Somewhere in Nicosia’s old quarters and forests, a group of locals are planning to host a series of events to bring the communities of the two sides of the island together. Through the power of music, dance and conscious experiences, the Unify events hope to create a space where people from all around the island can come together in peace. Before the main event takes place in the mountains on October 1, a kind of warm-up will take place at the Home for Cooperation this Thursday.
An Acoustic Peace Jam will kick off Unify’s activities by bringing together musicians Marlia Coeur and Simge Arkdogu in a performance described as “vocal artistry and powerful sound journeys beyond borders.” The jamming session at the H4C will begin at 5.30pm.
Then, on October 1, an all-day event will take place in the forest of Moniatis just outside Nicosia. On a mission to unify north and south, the masculine and the feminine, the day will include circles for men and women and ecstatic dance by facilitators from the island, from either side of the divide.
Based in Bali, Coeur will be in Cyprus for this event co-hosting with Alexia Berta and Serafina Mystix. Pan Kanenas Kanenos and DJ Odysseas Kyriakou will be leading the Men’s Circle with the latter in charge of the decks during the Ecstatic Dance. Akdogu will join Mystix for the Jam & Dance sessions later on.
“The intention is two-fold,” say organisers. “One, is to co-create conscious events in which the two communities of Cyprus are encouraged to explore embodied practices, meditation, dance and sharing circles thus bringing the two communities closer. The second is to bridge the gap between the Masculine and the Feminine, both within us each as individuals but also with-out us, in our relations to the opposite sex. What is holding men and women back from communicating clearly and consciously with one another? How can we find a way to connect on a more meaningful level and establish more trust between the sexes?
“These and other such questions will be looked at in a Men’s Circle and a Women’s Circle, before radically combining the two circles together. All on the same day. Culminating in an Ecstatic Dance with DJ Odysseas and Serafina Mystix with live jamming, singing and Djembe elements brought by Marlia and Simge.”
12 hours of connection, dance and reflection will begin as Unify opens its doors at 12pm and continues until midnight. Sharing, releasing and healing will, as the organisers conclude, “transmute the energy between us and heal the land”.
Acoustic Peace Jam
Music jamming session with Marlia Coeur and Simge Arkdogu. September 29. Home for Cooperation, Nicosia. 5.30pm. Free
Unify: Circles & Ecstatic Dance in the Forest
One-day bi-communal event with circles, ecstatic dance and singing. October 1. Moniatis Forest, Nicosia. 12pm-12am. Presale tickets for full experience are €60 and for dance only €35. Tel: 99-922794. Facebook event: Unify: Circles & Ecstatic Dance in the Forest
