The Makings of the Actor is an Athens-based research organisation which is working with Professor Paul Allain to create a drama school at postgraduate level repurposing some of the venues originally built in Marathon, Greece, for the 2004 Athens Olympics. The Marathon Project is being supported by Greek Ministry and EU funding as well as the region. Some of the Olympic venues will undergo refurbishment, including at the Marathon Run Start and the Rowing Centre.
Professor Allain has been working with Dr Kiki Selioni, the Artistic Director of the Makings of the Actor, as Academic Consultant since October 2021 when he was first invited to conduct a site visit. He subsequently met the Minister of Development in 2022 where they pitched the project. He has since spoken to the Mayor regional funders, including for the large Region of Attica, about his research into rural cultural developments and actor training, which is informing all developments. The project will not only lead to the creation of a new pedagogic institution but also the regeneration of the area through summer schools, festivals and other theatrical activities. Some of these have already been ongoing, including workshops led by Professor Allain for practitioners in Marathon and in Athens.
This project is funded by Kent’s Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) scheme. IAAs are institutional awards that have been introduced by Research Councils within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to deliver funding mechanisms for knowledge exchange and impact activities.