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Victoria Mindova 

"All artists are welcome," said for GRReporter George Neris, who is the chief organizer of the Athens Fringe Festival 2011. The event will be held between June 20 and 26 this year and talents of every genre and self-expression are welcome to participate in the week-long celebration of creativity in all its forms. Ballet, theater, art, graffiti and other forms of art will find their home in Athens in order to turn the city in a live, boiling of ideas and inspiration cultural capital of Europe for one week. 

"There is no censorship, no evaluation committee and anyone can submit their work so that residents and guests of the Greek capital can see it," said the organizer. With the motto "Athens belongs to us" for a third year Athens Fringe Festival year will bring together amateur and established artists, who will present shoulder to shoulder their creativity. This year, however, unlike before, organizers suggested the festival to have a theme "Smiling in the mind" without necessarily engaging artists to comply with it. "Due to the difficult period that we are passing through in the last year we decided to give a slight positive twist to the festival." The theme "Smiling in the mind" allows us to express the idea that whatever is happening around us, there's always room for positivism, explained the organization. 

The name of the festival is taken from the Irish Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, which is held annually as a replica of the official festival of the city where the participants are limited and many young talents cannot participate. Unlike the Irish Fringe, which houses only art, the Athenian version makes room for all artists. To participate, everyone must complete an online application and pay 50 Euros entry fee by May 18 of this year. "We are open to artists from around the world," explained George Neris. For group performances like theater and dance, the fee is also only 50 Euros. Group exhibitions are not allowed in the arts, because each artist presents their own works. 

Athens Fringe Festival allows NGOs to participate as well, so that they can promote their business. For them there is no entry fee and according to the organizers, there is a strong interest in this type of institutions. "We are trying to help humanitarian and socially beneficial initiatives by incorporating them into the platform of cultural events so that they become more easily accessible to the public," explained the organization. Volunteers are also welcome.