30.12.2022 – Union of Cypriots presents Honorary Awards to recognize the contributions of Cypriot individuals or organizations for our independence struggle. The Union of Cypriots Honorary Awards are given in memory of a Cypriot community leader, Dr. Ihsan Ali, who spent his life for his people and the Cypriot Republic.
In 2022, we are thrilled to present this award to SEASON Women, which wrote and performed a theater play about the “Women Walk Home” movement.
The “Women Walk Home” movement was a non-partisan, politically independent, non-violent movement of women from all walks of life whose aim was to show the world that their right to move freely and live in their own homeland has been violated by the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. This grassroots movement organized a series of marches in the 1970s and 80s that crossed the green line separating the areas under the control of the Republic of Cyprus and the occupied areas and confronted the Turkish army. The “Women Walk Home” movement was the first struggle to bring the occupation and settler colonialism in Cyprus to the international public. This struggle of refugee women who confronted the settlers and the occupation army was also the key to the human rights struggle in Cyprus. It was the struggle of these women that opened the door to international courts for Cypriots.
“SEASON Women” initiative reminded this important part of history to the people and honored the “Women Walk Home” movement. “SEASON Women” draws the audience into the play, creating an “embracement” and “will to walk shoulder to shoulder”.
The Union of Cypriots will continue fighting for a free Cyprus and will continue supporting all progressive and anti-imperialist efforts that break the chain of oppression.
Respectfully announced to the public.
Union of Cypriots
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The “SEASON Women” initiative is a platform that includes theatrical performances, parallel actions and interdisciplinary collaborations, which examine the dominant narrative about the position of women in society. “SEASON Women” aims to cultivate gender consciousness in the performing arts and gives a platform to the narration of the female experience through various artistic actions, mainly theatrical.
“SEASON Women” is inspired by artists and institutions around the world who challenge traditional hierarchies and structures, rethinking the policies of festivals, theatres and museums, creating artistic work that contains different standards or choosing a different lens through which to interpret the stories that shaped our cultural identity.
Since its establishment in 2019, “SEASON Women” has been involved in more than forty activities, including performances, tours, participations in festivals, lectures, collaborations with institutions abroad, as well as a short film.
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