XORKO Collaborative Arts Movement was a cultural and artists' movement based in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

that began on November 15, 2011, originally by Evagoras Bekiaris and Nico Stephou. XORKO in

Cypriot Greek Cypriot Greek (, or ) is the variety of Modern Greek that is spoken by the majority of the Cypriot populace and Greek Cypriot diaspora. It is considered a divergent dialect as it differs from Standard Modern Greek in various aspects of its ...

translates to village. The word was used metaphorically as a way to promote the idea of an environment similar to one that can be found in a village; and hence to create a sense of belonging between the members of the movement. Artistic liberation being a main aim of XORKO, was seen by the movement as only possible within a framework that could facilitate a roof for Cypriot artists to collaborate in a "Do It Together" context, where XORKO acts as a platform/roof enabling all members to expand themselves in the context of art collaborations and not limit their art to just their personal forms of expression. XORKO promoted the notions of

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

ing and no sponsoring, opposing the "industrialization of music" implemented by multinational

record labels "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...

and other companies that promote the

commodification Commodification is the process of transforming inalienable, free, or gifted things (objects, services, ideas, nature, personal information, people or animals) into commodities, or objects for sale.For animals"United Nations Commodity Trade Stati ...

of art. XORKO produced compilations with various music artists through this collaboration process, which it uploaded and distributed through

SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...

. While XORKO had held various art events since its formation, it received wider coverage after holding two

art festivals at

Arminou Arminou () is a village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located 5 km north of Salamiou on the F617 road from Filousa to Mandria. The village is on the Dhiarizos River which is second in terms of flow river in Cyprus. The Arminou Dam, an ear ...

village in July 2012 and August 2013, run by

volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

References

Cypriot art DIY culture Organisations based in Cyprus {{Cyprus-stub