Costas & Rita Severis Foundation

National Network
Cyprus
Address

285 Ermou Street
1017 Nicosia
Cyprus

Telephone
+357 22 300 999
Fax
+357 22300989
E-Mail
severis@cytanet.com.cy
E-Mail (2)
info@severis.org
Mobile Phone
+357 99 630872
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
1999
Fields of Activity
  1. Arts
  2. Heritage
  3. International/Cultural relations
  4. Others
  5. Research
General Information
In 2014, the Foundation opened the Centre of Visual Arts & Research (CVAR) in the heart of the walled city of Nicosia, which comprises of a museum hosting the Costas & Rita Severis collections, a research centre, café/restaurant and venues equipped to host a wide range of activities. The collection comprises of works of art by artists travelling to Cyprus during the 18th- 20th centuries, Cypriot memorabilia, Cypriot costumes of that period, and publications on the history, art and culture of Cyprus and its neighbours. The organisation is governed by a Board of Directors and currently employs 7 people. The cost of the operation is covered by the revenues from the museum and café/restaurant as well as funding by the founders and international donors. In 2013, the Foundation began the Sharing History, Art, Research & Education (SHARE) initiative, a partnership programme of the Foundation, Turkish Cypriot University Women’s Association, and the NGO Support Center.
Mission and Objectives

The mission of the Costas & Rita Severis Foundation is to promote culture, education, peaceful coexistence, understanding and cooperation amongst the people of Cyprus and between Cyprus and its neighbours. It is the first and only bicommunal museum in Cyprus.
The mission of the Centre of Visual Arts & Research is to promote the culture and history of Cyprus locally and abroad in a spirit of reconciliation and understanding among the different communities of the island. At the same time, the CVAR is intended as a forum for research and discussion, and a space in which educational and cultural events and activities can flourish. CVAR aims to:
- Encourage young people to learn about the cultural, religious, political and social history of Cyprus.
- Increase understanding and respect of Cyprus’ common cultural heritage across all the communities of the island.
- Provide a platform for peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution in Cyprus.
- Promote the importance of the visual and creative arts to young people.
- Present and interpret the work and experiences of international artists visiting the island and their perception of the people of Cyprus.

Main Projects / Activities

The Sharing History, Art, Research and Education (SHARE) initiative is an alliance between the Costas and Rita Severis Foundation, the Turkish Cypriot University Women's Association, and the NGO Support Center.
The goal of this alliance is to provide a common platform for the exploration of the island's cultural heritage through visual and creative arts and through this increase the potential for peaceful coexistence in Cyprus.
Apart from the SHARE initiative, CVAR also organises events such as lectures on art history, musical and theatrical performances, cultural tours around the island, educational programmes for children and other. In 2017 CVAR won the Grand Prix for Education, Training and Awareness raising of the European Union Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra.

How can you contribute to the Network in your country?

The Costas & Rita Severis Foundation can contribute by providing a cultural dimension to the network. Culture and history is an important tool for understanding people from different countries and the foundation has experience in creating understanding among communities and groups through culture, history and art.
The collection of CVAR consists of artifacts and publications  from the Ottoman-era until the 20th century, and includes publications and archives on Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and the mediteranean, thus covering most of the area that the ALF network covers.
 

Why do you want to join the ALF Network?

As already mentioned, the Centre of Visual Arts & Research has large collections and material on Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and the Levant region, and executes reconciliation bicommunal projects, thus through the ALF Network we will have the opportunity to cooperate with other organisations in the area in order to implement projects that are relevant to the scope of our aims and objectives and involve the region.

Contact (1) Full Name
Rita Severis
Job Title
Executive Director
Head of the organisation
Costas Severis