Watch the video on Facebook.
Donald writes about Stoicism and mentions the Plato’s Academy Centre in the 2021 edition of Governance Matters magazine, from the Chandler Institute.
Video: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Leaders
News: Plato’s Academy Centre in 2022
The future is bright for the Plato’s Academy Centre as we look ahead to 2022. We’re happy to announce that we will begin operating officially from January as a civil non-profit association (AMKE), registered in Greece.
We’re delighted to thank and welcome our board of advisors: Prof. Christopher Gill, Prof. Katerina Ierodiakonou, Dr. John Sellars, Mick Mulroy, Tim Bartlett, Justin Stead, Pantelis Panos, Robin Waterfield, and David Fideler. Special thanks also to Tim LeBon, Mia Funk, Eugenia Manolidou, Kathryn Koromilas, Karen Duffy, Artemis Miropoulos, Massimo Pigliucci, Tom Butler-Bowdon for their interviews on the website. If you’re an author or academic who writes about Greek philosophy or literature, and interested in getting involved with our project, you’re welcome to get in touch.
We’d also like to thank the Orange Grove incubator program, an initiative of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, based in Athens. I’m well underway in the program and their support has been tremendous.
In collaboration with the Aurelius Foundation and YPO, Plato’s Academy Centre is organizing a series of events in Athens for September 2022, including at Akadimia Platonos.
Our first-ever virtual event is slated for Summer/Autumn 2022 – details to be announced shortly. Look out for some of your favourite authors from the field of philosophy and classics, though.
Watch this space as we revamp our website for Phase 2 of its development and look out for more announcements as they develop!
You can now follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Show your support by tweeting @platoacademycen in your posts!
Kasey Pierce
Communications Director
Announcing: Plato’s Academy Centre
How would you like to attend an event at the original location of Plato’s Academy?
We’re delighted to officially announce the launch of the Plato’s Academy Centre project. Plato’s Academy Centre is a nonprofit organization, creating an international conference centre at the original location of Plato’s Academy, in Athens, Greece. We are also creating an online community for exploring the applications of Greek classical literature and philosophy to modern living.
[Plato’s Academy is] an inspiring and atmospheric place to visit. It would be wonderful to be able to meet with people and talk about ancient philosophy there, an iconic location in the history of Western thought.
Dr. John Sellars, author of Lessons in Stoicism
What we’ve been doing
- We recently joined the Orange Grove incubator program, based in Athens, who will be supporting our startup phase
- Our core team has been formed, and a board of advisors has been established, which includes academics, authors, and experts
- The legal process of incorporating as a Civil Non-Profit Association (AMKE), will be completed by 1st Jan 2022
- We have been meeting stakeholders, including government ministers and other NGO’s
- We are now looking at properties adjacent to Plato’s Academy Park, for the new conference centre
- We’ve secured initial startup funding for the project, and have started implementing our communications and social media strategy
- Our website has been published, and social media accounts created, featuring interviews and other original content
- We’ve started collaborating other organizations in order to organize physical and virtual events in 2022
Giving a talk or workshop at the location of Plato’s Academy in Athens would be a dream for me. I am in awe of Plato’s contribution to culture and learning…
Mia Funk, artist and founder of The Creative Process exhibition and podcast
What’s next?
We are organizing physical and virtual events for 2022, which will be announced shortly. You can find more information about the project on our website platosacademy.org. From now on, we’ll be posting news and articles regularly there, and keeping you informed via our social media accounts. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
How you can help
If you want to support the project, you can subscribe to our Patreon page. Please also feel free to contact us if you’re interested in volunteering or offering your support in other ways.
You can also subscribe to our newsletter, to receive regular updates about our progress.
Thank you for your support,
Kasey Pierce
Communications Director
News: Greek Ministry Announce Plans for Plato’s Academy
The promotion of the archaeological site of Plato’s Academy and the creation of the Archaeological Museum of Athens, in addition to their historical and cultural significance, create a great opportunity for the entire area…
Costas Bakogiannis, Mayor of Athens
Several news outlets today reported on an announcement by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Municipality of Athens concerning the signing of a joint development agreement for the archeological site of Plato’s Academy, in central Athens.
The plan includes two main elements:
- Renovation of the archaeological site of Plato’s Academy to make it more appealing to visitors, and its promotion as an attraction of cultural and historical significance.
- The announcement of an architectural competition involving submission of designs for the proposed Archaeological Museum of Athens, construction of which has already been approved by the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, is reported as saying:
The approval by the Central Archaeological Council of the studies, which concern the regeneration of the archeological site of Plato’s Academy, is an important moment for Athens and for its history.
Concerning the proposed Museum of Athens, she stated:
The new Museum will present the history of the city, through the findings brought to light by decades of archaeological research, masterpieces from the bowels of the city of Athens, which could not be exhibited elsewhere and tell their own story.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports is collaborating closely with the Municipality of Athens and the Mayor Costas Bakogiannis on this project. Their goal is to improve the quality of life for residents of Athens, especially in the Plato’s Academy suburb, while also highlighting the cultural importance of this unique archaeological site.
The Mayor of Athens, Costas Bakogiannis, added:
The promotion of the archaeological site of Plato’s Academy and the creation of the Archaeological Museum of Athens, in addition to their historical and cultural significance, create a great opportunity for the entire area that has suffered a lot in recent years, due to its abandonment. We have been given the opportunity to transform it into a place of destination and development. To upgrade the quality of life and daily life of its inhabitants and to become our starting point for a path that leads to entrepreneurship, new jobs and its modernization.
The proposals aim to:
- Enhance the readability of the archaeological site and the protection and promotion of individual monuments.
- Improve accessibility for the monuments and continuity between the archeological ruins and the modern park.
- Upgrade the whole area to become a “green lung” and a destination for walks and leisure, with both a local flavour and wider significance.
- Enhance the safety and security of visitors, public property and antiquities.
Improvements to the existing excavation sites will potentially create an opportunity for unearthing new archeological finds.
Plato’s Academy Centre
In a separate proposal, a private nonprofit initiative seeks to establish a new “Plato’s Academy Centre” adjacent to the location of Plato’s Academy Park. The centre would consist of two main elements:
- An international conference centre, attracting foreign investment to the area by holding events in the vicinity of the original Plato’s Academy.
- A centre for “philosophy as a way of life”, organizing events inspired by Greek culture and philosophy, in the spirit of Socratic and Platonic teachings.
The proposal is led by bestselling author Donald Robertson and has the backing of leading academics in the field of classics and philosophy.