Working Groups – Discussion panels (WG-DP)
Athens Conference 2025 hosts working groups-discussion panels where invited practitioners, theorists, teachers and other experts with experience in the relevant fields will discuss issues related to Conference topics.
Each group will have 2 hours and will be moderated by a Coordinator. 
Critical commentators will also be appointed.
Participants are expected to contribute in the discussion.
 

The discussion in Working Groups aims to give the opportunity to participants (academics, artists, educators and educational or cultural policy designers) to comment and contribute with views-proposals from the field of theory, research and the arts, so that there is meaningful dialogue and exchange of views and "good practice". 
The Working Groups/Discussion panels take place "in parallel" (in the same time zone) in different rooms.
Places in eack Working Group are LIMITED. Those who have already completed their registration to the Conference can (if they wish) register for a Working Group.

SATURDAY 22/3/2025 16.00-18.00

1. "Visible and invisible gender based discrimination in the educational environment: Exploring the gender dimension of inclusion"
Language Greek
Coordinators: Nadia Kati, teacher, theatre pedagogue, adult educator, Greece & Hara Tsoukala, teacher, theatre pedagogue, Greece
Guests:
Virginia Xythali, Psychologist, Holistic Gender and Sexuality Educator, member of the Bloom|Sexuality Education for Everyone Project, Greece
Elena Skarpidou, Sex Education Trainer, Head of Colorful School Education Sector, member of Intersex Greece 
Christina Krithari, theatrologist, director, actress, coordinator of the project Without Pattern/ Sans Patron (TENet-Gr)
Kleonike Yannakopoulou, clinical Psychologist and Systemic Psychotherapist, board member of Proud Parents Greece
Commentators: Betty Giannouli, Department of Early Childhood Education, Athens University & Dimitris Mavreas, teacher, theatre pedagogue, Greece
READ MORE HERE

2. “Issues of theatrical representation of the otherness: the case of Roma people”
Language: English
Coordinators: Eleni Tsetsekou, Head of the Council of Europe - Roma and Travelers Division & Christina Zoniou, theatre researcher - practitioner, Teaching Staff at the Department of Theatre Studies, University of the Peloponnese Greece.
Guests
Franziska Frakas, Romani-Hungarian actress and theatre maker, Hungary
Christoph Leucht, sociologist, co-founder of Kuringa Space for Theatre of the Oppressed, Germany
 Yiannis Georgiou, Greek-Rom social scientist on history and identity of Roma/Gypsies and their representation, Greece, Phd candidate. National Technical University of Athens., Greece
Aktina Stathaki, theatre researcher- director, Greece
Commentator: Anna Tsichli, Teaching Staff at the Department of Theatre Studies, University of the Peloponnese Greece. 
READ MORE HERE (soon)

3. "Identities, interculturalism and performativity: challenges, contradictions, reflections"
Language: Greek
Coordinator: Despina Karakatsani, Prof., University of the Peloponnese – Department of Social and Educational Policy, Greece
Guests:
Glykeria Arapi, Sociologist, Consultant of the “It could be me, it could be you” project, Greece
Stella Elmatzoglou, Trainer in gender issues, MSc Gender-Society-Politics, Panteion University, Greece
Xenia Chryssochoou , Professor of Social and Political Psychology, Panteion University, Greece
Sophia Vgenopoulou, director, child psychiatrist, Greece
Commentator: Giorgos Bekiaris, theatre pedagogue, Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network (TENet-Gr)
READ MORE HERE

4. “Dogmatisms, Religious fundamentalism, politics and performing arts”
Language: English
Coordinator: Angelos Vallianatos PhD in Theology Athens University, school advisor, trainer for The European Wergeland Centre (EWC), Greece
Guests
Freyssinet Bruno artistic director of Transplanisphere, partner in the Theatre Makes Politics Erasmus+ project, France, 
Ferah Burgul-Adıgüzel Assoc. Prof. Gazi University Gazi Faculty of Education, Turkey
Lutz Pickardt, director, theatre pedagogue BuT, coordinator of the Theatre Makes Politics Erasmus+ project, Germany
Marios Koukounaras-Liagis, Assoc. Prof. Athens University Faculty of Theology, Greece
Sanjoy Ganguly, artistic director of the Jana Sanskriti Center for Theatre of the Oppressed, West Bengal, India
Commentators: Hugo Miguel Coelho, ExQuorum, partner "Theatre Makes Politics", Portugal
READ MORE HERE (soon)

5. “Inclusive education & refugees”
Language: Greek
READ MORE HERE (soon)

SUNDAY 23/3/2025, 09.30-11.30

6. "Shaping public attitudes towards refugees: the role of media narratives (disinformation, conspiracy theories, hate speech) and the role of performing arts"
Language: English
READ MORE HERE (soon)

7.  "Towards an arts-based school: Challenges and experiences for the inclusion of Roma children”
Language: Greek
Coordinator: Katerina Kosti, Greek Language and Literature teacher and Drama teacher, Teaching and Laboratory Staff, Department of Theatre Studies, University of the Peloponnese, Greece
Guests:
Matina Vavouli, Primary Education Teacher, Director of the 7th Primary School of Aspropyrgos Greece
Anastasia Chatzistefanou-Vafea, Director of Schedia Center for Artistic and Pedagogical Training, Greece
Konstantinos Paiteris, President of the Hellenic Roma Association of Mediators and Associates, Greece
Commentator: Avra Avdi, Greek Language and Literature teacher and Drama teacher, Greece
READ MORE HERE

8. "Theatre Education in prisons: limits, challenges, perspectives"
Language: Greek
Coordinator: Giorgos Moschos, νομικός, former Children's Ombudsman Greece
Guests:
Alkistis Kontoyanni, Professor Emeritus  University of the Peloponnese – Theatre Studies Department, Greece
Theodora - Doretta Asteri Counselor for Special and Inclusive Education at Piraeus Primary & Secondary Education Directorates, Greece
Ioanna Mitsika, choreographer, Greece
Stathis Grapsas actor, director, Greece
Pepi Orfanaki Principal of “Korydallos Prison” Public School of Higher Vocational Training, Greece
Zoi Mastrothanassi Vice-Principal of “Eleonas-Thebes Women's Prison” Primary School, Greece
Commentator: Dora Katsamori, researcher at "Democretus Centre", teacher, Greece
READ MORE HERE

9. "Performing arts, Education & Disability: challenges for artist, facilitators, teachers"
Language: Greek
Coordinator: Maria Koltsida, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece
Guests:
Maria Ioannidou, Psychologist/psychotherapist, disabled dancer, Greece
Vassilis Economou, disabled actor-director, Greece
Konstantina Georgiou, community artist, creative mentor, Greece
Eri Kehra, Theatre Educator, teacher in Special Education, Greece
READ MORE HERE