About this Organization
The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation was established in 1984 and is housed in the old administrative building of the Bank of Cyprus, which was built in 1936 and is situated in the historical center of Nicosia near Phaneromeni Church. Since its establishment in 1984, BOCCF main strategic aims are a) to collect, preserve and disseminate primary sources related to the cultural and natural heritage of Cyprus, with a particular emphasis on the international promotion of the island’s centuries-long Greek civilization and b) to encourage, assist and materialize the research and study of Cypriot civilization in the fields of archaeology, history, art and literature. In keeping with the objectives originally delineated for the Cultural Foundation, BOCCF currently curates two important museums (the Archaeological Museum of George and Nefeli Giabra Pierides and the Museum of the History of Cypriot Coinage) and keeps six Cyprological collections (Coins – Maps – Rare Books & Manuscripts, Engravings, Old Photographs & Watercolours – Contemporary Cypriot Art, the Archaeological Collection and the Ethnographic Collection). The Ethnographic Collection has been accumulated through the years by three generations of the Pierides family in Larnaca. It is an important collection of objects of Cypriot folk art, related to the rural and urban living in Cyprus. It includes weaved and embroidered pieces, traditional costumes, silverware and jewellery, woodcarvings, ceramics, as well as tools and utensils. The Collection was acquired by the Laiki Group in 2006 and since June 2013 it belongs to the Collections of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.
One manner by which the BOCCF achieves its objectives for dissemination of its Museums and Collections is the publication of books and folios that pertain to archaeology, history, art, literature and the environment. In addition to this, the BOCCF organizes exhibitions, lectures and scientific conferences devoted to these areas through its well-planned and efficiently executed yearly program. Moreover, in recent years the BOCCF has expanded its activities overseas, collaborating closely with major organizations and museums, both in Cyprus and abroad. Since its inception, it has held more than 55 exhibitions in Cyprus, in Greece, and in a number of European cities and more than 100 scientific conferences in Cyprus while participating in many others abroad.
BOCCF’s aim is always to bring the primary resources, through the work of the scientists, closer to the wider public in order to achieve the engagement of the audiences and a prosperous dialogue between academia and the people. The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation (BOCCF) has a twofold objective for 2020: first, to offer an alternative, subversive outlook on the cultural scene, both on national and European level – appealing to large audiences with cultural topics the Foundation has been delving into for the past 35 years. In order to achieve this, the BOCCF will open up to new endeavours, revisiting the concepts “Private” and “Public” with an eye to creating a grey area between the two, allowing to “restore” the BOCCF Collections, by means of various innovative methods and specific actions, to their natural owner, the “Koinon Kyprion” – Common to All Cypriots. Second, the BOCCF will set out to build bridges that are not readily discernible by the wider public, bringing together cultures of different countries (e.g. Cyprus and other contemporary countries) different eras (e.g. antiquity and present day) or different arts, different genres and topics, different sciences – fruitfully redefining the value of parallel presentation but also of comparativeness that unites rather than separates.
Team Members
ReInHerit Project Coordinator
Skevi Christodoulou is an Archaeologist and she has been actively involved in various excavation programs and surveys in Cyprus and abroad. Studied History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus and completed her postgraduate studies at the University of Nottingham. She earned her Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Cyprus with a special focus on ancient Cypriot baths.
She worked as an invited Lecturer at the University of Cyprus, and concurrently, she contributed as a Researcher to the completion of various research programs related to the recording of cultural heritage. Starting in 2019, she engaged in research excellence programs as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Frederick Research Center, for the implementation of the European research program EnterCy (Enhancing Tourist Experience in Cyprus). Since February 2023, she has been working as the Project Manager at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, and since November 2023 as the Project Coordinator, overseeing the implementation of the ReInHerit Project.
In the past, she has worked as the Executive Secretary of the International Committee for the Conservation and Maintenance of Mosaics (ICCM) and as an external consultant for the Getty Foundation and the Getty Conservation Institute for the preparation of the Management Plan of the Archaeological Site of Kato Paphos. Since September 2023 she is working as the Advisor of the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus.
Former Director of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and former ReInHerit Project Coordinator
Dr Ioanna Hadjicosti graduated from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, with the BA in Greek Philology and the specialization of Classics. She studied with the Scholarship of the Institute of National Scholarships of Greece (Ι.Κ.Υ.). She then pursued her studies in Classics at University College London (UCL) where she was first awarded the MA in Classics, followed by the PhD for her thesis with the title Aischylos and the Trojan Cycle: The Lost Tragedies. Her research is multidisciplinary combining literature, theatre studies, archaeology and history and her research interests mainly include ancient drama and epic poetry.
The fact that she taught Ancient Greek and Early Byzantine Literature (ELP 21) as an adjunct lecturer at the Open University of Cyprus and served as the coordinator of the module for a year, combined with the fact that she has written part of the educational material for two of the OUC modules further enriches her academic background. Since 2007 she is working at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation as the Curator of the Collection of Manuscripts and Rare Books.
