The cradle of self-expression.
Athens during the 6th century BCE was a loosely knit tapestry of four acrimonious tribes, each of which was led by a singular strongman. This era is when the word “tyrant” originated.
When Greek general Pisistratus rose to the position of dictator in 560 BCE, he developed an appreciation for the value of a robust creative culture. He founded Athens’ first library and in 534 BCE also established Athens’ first theatre festival–a forum that united the performed stories of all four tribes into one place.
This act of common accord changed the social consciousness of Athens to the point that by 508 BCE the Greek aristocrat Cleisthenes had reimagined the Athenian government into its first democracy, in which citizens from all different experiences and walks of life were given agency in state governance.
Theatre preceded and then quite literally created the idea of democracy. You had best goddamn believe it gets to be political.
Creative Control 