Asilo Aniaton
Athens 2016
The Asilo Aniaton sits in the district of Kypseli, Athens. It is nestled behind a tall, concrete fence which belies the lush gardens within. Within these walls, living alongside the bougainvillea and olive trees, is a community providing medical and holistic care to 180 people from all over Greece. The residents here live with paraplegia, quadriplegia, encephalopathies, multiple sclerosis and central nervous system disorders - but they also live with stories, music and song.
In partnership with the Stegi - Onassis Foundation, Breakfast Club collaborated with Dimitris Sotiriou (dance), SWOP (sculpture/ architecture) Negros tou Moria (rap/ spoken word) and Marisha Triantafillidou (theatre) to celebrate the people and the environment of the Asilio Aniaton. We played music in the gardens, in the hallways, and by the bedside. We walked the neighbourhoods, exploring the surrounding areas and meeting the people who live and work there.
From these experiences we crafted three performance events, weaving together folk music, stories, interviews, poetry, dance, improvised sound and contemporary music. Three streams of sound which moved our audience through the neighbourhood and interior of the Asilo. In companionship with our music, the artists and architects of the SWOP built incredible and beautiful sculptures around and within the buildings of the Asilo - mirrors that reflected the greenery, unexpected wall hangings, and beautified, neglected spaces.
It was an incredible and moving week, and we felt so honoured to be able to share our music with, and to be inspired by, such an amazing community.
