Cyprus, CULTURAL ASSOCIATION NOSTOS PISSOURIOU

The Cultural Organisation 'NOSTOS' Pissouriou was founded in 2000 in the village of Pissouri in Limassol district, Cyprus, by people with great passion and love for their land. The main objective of 'NOSTOS' is to preserve and disseminate our cultural heritage. It lists more than 100 members including over 60 dancers. The Organisations's cultural activities include dancing teams of all levels (young children to adults) and theater workshops.

The Group is proud to hold a collection of traditional costumes of the islands of Cyprus,  Rhodes  and the regions of Epirus and Black Sea.   The traditional dresses of Cyprus used by the dancers of the group in various performances in Cyprus and abroad and are exact replicas, made in the loom, and are based in the collection of Mr. Nikos Simeou, Pissouri, collector of old objects and traditional costumes. This collection has been certified for authenticity by Ms. Eleni Papadimitriou, researcher with expertise in traditional Cypriot costumes and textiles.

The highlight event of 'NOSTOS' is the Festival of Traditional and Folk Dance, held annually since 2000. It takes place every year in early August, in the amphitheater of the Pissouri Community Council . A cultural event that has become a reference point in the cultural life of the traditional village of  Pissouri and not only.

Two years ago 'NOSTOS' established an Environmental Department. It runs under the guidance of an experienced manager in  environmental issues and it is actively participating in regional and European programs that are dealing with the environment. The aims of this department are to inspire young people to be aware of environmental issues, strengthen their relationship with the physical environment of Cyprus and try to involve them actively in actions of local and European level.

Every year creative teams are set up in our organization: a theater team, a team for traditional and modern dances, a team for music but also scientific teams that focus in environmental research and activities. This research mainly covers scientific themes such as environment in general, renewable energy, climate change and more. In the projects that we were participating this year, more than  70 students were involved. Within these actions our first priority is to make the young people to learn how to learn. Moreover, with their involvement in such projects they have the opportunity to interact and disseminate their results with other young people, but also within  their local  communities and public in general. The teachers and trainers are also increasing their personal and professional experience by getting in contact with the educational systems of different countries. This is of great benefit to our schools. In addition since they will guide the students in their activities during the project and they will actively participate, they will improve both their ability to communicate in English and their skills in using computers. The firm communication between them and their students will be beneficial, for both.