Supporting refugees displaced by the Syrian Civil War at Greece’s largest refugee camp
5 Missions engaging 200+ refugees
Greece’s largest refugee camp, in Ritsona, just north of Athens, houses a significant population of refugees displaced by the Syrian Civil War, as well as refugees from Turkey, Africa, and other locations across the Middle East. Programming was led in partnership with the humanitarian aid organization, I AM YOU.
Alongside providing daily therapeutic arts programming, mental health support, and ESL classes, the first mission focused on producing a modified production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in Arabic. This classic story of exile rendered universal themes that were deeply entwined with the refugee experience.
The initial mission, as well as the four following missions, engaged everyone from children to adults across a variety of art forms - theater, movement, stilts, music, and visual arts - offering the camp’s residents a needed opportunity for creative self-expression and coming together across differences.
In order to ensure continued support, The Campfire Project led training sessions with the local I AM YOU Aid staff in therapeutic arts practices. We created specific programming on mask making, playmaking, and breathing practices that they still incorporate today in their social emotional learning plan.
