Cultural and Educational Association «ARTEMIS»

Artemis association was established in 1977, with the aim of promoting the island of Leros and its cultural development by providing offering its citizens creative outlets of all kinds, through artistic – sporting – folklore activities.

It is currently one of the best organised and active associations not only of the Aegean, but also of Greece, and has won special esteem for its contribution to the promotion of our popular heritage.

Within this context, it organises traditional music festivals for the young people of the Dodecanese (in collaboration with the Prefecture of the Dodecanese), traditional feasts, dance meetings bringing together Greek and foreign groups, concerts, traditional costume exhibitions, traditional dance seminars, etc.

The traditional music department brings together tens of musicians and traditional singers of all ages, who, along with the dance department (420 members), accompany the association in all the events it participates in, in Greece and abroad. The publications department has published many books on the history and promotion of the island, while, together with the department of music publications, it has recorded Cds of traditional music of Leros and the wider area of the Dodecanese.

Currently, most of the 550 inhabitants of Leros, especially the young people, find a creative outlet in the departments of the association, the executives of which (dance teachers, musicians, singers, researchers, etc.) travel around the world, cooperating with various institutions of Greeks abroad, as well as associations of other countries.