CULTTERRA in the Municipal Council

Today we are here together with Elefsina – Arts & Culture and the Elefsina Photographic Club, not to ask for a space for each of us. We are here to put forward a joint proposal for a space that can truly belong to the city and its people.

CULTTERRA is an association made up entirely of people under the age of 30. Over the past few years, we have organised more than 200 cultural and community activities and built a network of young people who want to create, collaborate and actively participate in their city.

And yet, like many other organisations in Elefsina, we do not have a permanent space.

And this is not simply a practical problem. It is a problem that affects whether, and how, cultural and social initiatives can develop within a city.

There may be spaces that are occasionally made available for a single event. But this is different from having a space where a group can meet, organise, create, host other people and develop an ongoing programme. This is precisely the gap we want to address.

And we believe that the “Leonidas Kanellopoulos” Cultural Centre can be a very important opportunity.

We are not asking for it to become a CULTTERRA space, nor a space exclusively for the three organisations.

We are asking to be given the opportunity to activate it.

To take on, in cooperation with each other and with the Municipality, the day-to-day management and curation of the cultural programme, so that the Centre can remain open to associations, artists, groups and citizens.

We want a space where a photography exhibition can take place, a workshop for children and young people, a rehearsal, a screening, a concert, a discussion, a public event.

A space where a young artist can present their work for the first time.

A space where an association that currently has no home can meet.

A space where different communities in the city can meet one another and collaborate.

And above all, we want to create a space for collaboration and collective action.

Because Elefsina has many people and many organisations doing important work, but often each of them is forced to operate on their own. We believe that the next step is to create infrastructure that allows us to work together.

Our proposal, therefore, is not simply a proposal for the use of a building.

It is a proposal for a different model of cultural life in the city: for the Municipality to make a space available, while active organisations and citizens themselves contribute to its operation, its programme and its continued activation.

The three organisations bring different experiences, communities and networks. Together, we can create a programme that does not depend on a single event or a single year, but has continuity. And we are also willing to contribute voluntary work, so that the space can develop a real everyday life.

For us, this is particularly important as young people.

Because when we say that we want young people to participate in the city, we also need to give them the space to do so.

Not only space in the literal sense. Space to express themselves, take initiative, collaborate, take responsibility and feel that they can help shape the environment in which they live.

That is why today we are asking the Municipal Council to support our proposal and seriously consider granting the “Leonidas Kanellopoulos” Cultural Centre to the three organisations, without excluding anyone else from using it.

We are not asking for a space to be closed off for some.
We are asking for a space to be opened up for everyone.

Thank you.