Return European Capital of Culture 2015
  “Culture, art and creativity are not less important than technology, commerce and the economy.” That was the message of Melina Mercouri, the famous Greek actress, singer, pro-democracy activist and politician, whose enduring legacy includes the European Capital of Culture programme.

Melina Mercouri (18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a strong and beautiful woman. She came from a well-known political family: her grandfather Spyros Mercouris was mayor of Athens for four electoral terms, and her father Stamatis Mercouris was a member of the Greek parliament.

Melina (a familiar form of two names – Amalia and Maria) studied at drama school and went on to make a career in the theatre and films. She gained international renown with her portrayal of a prostitute in the film Never on Sunday (1960), for which she was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

When Greece was plunged into military dictatorship (1967 – 1974) she was deprived of Greek citizenship and lived in exile in France. Nevertheless, she continued to fight tirelessly for democracy and Greek culture, stating that „culture is Greece’s heavy industry“. She accepted a new, real-life role as a political activist, and won widespread international acclaim for her pro-democratic struggle.

After the fall of the dictatorship, Mercouri returned to her beloved homeland, and in 1981 she was the first woman to become Greece’s Minister of Culture. She strived to promote culture as part of everyday life, to introduce culture into schools, and to strengthen the presence of culture in the media („Cultural news belongs on the front page of the newspaper“).

She was the inspiration behind a project to support art and culture in the education system. The Melina Project – Education and Culture involved 82 schools throughout Greece. She also gave her name to the Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes, which has been awarded since 1997.

In 1985, Mercouri’s attempts to promote the sharing of cultural heritage on a trans-national basis led to the creation of the European City of Culture programme. The idea was born during a conversation between Mercouri and the French Minister of Culture Jack Lang in January 1985, when the two ministers met at Athens airport while waiting for a plane. In 1999 the project was renamed the European Capital of Culture.

Melina Mercouri died on 6 March 1994 at the age of 73. Each year, on ‘Melina Mercouri Day’, her life and work are commemorated throughout Greece when admission to all museums in the country is free of charge. Her name has become synonymous with courage, determination and a sense of fairness.

(We recommend a recording of Melina Mercouri singing in the film Never on Sunday - Ta pedia tou Pirea on You Tube.)