For almost 1000 years, ancient Greek history has told its story of The Delphic Games. At that time until the year 394 they were considered as one of the most important festivals and took place one year prior to the Olympic Games. Whilst the Olympic Games had its priority in the body-oriented competition, the Delphic Games focused towards the artistic competition. They had such a high priority in ancient times that even wars and conflicts had to stop during the time of the games.
100 years after the re-launch of the Olympic Games of the Modern Era, 1994 in Berlin the founding assembly of the International Delphic Council took place to start off the Delphic Games of the Modern Era. The IDC arranges for the Delphic Games and the Junior Delphic Games to take place within a four-year period but two years apart on changing destinations of the world. Georgia hosted the I Junior Delphic Games 1997, a historic moment. The III Delphic Games 2009 took place in Jeju / Korea. They united the winners of national heats to compete for Delphic Medals, Lyra and Laurel. The competition took place in 6 Delphic Art Categories and its disciplines.
This competition of spirit will vitalize and enlarge the cultural development, preserve the cultural heritage, strengthen the cultural diversity of people and serve understanding and reconciliation with a globalised world. The Delphic Games of the Modern Era are a forum for peaceful dialogue of all cultures. The continuous founding of additional national Delphic Councils in all continents is strengthening the cultural network and the chance of a peaceful world.
Three ways of participation in the Delphic Games
1. The Artistic Competition
A competition takes place in those Art Disciplines within the 6 Delphic Art Categories that are suitable for a retrievable performance/presentation, a lecture, or other forms of presentation to be performed live to an audience or jury.
2. The competition within the frame of exhibition and presentation
The results of the artistic process are shown to the audience and jury. This competition is reserved for those artistic disciplines, where the effort isn't immediately available but shows a result of a progress that hasn't any time limit on it.
3. The competition of artistic contributions and pieces, presented through film documentaries.
In these competitions, the exceptional artistic contribution is introduced in a film documentary that artists of the participating nations achieved within the last four years.
Awarding Formats at the Delphic Games
- Medal:
In Gold, Silver and Bronze in comparable competitive disciplines
- Lyre:
For exceptional individual artistic performance as a part of a larger synthesis of the arts
- Laurel:
For outstanding and incomparable artistic performances
"Art and Culture are both our past and our future - they are the deepest expression of our feelings, our identities, and our personalities. Art helps us to understand different cultures; culture helps us to understand different arts. Together, art and culture allow the different generations to communicate and create. It was in this spirit that the ancient Greeks organised the original Delphic Games, and it is in this spirit that the international Delphic Council decided to relaunch the Games. I would like to salute this initiative very warmly..."
Daniel TARSCHYS (Secretary General of the Council of Europe 1994 - 1999) on the occasion of the II Delphic World Congress and the I Junior Delphic Games in Tbilisi/Georgia 1997
