Serafio: 21st century facilities for the individual and an innovative, co-working space for all
During Academic year 2017–2018, while studying towards an MA in Cultural Management at Panteion University and under the lead of Professor Betty Tsakarestou, our tutor in Cultural Marketing & Communication and project initiator of the Athens Co-Creation City Branding Project, we were challenged to discuss issues regarding paths towards a sustainable and resilient city. Our research involved looking at the newly re-established Serafio Sports, Cultural and Innovation Centre of the Municipality of Athens.
Situated close to the historical area of Gazi, Serafeio has recently transformed from an abandoned, earthquake striken swimming pool into one of the Capital’s top sports, cultural and innovation Institutions. Sarafio offers home to previously dispersed municipality services: Visiting the Serafio site, the public can become informed about a variety of possibilities offered, catering equally for fitness, innovation, creativity and dialogue amongst the citizens, education and life –long learning, entrepreneurship as well as being a “meeting point” of the city’s majors private and public stakeholders. In fact, co-funding and support has often been the outcome of cooperation with institutions such as SNF, (The Stavros Niarchos Foundation), Bodosakis Foundation and companies’ sponshorships such as Cosmote and Nokia.
Serafeio in a nutshell:
· Athens Digital Lab: This is the place where tech-lovers of a variety of backgrounds are coming up with ideas that can be pilot tested with the prospect of being implemented for 2 years through the Municipality of Athens and being channelled in National and International networks.
· Sports facilities and fitness programs accessed to all age and ability users:
Swimming pools, basketball, volley and tennis courts, football pitches, a unique in design and philosophy playground, which caters for the specific stage of development, ability and interests of different age groups amongst children.
· The Maker Space: A fully equipped with cutting –edge digital equipment for design, printing and constructing such as laser-cutters, 3D printers, CNC routers, co-created and co-running in collaboration with the Technical University of Crete. This pioneer Open Access is unique to the Greek reality and promotes a “do it yourself/do it together” philosophy and approach. Through educational initiatives, which include training, participants-mostly schoolchildren, are encouraged to co-create “smart” objects either of everyday life or for specialised use, pinpointing the crucial role of applied digital technology in the learning process.
· Exhibition Area: The spacious basement hosts a variety of events such as Art Exhibitions, events, workshops, speeches, lectures, conferences.
·Entrepreneurship innovation point: This includes the organisation and implementation of labs, workshops, lectures and events that promote Social entrepreneurship (including Tourism, Nutrition, Gastronomy and Digital economy), professional development, business and education. Aiming at empowering local business, it offers access to expertise tools and services in order to boost employment and business prospects.
·Europe Direct: It is link of the Municipality with Europe. “A Window to Europe” as the official page states. Source: Users can obtain information on EU services, laws, Civil Rights, participation prospects, funding, studying or working in member states though special events or information provided in written.
· “Syn Athina”: Inspired by the Ancient Greek proverb which can be paraphrased as “God favours those who make an effort to help themselves”, “Syn Athina” aims to bring together the creative human resources of the city and empower them with tools in order to co-design actions that would reflect a positive impact for the city. A sub-project of the same initiative, “Social-Dynamo” aims at Civil Society endowment in specific, though learning, professional assistance and networking.
“Syn-Athina” participates in an international network of stakeholders who are keen to constantly reshape local governance in innovative, citizen- centered ways.
SynAthina’s National and International Stakeholders’ Network
· Athens Cultural Net: It forms the meeting point of 44 of the major public and private cultural institutions with prime aim to foster public space events, the creation of international cultural productions and the quick access to what’s on the city.
Polis 2 : Serafio’s latest Co-creation project: Raising Solidarity and creativity amongst the community
This innovative,citizen-centered project running at the time being, consists of 2 parts:
a) Small scale interventions in the city,
b) Re-use of abandoned shops.
a)“Small-scale interventions, Disruptive impact” being the moto, Serafio has invited Athenian habitats to design and realise small-scale interventions that will reflect their neighbourhoods’ needs and foster bonding and solidarity within the community. Calls have been open for interventions in the neighbourhood, the streets, buildings and the creation of a piece of Contemporary Art in the Serafio Complex. Citizens are given funding and know-how support from experts who will help them put their propositions in practice.
b) Re-use of abandoned shops
Aiming at injecting the economy in the heart of the city centre, namely the areas of Omonia Square, Sindagma Square and Monastiraki as well as restoring the image of abandonment of the crisis-striven city centre which would be beneficial to both citizens and visitors.
As Dr. Matina Magou pointed out, the challenge is how the numerous, innovative initiatives of the City of Athens will be efficiently embraced in a single storytelling that is the outcome of co-creation of all, cross-sector actors as well as able to operate in a sustainable way by creating its own revenue streams.
Serafio seems to have all the prerequisites to opt for that vision.
