Behind the main stage of this year’s Lonsdale Street Festival stands the beginnings of the building that will become the next chapter in the future of the Greek community in Melbourne. The concrete is set, the foundations laid, the pillars erected and it’s only a matter of time before the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture- the vision of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria – becomes a reality. A place to embrace newly-arrived Greeks, open our arms to Philhellenes and welcome second, third and fourth generations of Greek Australians to understand their roots, the Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture will represent our new community, but always remembering the contribution of the ones who paved the way for us.
“We’re excited and ecstatic with the progress of the construction and the fact that nine levels are complete and the outside of the facade is now coming up so people will start getting a concrete feeling – not only from an emotional perspective in what it means to people but also a visual perspective because it’s up and in front of them,” says Bill Papastergiadis, President, Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria.
“It’s heralding a new approach to how we think of about ourselves in Melbourne and in Australia as Greek Australians. It will give us an opportunity to research and we will fund initiatives to allow us to explore through all means of cultural expression our identity and expressions and help develop new initiatives and artistic endeavours. We are already seeing people who have never previously had any involvement in the community wanting to participate and collaborate with us and this is before the centre is even open so you can only imagine what impact it will have in the future.”