by Alina Belyaeva, Kazan, Russian Federation
EERco Volunteer, MACs AUTUMN Pr., EVS e+ | Alexandreia, GR
DHIA festival of Inclusive Culture concerns outdoor sport or artistic activities were people with fewer opportunities are partiicpating in public events. The Deaf and Hearing People Festival of Inclusive Culture has been held on 6 cities in 2018: Chania, Thessaloniki, Athens, Litochoro (Olympus), Nafplion and Preveza!
1st day: 6th Festival of Inclusive Culture started in Chania.
2nd day: The first festival activity we have attended and supported as EERco Volunteers has started on Thessaloniki in a Plateia Aristotelous. As I understood, it was special action for social minorities and refugees. It’s wonderful to know that such festivals are exist and support people. Very interesting costumes, hats tell lot’s of stories about Greece even if you can’t understand the language. For example, boys have belts with ammunition for weapons. It means lot’s of countries wanted to capture Greece and greeks should always be on guard previous years.
About traditional dances: most of them are circle, all dancers hold each other – like in life they support each other and help if something bad is happened. For me it’s also about old family traditions: they are very strong and understructible. You always feel safety in greek family.
The second part of Thessaloniki festival activities was music and dance performances by very interesting special groups. It’s wonderful experience, because it helps to disability and special needs people to represent themselves and show their unusual opportunities of singing, playing instruments, dancing, sports! I didn’t feel they have some special conditions of health when they performed!!! It’s incredible! It was also wonderful to meet a collegue – music therapist in the festival and saw his job – he could create special orchestra with an adults and they were so happy to perform!
3rd day: Athen’s festival was connected with sport most off all and as I understood it was inclusive one: because typical and special needs children participated there. And it’s great job of Nikiforos Kotridis., because it’s really hard to connect it.
4th day: In Litochoro we were watching ancient greek tragedy. It was so truthful that could immerse me very deep to ancient times!
5th day: Nafplion (we didn't get in Nafplio, it was too far...)
6th & 7th day: In Preveza was held a dance and sport festival. It was modern dances with some historical events that happened in Greece. I felt like this. In the beginning we made a small performance by mixing traditional tatar song “Umyrzaya” and contemporary dance imrovisation with Eleni Kavazidou. It was really wonderful performance, Eleni is real professional, she could convey the mood of tatar song without knowledges of the language.