Homer Sings, produced by EllinikoTheatro in close collaboration with the International Readers of Homer is a multi-art event dedicated to the diachronic and universal epics of Homer, with the organic participation of the audience. In each marathon literary and musical celebration 200-400 people of all ages and backgrounds, during periods ranging from 8 to 15 hours, render, one after the other, each in their own way, the Iliad or the Odyssey. The pre-assigned passages are read, sung or performed in dozens of languages, while thousands of spectators enjoy an on-stage projection of the respective text in the language of the host country.

​

These events represent a participatory approach to the important intellectual and artistic contribution of Homer to global culture and include significant educational and social dimensions. Our objectives include the revival of public reading, the recognition of Homer’s immediacy, the honoring of his international translators, the offering of multidimensional audiovisual experience, and, finally, a great opportunity for learning and socialization to hundreds of participants. At a time when cultural diversity and participatory approaches to the arts have become more pertinent than ever, The International Readers Of Homer and EllinikoTheatro suggest an innovative interactive experience that can appeal to and bring together a diverse number of audiences.

Recently, ET and IROH encountered unprecedented success in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Kos island, Greece, where, as part of Jornadas Homéricas and the Hippocrateia festival respectively, thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds participated in dozens of languages in marathon rendition of the Odyssey and the Iliad, as well as in several parallel Homeric events. More recently, the two organizations presented The Odyssey at the venerable 92nd Street Y in New York with the participation of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, enthusiastic Hellenists, UN Ambassadors, and children and adults from a vast range of nationalities. The nightlong reading, combined with live music by the ancient instruments ensemble LyrAvlos, original dance interludes by ChoreoTheatro and the tasting of a Homeric feast, enchanted the New York public and was widely covered by the media. Similar spirited events have been held at the Library of Alexandria, the Getty Villa in Malibu, the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron Mousikis), the Nieuw Dakota in Amsterdam, the Portland Museum in Oregon and in underserved communities and schools in Los Angeles, CA