Lazaros Filippidis

Age: 
36

Greek roots:
I was born in South Africa but grew up in Thessaloniki. My parents are of Pontian origin.

Where you live now: 
London, England.

Profession:
My current position is that of a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Greenwich working as part of the Fire Safety Engineering Group on Human Behavior and Evacuation Modeling for the Air, Built and Maritime industry.

When did you first join the movement to bring the Marbles back to Greece?
My desire to help on this issue arose from my first visit to the British Museum as a student many years ago. At the time I felt a strong surge of anger and sadness that was eventually channeled into inspiration and creativity. I prepared the series of cartoons now known as the "Marbles with an Attitude". At the beginning of 2006 I decided to step up my efforts and contribute in a more active way in order to assist the process of reunifying the Parthenon Sculptures. This led to the design of a new web site, the preparation and distribution of flyers as well as the creation of relevant t-shirts.

Was there negative feedback coming from Greeks and non-Greeks, who may have thought your cause was a lost cause?
Amongst the multitudes of positive feedback and encouraging comments there were just a handful of indifferent or negative remarks. People find the "Marbles with an Attitude" amusing and generally put a smile on the faces of both Greeks and non-Greeks alike.

When did the website officially launch?
The website Apokrisi is pretty new; it was officially launched on 30 August 2006 which also coincided with a report on the news bulletin of the Greek National Television NET.

What is the main purpose of the site?
The main purpose of the site is to inform our visitors of the issue, present the current position of the Greek government and direct our visitors to sources with more detailed information. In addition, it relays the reunification message in a witty and humorous way by the use of the Marbles with an Attitudes series of cartoons. We try and update the site as often as possible and in the near future we are planning to organise some further actions. We hope to receive support from all those who have registered on our site expressing an interest in this issue. As far as the latest news is concerned, we provide direct links to their sources.

Do you think that Greece has a chance to actually retrieve the Marbles now that the new Museum will be ready soon, and due to increasing pressure from both inside Britain and around the world?
There is currently a new trend in the way that museums operate. Recently, we have seen pieces of the Parthenon Sculptures return to Athens. Certainly, the presence of the new museum will have a strong impact on the position held by the British Museum. I also believe that the new proposal of the Greek government has the potential of being accepted by the British Museum. The new proposal agrees that the British Museum will remain the owner of the Sculptures but requests that the Sculptures be given to Greece under a long term loan agreement, perhaps in an annex of the British Museum within the new Acropolis Museum. I think that this proposal lies within the British frame of thought and mentality and therefore we do have a chance of seeing the Sculptures reunited in one location.

The t-shirt designs are great. Did you come up with them?
The idea, concept and design of the t-shirts are my own work. However, the design of some of the cartoons was influenced by input from friends. Our whole effort and method of informing the public on this issue is based on these cartoons. We thought that a humorous way would appeal to more people. Furthermore, the t-shirts can become a constant reminder of this issue and increase the awareness of the public which is what we aim to achieve.

Do you ship shirts outside the UK?
Yes, definitely, the t-shirts are actually made on demand so, every time somebody places an order a t-shirt is made. Ordering them is very easy; in fact the company that produces them (cafepress.com) is based in the USA so it will be even easier for your audience to order them. This company specializes in custom made t-shirts and provides an easy interface to create and thereafter order t-shirts.

You also run another website, for the latest Greek happenings in London. When did that come about?
This site, Apokrisi.net, promotes all Greek related events that take place in Great Britain. It started back in 1996 after I attended a lovely performance of Karagiozis at Theatro Tehnis in Camden Town, London. Unfortunately, the attendance was rather low. This prompted me to create a site that would advertise all Greek related events aiming to raise the awareness and therefore attendance in the numerous events that continuously take place in Great Britain.

Do you feel that the Greek community of London and the United Kingdom in general, is united?
It seems that the Greek community is rather united and this is apparent from the fact that most Greeks socialize with other Greeks. There are a few local Greek newspapers, a Greek radio, various web sites including Apokrisi.net all of whom aim to bring this community even closer.


Parting words?
It is important that our message is relayed to as many people as possible; the pressure can have a positive effect for our cause. The presence in the media is of paramount importance as is the involvement of influential individuals, organizations, student societies and every single one of us. If we all work for this cause we will eventually see a positive outcome.

Comments for DailyFrappe?
Keep up the good work of informing the Greek community of all the issues that are of interest to those living abroad and keeping alive our culture. Maintaining strong links with Greece and updating your audience of the ever evolving Greek thought, attitude and culture.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to present our effort to your audience.

Thank you Lazaros.

DF Interviews