The Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) is a charitable non-profit foundation which supports the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage of the country with emphasis on craft and industrial technology, and promoting networking between Culture and Environment. PIOP designs and implements projects and programs related to the culture and environment, while, through the action of keep an important part of the commitments of the Group Corporate Responsibility.
The Foundation (PIOP), through the creation and management of an extensive network of thematic technological museums in the Greek region:
• Supports the local economy by creating new jobs and cooperating with local suppliers. In addition to contributing to the increase in tourism in distant or island regions, PIOP also contributes to the economic development of local communities, as the majority of goods and products sold in the museum cafes and shops are supplied by the local markets. The Museum staff are mostly hired from the local community and undergo regular training, thus upgrading the standard of services offered to visitors (assistance of people with vision problems, use of audio tour guides, emergency evacuation, etc). Museums do not belong to the Foundation or the Piraeus Bank but to local authorities or the Greek state. Visitors to the Museum Network reached 112,000 in 2013, 67% of them free of charge. Visitor numbers stem from the support provided by the local communities, in recognition of the benefits from the promotion of their cultural identity, the promotion of the local economy, and from continuous renewal of cultural actions -by means of periodic exhibitions, lectures, conferences and a multitude of other cultural events.
• Organizes high-standard cultural events in the Multi-Purpose Halls of the Museum Network that establish the Museums as permanent cultural centers for the local communities in which they operate. The Foundation organizes artistic and scientific actions which are related to the character of each museum or are presented in the whole network; it often collaborates with local bodies and houses their events in its Multi-Purpose Halls. In particular, in 2013, 14 exhibitions, 61 cultural actions, 7 regular and 47 “anniversary” educational programs for minors and adults were organized.
Some of these are: “A Balkan Tale” in collaboration with Goethe Institut; photograph exhibitions combined with art photography seminars by Platon Rivellis; the cartoon exhibition “Museums and Humor” by the Norwegian artist Geir Helgen; a painting exhibition by Maria Kallipoliti entitled “Alhambra – Olive oil press”; “Olive oil presses, mills and water mills at Pilio”, a scientific seminar and tour of select pre-industrial workshops at Pilio; music events, screenings and guided tours for officials, foreign delegates, scientific and professional bodies.
• With regard to topic selection, places emphasis on traditional technologies, the country’s natural resource management, material wealth and culture of the recent past. Priority is given to the study of the most important sectors of Greek economy, with special products-techniques also meriting study. The workshop focused on the multifariousness of industrial heritage and the need for an interdisciplinary approach. In this framework, the following actions were successfully organized:
“Olive oil presses, mills and water mills at Pilio”, a PIOP research program on industrial archaeology (presentation of PIOP research program, held in February 2013 and combined with a tour of traditional workshops at Pilio).
“From ancient to modern rust: the mining city of Lavrio in modern times” (PIOP workshop and tour of the Lavrion Technological Cultural Park, held in April 2013).
The Foundation's goals are further implemented through:
• Free promotion of educational folders and volumes published by PIOP, that serve as preparatory work for school visits to the museums.
• Providing scientific advisory support to national and public bodies, local authorities, educational units, centers for environmental education, young scientists, researchers and doctoral candidates at their request, supporting the preparation of cultural objects and actions and promote the drafting work on the theme of PIOP.
For more information: - www.piop.gr/en - www.piraeusbankgroup.com > Corporate Responsibility > Culture
