The restored Choragic Monument of Lysicrates located at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney is set to be unveiled on October 16.
The 148-year-old monument had fallen into a state of despair over the years. However, thanks to John and Patricia Azarias who undertook a two-year mission to restore the national treasure, the monument has had a $600,000 facelift from private and government funding.
The couple had been visiting the gardens in 2014 when the derelict monument came to their attention.
“Humans put up monuments and we think that they will be remembered through them and then people do not see them any more; they become transparent. And that happened to this monument,” Mr Azarias said to neoskosmos.com.
Mr Azarias explained that they were able to attract donors from all backgrounds.
“The Greek community were the first ones who responded…The donors have come from a wide range of backgrounds – African, Anglo-Celtic, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Italian, Christian, Jewish, Muslim – another testimony to the vibrancy and diversity of this fabulous city.”
But there is more than just the monument that has been restored to the community as Mr and Mrs Azarias also formed the Lysicrates Foundation, inspired by the monument in Athens that was erected in 334 BC by choregos Lysicrates in commemoration of his triumph in the Theatre of Dionysus competition.
The Lysicrates Foundation annually invites three playwrights to perform the first scene of their play and the winner is granted $12,500 to assist in the completion of their work.
“In essence we are reviving the Great Dionysia,” Mr Azarias told neoskosmos.com. “Every member of the audience comes in to the conservatorium, they receive a little ceramic token and then they watch one play after the other. When they leave there are three urns, one for each play, and they put the token they have in one. The urn that has the most is the winner.”
The shortlisted playwrights for the 2017 Lysicrates Prize will be announced later this month and will be performed at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in February.
For more information about the unveiling of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates at the gardens please see: http://lysicratesfoundation.org.au
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