The Theatre Olympics was established in 1993 in Delphi, Greece, on the initiative of the famous Greek theatre director, Theodoros Terzopoulos. TO is an international theatre festival, which is presenting some of the achievements of the greatest theatre practitioners from around the world. It is a platform for theatrical exchange, a gathering place for students and masters, where a dialogue despite ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged. Moreover, as its subtitle suggests, Crossing Millennia, it is an initiative that emphasizes the importance of connecting the past, present, and future together. For this reason, the festival is promoting richness and diversity of theatre heritage and also all kinds of experiments and research in the field of performing arts. The goal of the TO is to strengthen and re-establish the statues of contemporary theatre in the world. This objective is achieved by contributing to the growth of international collaboration, building a network among artists all over the world and, creating an opportunity for the host of the festival to showcase and promote their work in theatre and other performing arts.
The first official meeting of the International Committee of TO took place on the 18th of June, 1994 in Delphi, Greece. The founding committee was a group of eight internationally renowned theatre directors: Theodoros Terzopoulos, Nuria Espert, Antunes Filho, Tony Harrison, Yuri Lyubimov, Heiner Müller, Tadashi Suzuki and Robert Wilson. According to their decisions the TO is a non-profit organization. Its administrative headquarters are located in Athens, Greece (European office) and in Togamura, Japan (Asian office). Moreover, the International Committee of TO meets once a year. It can attract new members, on the condition of gaining at least two-thirds of the votes and being recommended by one of the existing members. The TO has its one logotype, which was designed by the American theater stage director, Robert Wilson.