The J.F. Costopoulos Foundation, a non-profit charitable institution, was founded in 1979, on the occasion of the centenary of Alpha Bank, then operating as Credit Bank, in memory of its founder John F. Costopoulos by its then Chairman, the late Spyros Costopoulos and his wife Eurydice. In accordance with its purpose, as is stipulated by its Articles of Association and Operation, the Foundation continuously supports the safeguard and promotion of the Greek culture, education, scientific research and the arts both in Greece and abroad.

The financial crisis during the year under review, as reflected through the financial indicators of the present annual report, drastically limited both the number and the amounts for the funding of our activities. Under these circumstances, the selection of programmes funded was associated mainly with
commitments of a moral and symbolic nature for the continuation and completion of planned activities, which had commenced during prior years. Accordingly, the Foundation focused on the necessity to support individual initiatives and activities that aim to realise its constitutional goals.

In the field of research and Greek literature, systematic and copious initiatives that reaffirm the wealthy range of Greek civilization in all its aspects were completed with the continuous support of the Foundation. One could characteristically mention the underwater archaeological research of the Hellenic Institute of Ancient and Medieval Alexandrian Studies organised at the east harbour of Alexandria. The respective interdisciplinary Greek mission has been carried out thanks to the annual support of the Foundation for the past eight years under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the license granted by the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt. The value of the relevant findings for the ancient topography of Alexandria led to their housing in the Maritime Museum, which is currently being established, in the Stanley district of the city. Moreover, with the constant support of the Foundation, part of the translation of Homer’s Iliad, by Professor Dimitris Maronitis, was realised and published according to the new demands of translation theory and practice. At the same time, original research works have already been completed, such as those by Mr. Panagiotis Kambanis on the Amulets of Late Antiquity and their transformation by the Christian society and of Ms Nassi-Athanassia Malagardis on the typology of Greek beakers. Furthermore, the Foundation supported the work of institutions and organisations that have a stable presence in Greek cultural life throughout consecutive decades. Reference should be made here to the completion of the digitisation by the Friends of Hill School Association of the historical archives of the school, to the support of the annual scientific lecture cycle of the Numismatic Museum, as well as to the support towards the operation of institutions throughout Greece, such as the Cultural and Development Centre of Thrace and the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation.

In the field of education, the Foundation made it possible once again for educational and cultural institutions to award grants to students, young researchers, and artists. For the eighth consecutive year, support was given to the University of Crete in order to award the J.F. Costopoulos Foundation Scholarship (in memory of Stavros Costopoulos) to a researcher that contributed in a creative and original manner to the field of History of Art in the West. Accordingly, support was granted to the Scholarship Programme of the Fulbright Foundation for furthering the education of three Greek researchers and artists at universities and cultural institutions in the United States of America in the fields of Architecture, Stage Design and Photography. In Greece, support was also granted selectively for educational activities, such as the “Greek Summer” of the American Farm School, a forty-year old tradition which involves the summer training of American students at Palaiochori on Pangaio Mountain, Drama. Another such educational initiative is the annual scholarship programme of the Foundation for Thracian Art and Tradition for the continuing education of repatriated Greeks in the visual arts. In the field of basic education, support of great symbolic value was also given to the Zografio Lower and Upper High School in Istanbul.

The Foundation also supported ad hoc initiatives by individuals and institutions that contribute in an original manner to the production of contemporary research. A number of such initiatives were supported in order to further promote the study of the Greek Cultural Heritage, as it is encountered within the physical and cultural environment of the Mediterranean Sea. In this vein, support was granted to Ms Dimitra Kamarinou for the publication of her monograph on Mediterranean nautical technology in the Mycenaean period, which in the past was presented with the George Oikonomou Award of the Section of Letters and Fine Arts of the Academy of Athens. In the same context, support was offered to the conference held in Athens by the Contemporary Greek History Postgraduate Programme of the University of Athens in collaboration with the corresponding Department of the University of Minnesota. The meeting in question included a wealth of announcements focusing on the broad spectrum of the Mediterranean world from the late Middle Ages until the present day regarding its beliefs, communities, and the respective political transitions.

Furthering the diffusion of cultural expression, the Foundation reinforced its support once again for various cultural institutions in the fields of theatre, music and dance. In this realm, the Foundation supported the National Theatre of Greece, yet again, for the realisation of its annual initiative entitled “Readings”, the non-profit organisation Enastros for the realisation of the 4th Aegina International Music Festival, as well as the Pharis Kalamata Municipality Beneficiary Organisation for the realisation of the 15th Kalamata International Dance Festival. These three institutions, which are spread out amongst Athens, Aegina and Kalamata, promote the cultural life of Greece while presenting the work of both new and recognised artists, as well as experimental groups of the Greek and international art scene. In accordance with the principle of showcasing the work of Greek visual artists or visual artists of Greek origin, the Foundation and the Thessaloniki Center of Contemporary Art, in collaboration with the Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa - G.I. Katsigras Museum presented the retrospective exhibition of the artist Athena Tacha. The exhibition, which included over 100 works and photographic reproductions of this little-known (to the Greek public) artist, portrayed the wealth and inner cohesion of her work on landscape / environmental sculpture and conceptual art. The exhibition will be presented in Larissa and Athens and is accompanied by a documented catalogue.

In the field of cultural expression, the Foundation selectively supported original and proactive initiatives. In this domain, one could mention the Foundation’s exclusive sponsorship of the publication of the bilingual catalogue accompanying the exhibition at the Cycladic Museum of Art, regarding the perception of Eros in all its diversity, as a form, a human constant and a divine figure throughout the Greek antiquity. Noteworthy initiatives which involve the work of Greek artists, based on ancient and contemporary cultural heritage, were presented throughout Europe. Examples include the performance of Antigone by Sophocles in its original version in Belgium by Theatriki Leschi and the Greek - Turkish documentary production by Inkas Film Productions on Agios Georgios Coudounas of the Prince’s Islands which was featured in various Greek and Turkish Film Festivals.

Finally, the non-profit identity of the Foundation, which has been present since its inception, was displayed once again through the regular support of initiatives with a social impact. Special emphasis was placed in the support of the work of Libraries, Holy Dioceses, associations and charitable foundations in the developing and border areas of Greece, as well as the Greek Diaspora. Various institutions were supported, such as the Orthodox Theological Academy of the Church of Albania, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Holy Dioceses of Derkoi and Prince’s Islands, the Dia.Logos - Association for the Promotion of the Greek Language and Culture and the Fraternity Zygovistinon “Metamorfosi”.

Board of Trustees Yannis S. Costopoulos Chairman Anastasia S. Costopoulou Vice-Chairman Demetrios P. Mantzounis Treasurer Photios P. Costopoulos Trustee Constantinos D. Kerameus Trustee

Administration Hector P. Verykios Director Katerina H. Koskina Artistic Director Athanassios G. Efthimiopoulos Financial Services Secretariat Assimina E. Strongili Vassiliki C. Florou Magdalini N. Tzepkinli