As a result, Dr Hadjicosti has organized and managed a series of events, exhibitions, educational programs and conferences, while she has participated in several research programs concerning the Collections of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation and edited a number of the Foundation’s publications. Additionally, since November 2016 she is the Director of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, having the responsibility to design and implement the new strategy, organize the yearly program of events and supervise the research programs of the Museums and Collections.
She also participated herself as a researcher in various European programs receiving the Best Practice Award for the Grundtvig Workshop ‘Modern Views of Greek and Roman Antiquity’, by the Lifelong Learning Programme Grundtvig 2011-2012. She is currently acting 1) as the co-ordinator in the programme DIDAKTOR (Post-Doctoral Researchers) RESTART 2016-2020, Research Promotion Foundation: «Aspects of multi- confessionalism and human geography in early modern Cyprus from the Venetians to the Ottomans» (CyChrist) and 2) as the co-ordinator in the programme EXCELLENCE HUBS RESTART 2016-2020, Research Promotion Foundation: «Re-inventing age-old travel paths of the Levant: The example of Cyprus» (ReTraPath). She is currently the coordinator of the project “Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability” funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004545.
Curator of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation
Dr Christodoulos A. Hadjichristodoulou pursued studies in History and Archaeology, specializing in Byzantine Archaeology, at the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, and went on to postgraduate studies and an M.A. He submitted his doctoral thesis at the University of Cyprus, the title of which is “Benefactors of churches and donors of heirlooms during the period of the Turkish rule in Cyprus (1571-1878)”. His research interests are mainly in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine archaeology and art, folk painting and historical Cartography. His research examines ecclesiastical painting in its social, political, and historical contexts, and the influences that it came under. He has published a series of articles in scholarly journals and has presented his studies at international conferences. He is the Curator of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.Researcher at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation
Dr Monika Asimenou is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation working in the project“Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability” funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004545. At the same time she teaches History of Art at the Cyprus University of Technology. She also works as an independent art theorist. Dr Asimenou has obtained a PhD at the University of Paris 10 Ouest-Nanterre on history of art in Cyprus after 1974 supported by scholarship from the A.G Leventis Foundation. She received her MA in Visual Arts from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and her BA in Visual Arts from the University Paul Valéry of Montpellier. She has worked at the Permanent Delegation of Cyprus to UNESCO where she participated in many conferences of cultural context and organised related exhibitions and events. She has a record of cooperation with museums and cultural associations, has curated and guided many exhibitions and published a number of articles. Monika is a member of the Council of the Visual Artists Association in which she served as president for two years from 2018 - 2020. She is also a member of the Parallel Parliament of Culture.She taught History of art at the European University, at Intercollege and at the University of Nicosia.Researcher at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation
Dr Polina Nikolaou is, currently, a postdoctoral researcher at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation working in the project “Redefining the future of cultural heritage, through a disruptive model of sustainability” funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101004545. Previously she worked at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation as the Digital Strategy Officer and as a postdoctoral researcher, in the project ‘Cultural Heritage: bridging the gap between education and profession’ (2018-2020) at the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication, University of the Aegean; co-funded by Greece and the EU (European Social Fund). Dr Nikolaou completed her PhD thesis on “The diaspora of Cypriot antiquities and the British Museum, 1860–1900” at the University of Exeter (UK), supported by scholarships from the University of Exeter and the A.G. Leventis Foundation. She received her MA in Landscape and Culture from the University of Nottingham (UK) and her BA in History from the University of Athens (Greece). She has extensive research experience in the cultural heritage of Cyprus and cultural policy, which she presented in international conferences, academic journals and edited volumes etc., and participated as a researcher in art projects and exhibitions. Her work takes place at the interface between higher education and professional practice. It focuses on history and theory of museums and collections, audience engagement and outreach, professional education, digital management and cultural sustainability.Former ReInHerit Project Manager
Dimitrios has held numerous leadership positions including Strategic Account Manager lead for Ecommbx, Financial Markets Executive in MENA region for Thomson Reuters, Business Relationship Manager for Misys Plc, Country Manager for Profdoc SA in Greece, Special Project Director for Hadassah in NewYork and Business Development Manager for Interbank in New York. These roles have included resposnibility for top - level Client Relationships, Technology Innovation, Large Scale Data Transformation, Business Analytics & Inteligence, Investment Strategies, Alliance Partnerships, Market Positioning and Talent Development, Sales Growth, Client Satisfaction and Business Performance.Dimitrios is an active member of IIBA - International Institute of Business Analysis and member of ASA - American Statistical Association. He earned his Bachelor degree in Finance from University of Florida (USA) and his Master degree in Statistics from Columbia University (USA)
ReInHerit Project Manager
Andrea Oratiou is currently working at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation (BOCFF) as the ReInHerit Project Manager (as of November 2023). Andrea is an archaeologist and she worked, as a Research Assistant at BOCCF, on ReInHerit and iSchool, and as an educator for “Aishiseis-a Multi-sensory Experience” and for an Educational Programme on ancient coins of Cyprus.
She has experience in Project Management as a Project Officer. She holds an MA in Late Antique, Medieval and Byzantine Archaeology from the University of Newcastle, UK, and a BA in Archaeology from the University of Cyprus. Andrea has participated in several archaeological projects including excavations, surveys, and material study seasons.