MISSION

Cultural Crete USA, Inc is a nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes.  Specifically, this organization has been formed to:

a.                   Promote the arts and cultures

b.                  Educate the public on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community

c.                   Support other organizations conducting charitable activities. 

Cultural Crete USA, Inc. furthers its purposes by advancing and promoting the culture, music, and traditions of the island of Crete, via educational seminars and organizing of music and cultural events in the United States.

We will conduct the following activities for our program:

Publications and music Events and CD's

o   Sponsored the cost of a DVD Production f r the ARKADI Monastery Holocaust, for a production of 3,000 copies of the DVD’s which were distributed free to the members of the Pancretan Association of America.

o   Sponsored production of music CD “Café Aman Amerika” for GAEPIS/Cosmos FM with the songs of the early Greek immigrants in America, which is being distributed free of charge.

·         Cultural Seminars & Lectures:

Cultural Seminars & Lectures will be organized periodically around the following themes:

o   MUSIC OF CRETE: Ethnomusicology Specialists and other noted experts in the field of Cretan Music will offer an annual seminar on the historical roots and development of the Music of CRETE. The seminars will target audience will be Greek American college music students and other music professionals, as well as, ethnomusicologists form various colleges and universities.  Locations for the annual seminar will vary from Eastern to Western states to offer accessibility to many potential participants throughout the US.

o   THE VENIZELOS MEMORIAL LECTURE: Eleftherios Venizelos has been one of the biggest political leaders of modern Greece. Annually, on the occasion of his death, a professor form a prominent college/university will be invited to offer a lecture on Venizelos, his leadership and his accomplishments. This usually falls the month of March.  

o   THE KAZANTZAKIS LECTURE: Nikos Kazantzakis is classified as one of the giants of Modern Greek literature. His books have been translated in over 100 languages and his writings have influenced many other writers and intellectuals. He was born in the island of Crete and represents a significant part of the Cretan heritage.

o   CRETAN CUISINE & ITS HEALTH BENEFITS: An annual lecture panel discussion on Cretan Cuisine and its beneficial effects on human health will be organized in NYC.   Expert nutritionists and chefs are invited either from a US University or the University of Crete to lecture on the benefits of the famous Cretan Diet and how it can be applied to our own US diet for medical enhancement and lifestyle changes.

·         Theater Productions (related to the History and Literature of the island of Crete.)  

o   Sponsored a Theater company form Ierapetra, Crete, Greece to travel to the US and put up theater production of “Zorba the Greek”  in the Winter of 2011, which attracted more than 1000 attendees.

·         Publication of Historical & other Books

o   Sponsored the re-publication as well as translation of George Horton’s book “Like Another Helen”, which is currently being distributed free of charge.