Within the European Animation Competition “An animated EUphoria” that was organised by Eleusis 2021 / European Capital of Culture in collaboration with Animasyros International Animation Festival, three original animation workshops were held. Their purpose was to introduce participants to the art of animation and to familiarise them with the three main themes of the artistic programme of Eleusis 2021, in order to promote the project at a local level and multiply its impact.
In detail, the first workshop focused on The EU Working Classes theme. It was designed for young people aged 16 to 28 years old and it was held along the Youth Labs participants at the old Eleusis Port Authority canteen on the waterfront of Eleusis, which is located in the area where the first and most important industries were developed, a place that serves as a reference point for most residents and the local labour movement.
The second workshop focused on the EUrbanisation theme. It was designed for elementary school children and took place in Synikismos, the first planned neighbourhood that was established beyond the official city limits of Eleusis. Synikismos was created to house refugees from Asia Minor; it doubled the total area and the population of Eleusis and radically changed the city’s character.
The third workshop focused on the EUnvironment theme. It was designed for children aged 12 to 15, and was also open to children from the Eleusis Solidarity Centre. The first part took place within the archaeological site of Eleusis, a place where the ongoing deterioration of the city’s environment as a result of industrial development is evident. The second part was housed in the hospitable rooms of the “Megalonissos” Cretan Union of Eleusis building.
