- Topic
- Safety and urban mobility
- Country
- Greece
- Resource type
- Video
First published 30 Oct 2023
"Using art as a tool for Vision Zero" was the core message of the 1st Outta Climate Festival that was hosted on 22 September 2023 in Agios Dimitrios (municipality in Athens Metropolitan Area).
Outta Climate Festival is a new initiative of CIVINET Greece-Cyprus, with the artistic contribution of Jazz Solidarity Network, funded by the Green Fund (Ministry of Environment).
With the participation of the students of the 1st and 12th Primary Schools of Agios Dimitrios, and the guidance of the internationally renowned artist SOTEUR, an original 'Mural' was designed on the asphalt of the street, supporting the 'Vision Zero' concept. The result was astonishing - 30 metres long and covering an area of100 square metres, the Mural has broken records for its one-of-a-kind in Greek standards.
The location of the mural was not chosen at random. Apart from being outside a primary school, it is also on a downhill road with high-speed cars, leading to a critical crossing of the Municipality's pedestrian network. The unique visual intervention aims to attract the attention of drivers, making them slow down and thus ensure safer pedestrian crossing, including for many children. This was the purpose of asphalt art, a method brought in by CIVINET Greece-Cyprus, based on the experience and the technical guidelines of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
The 1st festival in Agios Dimitrios was transformed into a celebration of peaceful protest, but also solidarity for the flood victims of Thessaly. The social kitchen "The Other Man", as well as other social organisations (Podilattiki, Hellenic Urban Cycling Federation, Mama sto Dromo, SOSte, Greek Community of e-scooters Users, etc.) were there supporting the festival. With other music and dance events, the Outta Climate Festival team sent its own message on the Climate Crisis and Road Safety, with a promise not to stop here, but to also move to other cities, mountains, and islands of Greece that share the same values.