An international cultural project that embraces one philosophy: ”We are all one”. [Α Creative Europe Project 2015-2016]

The Underwater Heart of the Mediterranean is a cultural project that emerges arts, tangible cultural heritage and social awareness on equality issues led by DK-BEL –Sophie Bulbulyan (France), Quasi Stellar –Apostolia Papadamaki (Greece) and Pelma –Lia Haraki (Cyprus).

It consists of several artistic, educational, environmental and community actions involving people with and without disabilities (children or adults) and professionals from many artistic disciplines:

• Drops of Breath – The first and unique underwater dance performance in the world. An ultimate art experience that alters the perception of time and space.

• Drops of Peace – An interactive & site-specific dance performance, echo of the underwater experience on land.

• Eyes Wide Open – An international forum with projections, lectures & discussions, about arts, humanity and environment.

• Mediterranean Bodies - An interactive exhibition, fostering connections and exchanges between young Mediterranean artists from Greece, Cyprus and France. An artistic dialogue, presented in various urban spaces.

• Drops of Breath photographic exhibition: Four photographers capture underwater motions and feelings. Pictures in large-scale print on polycarbonate surface, invite the spectators to dive into this unique artistic universe.

• Drops of Breath Film projection: A 35’ film of the underwater performance, that captures the spirit of this innovative concept, recorded and edited without any special effects. “How to make the impossible possible” - A discussion with the artists and the audience follows the projection of the film.

• Artistic and environmental workshops: Dance, music, visual arts and environment become the vehicle to educate and raise awareness to children from 6-16 years old, embracing Drops of Breath philosophy.

Our Philosophy

* Water is one of the most important resources in the world; a form of energy, a state of nature. It knows no frontiers, no borders, no politics, no religions; it is an element that bridges and unifies people, countries and cultures and the artistic research and methodology developed is connected to the multidimensional identity of the Mediterranean Sea.

If each human being is considered a drop of water in the Mediterranean, we set our goal to value each drop, believing that one single drop can make a change; one drop, one human being can make a difference to the entire human race. One drop of water might have little significance for the humans, yet it is a miracle of nature. Equally, one human being might be of tiny importance to the millions of people around the Mediterranean Sea, each human is unique and extremely valuable for humanity.

By reflecting our common pulses, pathways and roots our partnership puts forward a multi-disciplinary performing arts project in the Mediterranean, that grows and welcomes more and more colleagues. With respect to diversity, the project, goes far beyond defending peoples’ differences and works on the exploration of peoples’ similarities, as if they share a common breath and a common heartbeat.

The values of equality, respect, transparency, clarity, simplicity, human rights and environmental protection are highly projected, since everybody is equal under the water.