The C.S.Y.D., consisting of 70 members aged 11-25, prepares 2-3 programmes a year which are presented in the major towns. A 10-day annual summer school is also organised for additional individual and group tuition and training in chamber music.

The Cultural Services also organise concerts of Cypriot artists who reside permanently abroad and of foreign groups invited within the framework of the programme of cultural exchanges between Cyprus and other countries.

Dance
The Cultural Services provide financial aid to Cyprus folk dance groups and to modern dance groups. Groups are also encouraged to perform abroad. Seminars are organised to provide a basis of study of the traditional Cypriot dances in order to avoid alienation of regional dances and to improve performance.

Visual Arts
The Cultural Services organise exhibitions of contemporary Cypriot artists both in Cyprus and abroad as well as exhibitions which come within the framework of cultural exchanges with foreign countries or in collaboration with overseas museums and institutions of art.

The Cultural Services also arrange and support the participation of Cypriot artists in large international exhibitions such as the Biennials of Art in Venice, Sao Paolo, Alexandria, India, Cairo, the Biennial of Young Artists of the Mediterranean etc.

In order to enhance, support and promote the work of Cypriot artists, a number of their works of art is selected by a special committee (chaired by a Cultural Officer) for purchase to enrich the State’s Art Collection.

The State Gallery of Contemporary Art - inaugurated in 1990 - has been set up by the Cultural Services.
It contains about 160 works by 77 Cypriot artists. The neo-classical building which accommodates the works serves as a permanent museum of Cypriot art but occasionally it houses temporary exhibitions. Besides the exhibition area, there is a specialised art library on the same premises which contains art publications, exhibition catalogues and a large variety of international art magazines and periodicals. It operates as a study centre and a point of reference for artists and students.

A system of financial aid and other assistance is being implemented for the Cyprus Chamber of Fine Arts (EKATE) and the association of self taught painters and for other individual artists.

The “Kypria” International Festival
The “Kypria” art festival is organised annually by the Cultural Services, the rationale behind it being to upgrade the art movement on the island and to highlight its links with international culture.

Since its inception, in 1993, it has become an institution making high quality entertainment accessible to a wide range of people. The various performances include theatre, ballet, opera and music.

Alongside well-known international artists or ensembles, Cypriot artists who have distinguished themselves abroad and acquired international reputation are also presented.

Cinema
Under the auspices of the Cultural Services special cinema gala weeks with films from Greece and other countries are organised. Film societies and clubs are encouraged and sponsored by the Cultural Services to promote quality films in Cyprus. Furthermore, financial aid is also provided for the production of short documentaries on cultural topics.

The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (TH.O.C.)
Theatre in Cyprus has flourished since antiquity and there is wonderful proof of this with the existence of the ancient theatres of Kourion, Paphos, Salamis and Soli. The theatres of Salamis and Soli, have been under Turkish military occupation since 1974.The Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) was founded by law in 1971 with the aim of promoting the Theatrical Arts in Cyprus and aiding cultural links with other countries. During its almost thirty years of operation the Cyprus Theatre Organisation has staged more than 250 plays both classical and modern as well as plays by Greek and Cypriot playwrights. On average, nine new productions are presented each year, four by THOC’s central stage, four by its new stage and two by its children’s stage.

THOC employs on a regular basis 23 actors and works with a group of internationally acclaimed stage directors, stage-costume designers and composers. Foreign directors, stage-costume designers, composers and actors are occasionally invited to work on a number of THOC’s productions.

The Organisation has toured abroad extensively giving performances in England, Egypt, Germany, Bulgaria, Russia, Greece and the U.S.A. Since 1980 THOC has taken part in the annual Epidaurus Festival with plays from the Ancient Greek Drama repertory.

The Cyprus Theatre Organisation is also responsible for the development of theatrical art in Cyprus, undertaking the building of new and the renovation of old theatre buildings throughout Cyprus. It subsidises the “Independent Theatres”, organises theatre seminars, playwriting competitions, symposiums and annual competitions for amateur drama groups as well as school drama clubs. It also financially supports theatres of Cypriot communities abroad. In cooperation with the Municipality of Limassol, the Cyprus Theatre has founded the Cyprus Theatre Museum.

The Cyprus Theatre Organisation is administered by a nine-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Council of Ministers for a period of three years. The Director of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation is appointed by the Board and his appointment is approved by the Council of Ministers. An artistic committee makes recommendations to the Board on issues concerning the Organisation’s repertory.