Workshops

Transnational Solidarities and Connections: Towards Ethical Community-Actor Collaborations – A Feminist Southeastern European Perspective

Date: Thursday, 17 July, 11:00–13:00 (Athens time)
Project: Collective Caring in and Against Urban Crises

This workshop brought together researchers, community actors, artists, and policymakers to discuss ethical and sustainable forms of collaboration across institutional and geographical boundaries. Focusing on feminist and Southeastern European perspectives, the session examined how transnational solidarities can be cultivated in times marked by neoliberal restructuring, urban precarity, and a deepening crisis of care and social reproduction.

Participants reflected on their own positionalities and experiences of working within and alongside communities, grassroots organisations, and non-academic actors. Through a series of short presentations and an open roundtable discussion, the group engaged with key questions concerning the ethics of participatory research, challenges of inclusion and representation in collaborative projects, and the possibilities for forming alliances that resist extractive and hierarchical dynamics of knowledge production.

An invited artist, Athanasia Panagiotidi, created visual minutes of the discussion, capturing the workshop’s key themes and exchanges. The event forms part of the broader Collective Caring in and Against Urban Crises project, which investigates practices of care, solidarity, and collective action in contemporary urban contexts. A recorded and edited version of the session, alongside two accompanying podcast episodes, will be made available on the project’s website.

Participants: 

  • Alexandra Linardou, urban planner, PhD candidate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

  • Ioanna Papakonstantinou Brati, architect and housing researcher, PhD candidate, Department of Architectural Language, Communication and Design, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

  • Katerina Stavridi, PhD candidate, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens.

  • Vasiliki (Vaso) Makrygianni, postdoctoral researcher, Unit of Geography, University of Bologna

  • Austin Gage Matheney, postdoctoral researcher, Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice, ICTA-UAB

  • Sergio Ruiz Cayuela, postdoctoral researcher, Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice, ICTA-UAB

  • Melissa Fernández Arrigoitia, urban sociologist and researcher, Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability, and senior Associate Researcher at  the University of Bristol Barcelona. 

  • Blanche De Moidrey, PhD candidate,  University of Manchester

Designing, Producing and Circulating Podcasts: A Practical Guide for Communities and Collectives

Date: Tuesday, 15 July, 11:00–13:00 (Athens time)
Project: Collective Caring in and Against Urban Crises

This hands-on workshop focused on podcasting as a medium for collective expression, participatory communication, and grassroots storytelling. Conducted in Greek, it brought together activists, community members, and researchers interested in exploring how audio production can strengthen community ties and support struggles for social justice and visibility.

Participants were introduced to the potential of podcasts as tools for facilitating public discussion on issues of common concern, amplifying local voices, and building networks of solidarity. The session combined theoretical reflection with practical guidance, offering a step-by-step overview of podcast design, collective planning, and production processes. Participants learned about recording techniques, editing and mixing, and the selection of suitable equipment according to the aims and scale of a project.

The workshop also examined strategies for the circulation and promotion of community podcasts, highlighting examples of initiatives created by collectives and self-organised groups. In its final segment, participants shared their own ideas, experiences, and challenges, collectively reflecting on how podcasting can be used to foster care, creativity, and political collaboration across different social contexts.

Participants:

  • Dora Kanellopoulou, primary school educator and activist

  • Dimitra Tassou,  primary school educator and organizer

  • Maria Karagianni, Cohab Athens 

  • Constantina Theodorou, Cohab Athens 

  • Katerina-Shelagh Boucoyannis , Cohab Athens