During the school holidays, over 50 students participated in the Greek Community of Melbourne’s (GCM) Storytelling Program. The three-day program was prepared by the GCM’s Education Team and introduced the participants into the world of Greek Mythology through creative and immersive means.
The program, entitled “One hero, two gods, three myths,” was run by Mrs Christina Soumi (Program Head), Mrs Katerina Poutachidou (Theatre Educator) and Mrs Syrmo Kapoutsi (Educator and Childrens Author) across two different locations (The Greek Centre and Huntingdale Hall).
Each day of the program was dedicated to a different mythological legend and it was based off the retellings from Mrs Kapoutsi’s “The Greek Mythological Series.”
Principal of the GCM Schools, Ms Maria Bakalidou, stated: “The program was a unique journey into the magical world of Greek mythology, which combined education, language, action, imagination and a lot of fun.”
In a meeting with the author and through the pages of her books, “the Greek Mythology series” of Diaplasis publications, the children were initiated into three of the most significant myths of Greek mythology: Theseus, Persephone, and Helios.
With a series of theatrical games and creative activities, the children who attended the program found their way through the Labyrinth and made their own monsters to defeat them, welcomed Spring with flowers and constructions, made their own unique sunflower and became planets in a wonderful maypole around the Sun. At the end of the sessions, Mrs Kapoutsi signed her books and talked with participants about their favourite heroes.
The Greek Mythology series, approved by the Greek Ministry of Culture for use in schools, is available in Australia at www.greekbooksforchildren.com.
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