Today, more than ever, world heritage is threatened by war, terrorism and crime. In areas of conflict, cultural heritage continues to be systematically destroyed by regimes and religious zealots, in their attempts to eradicate all traces of other cultures. The plunder of cultural artefacts has continued throughout history right up to the present day – from Nazi occupied Europe, to ‘ISIS’ controlled territory in the Middle East, to Turkish occupied Cyprus, to name just a few cases. At Theatro Technis, on 19 July 2017, Tasoula Hadjitofi will discuss her experiences of war and injustice; her ongoing campaign to preserve cultural heritage worldwide and her tireless work to combat the illegal trade in looted cultural goods. In 1974 Tasoula Hadjitofi and her family were forced to flee their home in Famagusta, Cyprus during the Turkish invasion.
As a refugee living in the Netherlands, Tasoula devoted her life to infiltrating and exposing the shady underworld of art traffickers. She takes action for the repatriation of looted antiquities to their rightful owners in war torn countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as her homeland of Cyprus. She will tell her remarkable story and give an account of how hundreds of religious sites were destroyed and looted during and after the Turkish invasion and occupation in Cyprus; and how many of those stolen artefacts came to be sold on the international black market. Tasoula will discuss her memoir ‘The Icon Hunter’, a powerful chronicle of art trafficking and the impact it has on those whose lives are torn apart in conflict zones. She describes her book as “my gift to my country, Cyprus, my gift to 65 million refugees worldwide.”
Tasoula is the founder of Walk of Truth, a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to raise awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage in conflict areas. As a ‘Culture Crime Watcher’, Tasoula engages the public in protecting cultural heritage as a currency of peace. She hopes that Walk of Truth and her book will empower and connect every refugee around the world who wishes to use the lessons learned from Cyprus for their own country. Chair: Nick Kounoupias, specialist lawyer in intellectual property, fraud, cultural property and international justice law. Nick was the UK lawyer for the Church of Cyprus, tasked with recovering and repatriating mosaics and icons stolen from churches and monasteries in the occupied area of Cyprus. The event is part of Cyprus Week at Theatro Technis, which marks 43 years since the Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus. Presentations will be in English. Admission free. Wednesday 19 July 2017, 7.30pm at Theatro Technis, 26 Crowndale Road, Camden Town, London NW1 1TT (nearest tube Mornington Crescent).
To attend RSVP to 020 8888 2556 or email admin@lobbyforcyprus.org
