What defines a public space? Who sets its rules, who has access, and who remains invisible? With these questions in mind, 30 young people from Germany, Italy and Greece came together for an international youth encounter in Larissa. Under the title ‘Youth Commons: Access (not) granted’, they spent almost two weeks transforming the Greek city into a laboratory for youth participation and artistic expression.
During the first few days of the encounter, they focused primarily on observation. The participants explored Larissa to analyse the city’s public spaces from their own perspectives. How is the space used? Who shares it? They also explored how urban architecture can foster a sense of belonging, but also contribute to exclusion.
These insights were then directly fed into the following creative work phases: in workshops on theatre, dance, creative writing, music and media production, the participants experimented with various forms of expression, translating their thoughts, findings and experiences into unique conceptual artworks and performances.
The group then presented the result of this intensive creative process at a well-attended closing event at the SYNERGEIO Culture Space in Larissa: on this evening, performative and audiovisual arts merged into an expressive, polyphonic mosaic of personal experiences and critical reflection.
The production impressively demonstrates the energy that is unleashed when young people are given a safe space and the necessary tools to confidently articulate their visions for an inclusive society.
The three partner organisations responsible for this spectacular project are SMouTh (Larissa, Greece), ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne (Cologne, Germany) and Centro di Creazione e Cultura (Florence, Italy). For the participating youth groups, the international gathering in Larissa marked the first highlight of their three-year collaboration as part of Generation Europe – The Academy.
This continued collaboration is vital: the multi-year cooperation within established trilateral partnerships enables young people – and youth work professionals alike – to build lasting trust and continuously develop methods of non-formal education. In this way, international encounters become far more than just a cultural exchange: they provide essential training in democratic participation and enable profound empowerment.
Many thanks to the young artists and everyone involved, and congratulations on the impressive results!
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The SMouTh team is still working on a video documentary about this project, which we’ll be happy to share once it’s ready. A special shout-out and a big thank you to Giannis Chatziantoniou for the wonderful photos!