The Polyphonic Caravan in quarantine times

POLYPHONIC MAP: http://polyphoniccaravan.gr/

The new webpage of the Polyphonic Caravan

The Polyphonic Caravan is a “big journey of the voices” which constantly re-starts. An “all-weather” journey which continues in all conditions, being dedicated to the safeguarding, promotion and dissemination of the polyphonic song. Thus, it continued its work, even under the deterring circumstances of the suspension of operation of the cultural associations, the seminars and the emergency measures of social distancing which were imposed in Greece due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Polyphonic Caravan made good use of the two months of the “quarantine” for the development of its action in four directions:

Organization of online seminars of the Polyphony Workshops, with the realization of twelve online meetings and an increasing participation during the period between 20/3 – 20/5/2020.
Production of 30 videos, based on the material of the Polyphonic Song Archive and 5 new videos which were recorded online and in the field during the confinement days, with participants from Athens, Epirus, Peloponnese, Crete and Paris singing “together”. The videos were publicized through the online channel of the Polyphonic Caravan on Youtube, its pages and groups on Facebook and its website.
Organization of an online celebration for the “Polyphonic Song Day”. The “Polyphonic Song Day” is celebrated since 2016, under the initiative of the Polyphonic Caravan, every 14^th of May and its fifth celebration this year “took place” online, with actions that occurred until the end of May, contributing to the wider promotion of the polyphonic song.
Preparation of the forthcoming actions of the Polyphonic Caravan, with the formulation and submission of proposals via the Cultural Bodies Gate of the Ministry of Culture, the re-programming of its summer events, the preparation of a thematic Caravan for August 2020.

The two months of the imposed “quarantine” are being assessed today as particularly fruitful for the Polyphonic Caravan’s action and the search for new ways and means for its continuation under the current circumstances. This productive period confirms the dynamic of an institution constituting a practice nominated for inscription on UNESCO’s International Register of Good Safeguarding Practices in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage.