CYPRECO Mission Statement - Activities In Brief
Since 1977 Serving With Distinction The Rich Heritage, Culture & Folklore of Cyprus & Greece in the USA
CYPRECO Of America, Inc., is a recognized and multi-awarded non-profit and tax-exempt Greek Cypriot Cultural organization based in the Borough of Queens, New York City. The name CYPRECO stands for Cypriot Emigrants Cultural Organization.
The organization was founded in 1977 by Elena Maroulleti and Ioannis Ioannou and was initially known as, The Greek Cultural & Folk Dancing Group "The Vraka" with a mission to promote and preserve the rich cultures and folklore of Cyprus and Greece with the presentation of traditional folk dances, music and other folk arts activities for the cultural enrichment of Greek Cypriot and Greek Americans as well as an introduction of such tradition to the general public. In 1982 the organization was fully incorporated with non-profit and tax-exempt status with additional folk arts departments and broader activities, including ancient Greek theater, story-telling and film productions, among others. That same year, CYPRECO also became a member of the Cyprus Federation of America, presently known as, Federation of Cypriot American Organizations, Inc. To better represent its broader multi-cultural activities, in 1990 the organization was officially renamed, CYPRECO Of America, Inc. Since its founding CYPRECO operates with the support of dedicated volunteers, including its Board Members, none of whom are compensated for their professional services.
PUTTING FORTH OUR MISSION AND VALUES
Since its inception, CYPRECO has implemented its mission and served the audience it addresses (Greek and non-Greek) with the annual production and presentation of unique and selective live programs, each highlighting and examining different aspects of the rich cultures, history, folklore, folk music and dances of Cyprus and Greece. Furthermore, through its participation over the years in numerous cultural events and ethnic festivals throughout the City and State of New York, organized and hosted by other local cultural entities, CYPRECO further spreads and promotes s the cultures and folklore of Cyprus and Greece to diverse audiences. All of its programs are presented either bilingual or entirely in English, and the vast majority of the events are offered with free admission as a public service.
ALWAYS SEEKING IN EXPANDING OUR MISSION TO BETTER SERVE OUR AUDIENCE
When the COVID-19 global pandemic struck the world in 2020, CYPRECO acted quickly very early on in order to find an alternative and suitable media platform for the presentation of some essential pre-scheduled free live cultural programs which had to be canceled such as, the documentaries from the series, "Cyprus Its History and Culture Through The Ages" which focus on the "Ancient Cultural Monuments of Cyprus." CYPRECO pivoted by televising the documentaries on the highly rated TV show, AKTINA TV broadcasting on WNYE-Channel 25 with some 1M established viewers in the New York Metropolitan area and beyond. Through this gesture, CYPRECO was able to further expand both its cultural presence and its audience. Considering the rewarding outcome from this collaboration with AKTINA TV and more importantly taking into account the overwhelming positive response from the audience that enjoyed in the comfort of their homes our documentaries, the strategic decision was made for CYPRECO to adopt a long-term relationship with AKTINA TV and also further expand it by also providing different documentary content for other TV series such as, “Greek Horizons.”
Since 2020 CYPRECO has been providing on AKTINA TV exceptional cultural documentaries from the Folk Arts and Cultural Series mentioned above, which greatly contribute and support our ongoing commitment of always expanding our mission to offer worthy and desired free cultural programs and services to our dedicated and loyal audience.
ACHIEVEMENTS - NOTABLE CULTURAL SERIES AND PROGRAMS
CYPRECO’s achievements over the years are crowned with multi-awarded, well-established and much celebrated cultural activities which reach and service thousands of Greek Cypriot and Greek Americans, including New Yorkers who make up the New York City’s multi-cultural fabric.
Since 1979, CYPRECO has been presenting from its acclaimed folk arts series, "The Traditional Folklore of Greece and Cyprus and Its Survival Through Time" annual programs dealing with the customs, folklore and traditions of Cyprus and Greece, including concerts, each reviving different aspects of the representative musical inheritance of Greece and Cyprus. Since 2006, CYPRECO’s renowned series, “Cyprus Its History and Culture Through The Ages” features programs which highlight and revive unique characteristics of the rich history, culture and folklore of Cyprus through special oral advance presentations, lectures, poetry recitals and screenings of original documentaries that further distinguish the mission of the organization to feature and highlight Cypriot folklore and culture.
CYPRECO prides itself for being the first Greek Cypriot cultural organization to introduce and establish in 1992 theatrical productions of ancient Greek plays translated in English by the late Lucy Maroulleti who was at the time the organization’s Theatre Director and Costume Designer. Many of these plays were also presented at various theater venues off Broadway. CYPRECO’s 2004 production of the Greek tragedy “Bacchae” was nominated in 2005 for four different awards by the organization “Spotlight on Theater,” while Lucy Maroulleti was awarded first prize for “outstanding costume design.”
Other notable performances include CYPRECO's musical productions that revive different representative aspects of the musical inheritance of Greece. Of exceptional importance was CYPRECO's musical production of the concert, CYPRUS-AEGEAN-SMYRNA given on March 6, 2009 in conjunction with the organization's festivities marking its 30th anniversary. The sold-out performance given at the Queens Theatre In The Park, featured the renowned Traditional Folk Music Group from Greece, Estoudiantina Neas Ionias in a Traditional Folk Music Journey With A Tribute To The Rembetika (Greek blues). Furthermore, a series of other concerts with notable singers and musicians from Greece which are given in collaboration with the non-profit, AKTINA Productions, Inc., from the acclaimed concert series, GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY.
In 1993, CYPRECO teamed up with the non-profit cultural organization AKTINA Productions, Inc., that owns and operates the Greek American bilingual radio AKTINA FM. Since then, CYPRECO produces on AKTINA FM unique cultural content which celebrates, promotes and preserves the rich heritage and culture of Cyprus and Greece, including the series, CYPRUS HORIZONS airing every Sunday and streams AKTINA FM 24/7 from this website. Since 2014, CYPRECO also co-sponsors several concerts in collaboration with AKTINA Productions, Inc., from AKTINA’s celebrated concert series, GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY. Since 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, CYPRECO broadened its collaboration with AKTINA Productions, Inc., ("AKTINA") to televise folk arts programs within the broadcasts of AKTINA's owned and operated media asset AKTINA TV.
AWARDS
CYPRECO Of America, Inc., is the recipient of several Citations, Proclamations and Congressional records issued and presented by U.S officials from the local, state and federal governments. These awards recognize the organization’s “outstanding” contributions with the production of “unique” cultural programs which promote and preserve the different aspects of the folklore and cultures of Cyprus and Greece among Greek Cypriot and Greek Americans and members of the general public.
KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US
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