With over 80 stalls at this year’s Antipodes festival there was never any doubt about a Panhellenic contingent coming down to represent the cultures and regions of Greece.
Neos Kosmos spoke with a number of vendors and organisations present at this year’s Antipodes festival to get a better idea about just what it is that makes it such a special occasion for Melbourne’s Hellenic diaspora.
For Chris Togias, director of Oasis coffee; Antipodes is about giving back to the community.
“These are the people who’ve supported us for so many years, without them we wouldn’t be what we are today.”
Bill Moragiannis, Director of Honey Dee Loukoumades puts it plainly.
“It’s the biggest event in the Hellenic community, in a city with the largest Greek diaspora in the country.”
“What Antipodes is, it’s an opportunity to share our love with the people of this city.”
“Saturday morning through to the afternoon, we’re seeing a large number of non-Greeks come and share in the joy of the festival.”
“Come the evening, we see leagues of Greek Australians come down to celebrate our culture and share in the festivities together, and on Sunday, well it’s set to be a day of families from all walks of life coming to enjoy what the festival has to offer.”
Giorgos Papagiorgiou from Cypriot Street Grill was short and sweet in his exchange with Neos Kosmos.
“Our food speaks for itself, our specialty the Sheftalia, with a hint of cinnamon, what more could you want.”
While there was of course a strong showing of prominent Greek Australian businesses at this year’s festival, a number of community organisations also took the opportunity to share the work they do with their fellow Hellenes, as well as the broader Australian community.
“For me it’s about the younger generations,” says Litsa Athanasiadis from ‘Pontiaki Estia’ otherwise known as Pontian House.
“The importance of maintaining our cultural identities cannot be overstated, so we come down and share what we do, but its also a very important event for the children.”
Litsa says that the group’s younger members always look forward to the event, which gives them an opportunity to mingle with friends, embrace their culture and allows them to foster a cultural network of their own.
“It’s critical that we keep this up, because if we don’t, then eventually you know, we’ll lose a part of ourselves.”
Sophia Tafaridou, one of the group’s youngest members told Neos Kosmos that Antipodes is “a chance to get together with my friends”.
“It’s all about coming together and celebrating, without it you lose your connection to culture,” Litsa affirms.
NUGAS president James Panas says for him and his fellow members, Antipodes is about spending time with other young Greeks.
“It’s about getting together with our membership and our affiliate clubs, we hold our meetings here on Lonsdale street every fortnight so it holds a lot of significance for us.”
“Whether that’s through the work we do with the Greek Community of Melbourne or out relationship with PRONIA, Antipodes provides us with a space to share and learn from our Hellenic contemporaries.”
Fellow NUGAS member Georgia Giatrakos says that as the “biggest event in Melbourne” it’s the perfect avenue to exchange ideas and collaborate with other multicultural communities.
Kristian Raspa, Leading Teacher and Head of Community Engagement at St Johns College says that the opportunity for Melbourne’s plethora multicultural communities to come together and share in dance, culture and food is critical in fostering intercommunity dialogue, so that the city’s people can work together towards a common good.
“Really the main thing, is that it’s a fantastic opportunity for all Melbournians, not just Greeks, to come together and work towards establishing services, programs and initiatives which through the products they offer to the community can bring about a sense of hope and progress.”
“The cultural activities that the festival has to offer of course, through its dance, its food and its immense character, that is something that brings us all together.
Principal of Alphington Grammar, Dr. Vivianne Nikou says that “Antipodes is an opportunity to share our Greek culture with so many of Australia’s generations, that maybe don’t have a Greek background, and what’s happening today beats strongly for the Greek community, and I couldn’t be more proud of our people, our children and really I hope that all who come share in what is a wonderful event.
Clearly, the Antipodes festival is and evidently always has been, a cornerstone of Melbourne’s Greek diaspora.
