Sfaktirias 24
11634 Athens
Greece
- Arts
Anasa is a Non-Profit and Non-Governmental Organization that was established to work for the elimination of racism, exclusion and discrimination, the promotion of multiculturalism and intercultural dialogue among peoples, and the empowerment and inclusion, through art and culture, of young people of African origin who were either born in Greece or came as migrants or refugees. It was created to show visibility of the African presence in Greece by promoting African arts (music, dance, song, literature, narration, theater, painting and gastronomy), and by implementing pedagogical programs and solidarity actions. We believe that raising awareness about racial discrimination in Greece through arts and culture is the most effective way to change the narrative around Blackness and diversity of the Greek youth population. Anasa was established by and for AfroGreeks as a means of survival and self-expression, and a motivation for them to become artists and actors of sociocultural change.
Awareness: we strive for raising awareness regarding the history between African and Greece throughout the centuries and connecting historical facts with the ongoing agendas of racism, discrimination and elimination of opportunities for people of African descent in Greece.
Equal participation: we advocate for equal opportunities in decision making processes, such as access to Greek nationality and voting rights, by encouraging the youth to begin the process of obtaining Greece nationality (which is a very difficult process even if one is born in the country).
Active citizenship: regardless of citizenship status, we train and aim for the financial independence of migrants and refugees in Greece in order to become innovative and active citizens who care about their host country and who want to contribute towards the common good.
We manage all the above by offering opportunities to our community members to take advantage of our services and facilities available.
1.Multicultural Troupe: a Caravan Without Borders
2015-2017
The project contributed to the promotion of democratic values, including human rights, through education and arts, and more specifically with the creation of a mixed multicultural troup which promoted the elimination of discrimination, racism and xenophobia, the information and awareness-raising on the human rights of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants but also their empowerment and integration into the Greek society. The project received the approval of the Ministry of Education. The troupe consisted of groups of percussion, song, dance, visual arts, theater / storytelling. We managed to have 907 students participating is workshops and performances, 1498 parents and the wider public attending the performances and 146 teachers participated in workshops.
2.Social Circus Athens
2012-2022
Through education, interpersonal connection, self-expression and focused at goal-achievements, the Social Circus can change the lives of unaccompanied minors, refugee kids and Roma youth in our country. Independence, solidarity, self-appreciation, fitness, communication and literal and figurative flexibility are some of the capabilites that we approach through this training. Based on circus techniques, the Social Circus aims at bringing personal transformation to the participants and audiences. Each participant is capable in implementing their own talents through a wide range of activities that are offered through circus curriculum, such as juggling, mono-cycle, acrobatics, trapeze, while at the same time coexisting and sharing space with the other students. SCA received an award in 2021!
3.EqualGen
2022-2024
Adolescence and the early years of adulthood are a period of formative experiences in terms of beliefs about gender equality and the way gender is experienced and expressed, especially in Black communities. The “EQUAL_GEN” project aspires to raise awareness and inform young people about gender rights and the prevention of gender-based violence from an intersectional perspective. Through various actions we seek to contribute to their awakening, so that they become agents of social change, ambassadors of society based on gender justice. Anasa implemented workshops of gendered African masks, theatre workshops on consent through storytelling and creative writing sessions for self-expression in Athens, an island (Lesvos), the subcapital (Thessaloniki) and a rural town of Greece (Kavala).
Our grassroots organisation is a community-led, bottom-up format that was created by the first generation of AfroGreek youth bord in Greece and therefore our goal is to liberate whoever comes after us with similar experiences of Othering, discrimination and racialisation. We consider refugees, migrants and displaced people as new Athenian and Greek citizens who deserve to be heard and who can be the ideal model for their children born here, if they get the appropriate support, which we try to provide through our work. We focus on youth populations in order to reach future structural change. We can share our experiences as a grassroot, bottom-up, marginalized group. We would like to inform and raise awareness about racial inequality in Greece, a Balkan country with no colonial past, and how we are navigating the socio-political context so far. We are able to share our expertise in art as activism and the relationships between performing arts, self-awareness, crticial thiking and professionalisation. We would like to hold space for discussions about decolonisation through active citizenship, democracy and open dialogues towards youth that would be willing to listen to our stories.
The main team running Anasa is from the AfroGreek community and has been dedicating its life towards racial equality in Greece. Due to almost none of governmental and other funding infrastructure for long term sustainability, the organisation has been operating 100% on a voluntary basis. For the founding members, Anasa is not just an organisation but it is a matter of survival, so dedicating as much time as possible to this grassroots initiative is the only way we can keep going. By being part of powerful and impactful networks life ALF we get inspired for new opportunities and social change ahead!