The first synergy event, Contact Zones: Embroidering the City, took place on 12–13 June 2026 at Araneida Studio in Hania. It was developed and conceptualised by Chania Urban Youth Observatory and Araneida Studio with the support of Etz Hayyim, and facilitated by Polinikis Papoulias and Irini Theofanis. The workshop took Module 5 of the TCZ Curriculum as its starting point, using artistic expression to explore memory, representation and resignification through Hania’s urban landscape.
The workshop focused on three buildings whose histories reveal different layers of Hania’s interfaith past. Participants worked with photographs of these sites, embroidering directly onto the images as they reflected on the stories, memories and tensions connected to them. The slow pace of embroidery created time for close observation and conversation, offering a gentle way into histories that could be unfamiliar or difficult to encounter.
On the second day, the work shifted from individual responses to a shared textile piece. Participants brought together symbols and stories that connected them to the city, creating a collective interpretation of Hania as a place shaped by overlapping histories and changing meanings. The workshop concluded with an open exhibition of the works produced during the two days.
Through embroidery, the city became something that could be read, touched and reinterpreted. Familiar buildings opened onto less visible histories, while the collective work offered a new way of thinking about belonging and the memories held within urban space.
Training for the Contact Zone is co-funded by the European Union within the framework of Erasmus+ Adult Education.
