Dr. Stavroula Nikoloudi, professor and coordinator of the Modern Greek Studies program at the University of Western Australia

• Ms. Anna Giannakidou, radio producer at ERT3 and literary critic

• Ms. Niki Tsaliki, philologist, head of cultural programs in Secondary Education of the Eastern Thessaloniki Directorate

• Ms. Maria Georgiou, theatre pedagogue and member of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute

• Ms. Eva Theochari, philologist and school principal

• Mr. Yiannis Plitsis, music composer, sound designer, and director

• Ms. Sofia Zgouleta, playwright and educator

• Ms. Eva Melissaropoulou, theatre pedagogue and actress

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The event was coordinated and presented by Efi Anastasopoulou, theatre pedagogue and director of the Theatre Centre "Poupoulo," and Stella Savvidou, theatre pedagogue and educator at the Motivation in Arts Foundation, who also created the beautiful digital artwork that accompanied this year’s Festival.

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Warm thanks to the educators, artists, and theatre instructors who stood by the groups and assisted in the implementation of the radio plays. Thanks also to all the school principals and directors who encouraged the participation of the children and youth in the festival.

A big thank you to the children and youth who brought the microphone to life with their voices and talents!

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And above all, many thanks to everyone who continues to believe in the value of theatre, the Greek language, and collaborative creativity!

We will see you again next year with new radio journeys…