For the third year the MK Foundation co-organised the Festival “Les Rencontres de la Terre” with the Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Athens. The Festival activities took place between January and June 2012. The scientific director for the events was Dr Sylvie Grutzow.
The central theme of the Festival was : “Our city tomorrow…the city where I would like to live”.
On January 24, 2012 an evening was organized jointly with the French Institute in Athens in which Greek with French scientists and experts discussed on the Sustainability of the city of Athens.
The events continued with educational workshops for school students at “Patakis Editions” and a competition in painting, photography and poster by Athens Primary School students in March 2012. Between March and May primary school teachers followed seminars, specially organized for them by artists in order to be able to help their students for the competition.
On June 5, 2012 the students awards ceremony took place at the Municipality of Athens Cultural Center “Melina”. More than 180 exhibits were hanging for 10 days. The exhibition was visited by several hundreds of students (over 700). The students where guided by the art historian Mrs Emy Grammenou, Mrs Maria Dimopoulou representing the Ministry of Education, the Vice Mayor Mrs Panayota Psaraki and Professor C. S. Zerefos President of the MK Foundation presented the following prizes.
The First prize was split between the 89th and 51th elementary schools of Athens.
The Second prize was split between the 32nd and the 73th schools.
The Third prize was awarded to the 10th special Elementary school.
It should be noticed that the above mentioned awards will be used by the awardees to improve the awarded schools. The two additional awards were given to:
a. The 55th elementary school of Athens by covering the cost of a small botanical garden for educational purposes (offered by “Antemissaris Plants”).
b. The 3rd elementary school to start up an environmental thematic school library (offered by “Patakis Editions”).
All 60 elementary school which entered the competition received a commemorative diploma a CD with useful texts and an electronic gallery of containing the 180 grouped creations which participated.
The Art-Historian Mrs Grammenou during the educational workshops.
The Primary school teachers following the preparatory seminars by Artists.
The President of MKF addressing the ceremony.
The awarded students and their works at the Melina Hall of the Municipality of Athens.