With less than a month to go until Christmas, lights string the streets and the shops have laid out their festive décor, although without the usual Christmas markets and carol singing this holiday season feels different than other years.

But the AG Leventis Gallery has a couple of fun, Christmassy events coming up. And to keep up with the times – and the measures – they are all streamed live online.

The Gallery is officially getting in the festive spirit by decorating their Christmas tree. What is different this season is that the Gallery asked various personalities from the field of art, culture and politics to send an ornament with a message or a wish for 2021. On December 1, gallery staff will take the ornament creations and decorate the tree. A timelapse will be posted online of the tree decorations along with photos of the ornaments and their messages.

“We hope that the decoration of the tree will fill us with optimism for better days that we expect for the new year,” said the Gallery.

A live stream dance performance will welcome in the new month as the Dance Department of the University of Nicosia will present a choreography with Augustina Triarou and Maria Chrysostomou. Held at the Gallery on December 2 at 6pm, the performance consists of two choreographies by Maria Kamberi and Dara Milovanovic and will be accompanied by live music. The event will be filmed and presented online through the official websites and social networks of Leventis Gallery (Facebook: @A. G. Leventis Gallery and Instagram: @agleventisgallery).

“At a time when performances and concerts are still ‘limited’ due to pandemic measures,” a Gallery spokesman said, “what we lack most is perhaps the joyful light and optimism of Christmas. Art is once again finding a way to be a part of our lives and ‘invade’ our homes. As part of the Christmas online activities of the AG Leventis Gallery, art is definitely present and provides your afternoons with notes of optimism, but also with performances that fill you with the warmth of the holidays.”

The rest of the month will continue with more socially-distanced, online and festive events as on December 15, the Gallery plans to host the brass section of the Cyprus Youth Symphony Orchestra for an evening of live Christmas music. Six talented young musicians, with their professor Gareth Griffiths will give a 30-minute recital at 6pm in the Gallery’s Impressionists Room. Audiences can tune in online and watch the performance from home.

(Cyprus Mail)