CINEMATHESIS was founded in 2021 and is a cultural Civil Non-Profit Company created by specialized professionals in the field of cinema, the arts and education.
Its educational programmes have a strong social impact, are realised under the auspices and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, are endorsed by the Ministry of Education, and are implemented with the kind support and participation of Organisations, Foundations, Administrative Regions and Municipalities all over Greece. It has carried out targeted and innovative educational actions for children and youth through a holistic approach to the Fine Arts, play, and various audiovisual and cinematic techniques, for the benefit of children and vulnerable populations.
The vision of CINEMATHESIS is to extend its programs to decentralized regions, isolated islands, remote villages, multigrade schools, children’s institutions, hospitals, and hostels for unaccompanied refugees, as well as venues that accommodate vulnerable elderly people, in an effort for inclusion, access to culture, education, lifelong learning and equal rights.
The grant pertains to support for the project “Let’s play Cinema… a different Perspective”, targeted at equality, inclusion, and equal opportunities, providing an “art platform” where children may share stories through visual references and stimuli. The educational action has been designed for and is addressed to children and adolescents with neurodiversity.
CINEMATHESIS’ strategy is to implement actions with a physical presence on isolated islands, frontier regions and any area where vulnerable groups reside, throughout the year. Its ultimate objective is the psychosocial empowerment of minors in particular need of care, and their integration into a broader solidarity framework, based on the shared code of art. Children bearing a “heavier load” of “otherness” will have the opportunity not only to realize they are not alone, but also to find a refuge of expression, care, and safety, and the courage to share their experiences inclusively. As part of the program, a school in an island or rural area will be supported in order to abolish stereotypes on “otherness” in the local societies, and emphasize the concept of inclusion and access to contemporary culture, as well as the belief that even small and/or vulnerable groups of children outside the urban web receive equal opportunities. The estimated number of total beneficiaries over the course of the grant is 190 people.
The project is implemented through a grant by the Athina I. Martinou Foundation, as part of the “Points of Support” program, in the area: “Social Innovation in Small Local Seaside Communities”.