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Zina Sarris

2018/19 Athens

Zina holds extensive experience in project coordination and event curation with arts and cultural organizations in London and Athens. She is currently developing social engagement projects in her home country of Greece, alongside her creative sound and music practice. Her academic background includes topics related to Acoustic Ecology and Medical Ethnomusicology (MA, Goldsmiths), which have solidified her belief that sound and music are powerful mechanisms for positive social transformation and fusing community bonds. The weakness of support networks in Greece for disabled people has urged Zina to discover ways to engage a diverse population through musicking. Through establishing this initiative, she hopes for further access to music, as well as spurring self-advocacy and social empowerment. Programs such as START (Germany, 2018) have equipped her with the confidence and expertise to pursue her vision of a dynamic inclusive community, that in turn can motivate pivotal changes within society.

Project Progress Phase II Phase I

Phase II

Project implementation in Greece

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Duration

Dec - May

Project Title

Sounds Good

Sounds Good is an initiative based in Athens, working towards creating accessible music opportunities. The aim is to generate more potential for participation in music-related activities, for people both with and without disabilities. Through organizing events, workshops and screenings in accessible spaces, Sounds Good hopes to create meeting points to engage with people passionate and curious about music and inclusion.

Phase I

Capacity building in Germany

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Duration

Sep - Nov

Project Title

Sounds Good

Creating access to music for a neurodiverse community.

A meeting point for aspiring musicians, supporters of music and for those still untouched by it. This project is creating accessible and inclusive daily workshops where people have a chance to get to know digital musical instruments. Short introductions are made for each instrument, followed by the chance to improvise with them, and ending with playing together in a group. 

Making music, or ‘musicking’ — a term used to describe participation with music on any level, be it listening, playing, collaborating), is inextricably linked with building confidence and bettering communication, an integral motive behind this initiative. Establishing practices of this kind on a long term basis could also offer support for families and alleviate stress accumulated second hand from the difficulties experienced by individuals facing daily struggles and social isolation.

Host Institution

Die VILLA

Die VILLA is the sociocultural center in the heart of Leipzig. Every week, more than 100 activities and events take place here - in great variety and for all ages.

More than 90,000 visitors come to the house per year. Almost half of these are children and young people, a quarter is seniors. The proportion of people with disabilities or with a migration background is above average in Leipzig.

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