The exhibition explores the fascinating story and the multifaceted character of the Arabian Peninsula from antiquity to modern times.

The cultural evolution of the Arabian Peninsula from the prehistoric era until the 20th century is revealed through exhibits that are associated with early nomadic movements, trade routes that linked the peninsula with the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia and the rest of Asia, as well as with pilgrimage roads leading to Mecca from the 7th century AD onwards. The close proximity of the Greco-Roman world to the Arabian Peninsula and the cultural pluralism developed in the regions are revealed through a series of objects, inspired by the arts of antiquity that were either transported there through the caravan routes or were produced locally.

The exhibition introduces the most important prehistoric settlements, presents findings of significant cultures of antiquity and late antiquity and reaches the Islamic era, with artifacts created during the various Islamic dynasties until the unification of Saudi Arabia.

Large-scale sculptures, gold burial ornaments, tombstones, and precious offerings constitute some of the exhibition objects aiming to familiarise the Greek audience with the historical and cultural heritage of the Arabian Peninsula. The exhibition was inaugurated at the Louvre in 2010 and since then it has been shown in three different continents, and many cities such as Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, Saint Peter, Washington, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Houston, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

The exhibition at the Benaki Museum – the exhibition’s 16th stop – signifies the first event in the southeast Mediterranean.

Having completed five years of operations full of positive social impact and having created a community where new ideas, innovation and creative spirits gather and work together to propose the “new” and the “fresh”, Impact Hub Athens welcomes its “new era” by talking about what has already happened and what new is emerging.

We want to discuss and assess the evolution of the ideas that we saw in their birth and today are dominant. Movements that began timidly and today are sweeping past certainties and are evolving. Trends and suggestions that at the moment might seem unlikely but they will determine the decisions in the next 5 years.

Starting an Impact Hub in Athens marked a first important step in the social economy ecosystem; the first time, that changemakers would gather together, connect & collaborate through a facilitated scheme, empower more citizens & entrepreneurs to be activated in that direction, make the sector more extrovert and represent it in corporate, philanthropic & government levels. As the first cycle of five years of this work has been completed, it is essential to explore, discuss and debate about the looming and pioneering themes, the leading-edge trends that will define the social impact agenda and designate the following 5 years of this evolving ecosystem. It is important to set the guidelines for the next steps of positive social impact, the steps that will further establish the social changes that have already occurred and take us to other 5 succeeding years.

Let’s imagine together the future we want to shape. Let’s connect and collaborate towards a common goal: to pioneer a just & sustainable world where business & profit are used in service of people and planet.

During #5yearsofimpact, for 3 impactful days, experts, stakeholders, practitioners, curious & interested, young & older people will come together to explore, debate and design around core issues of the social economy sector. We are going to host a safe & inspiring space where unlikely allies can share concerns, practices, experiences and leave inspired, aligned and connected for potential joint ventures, programmes & actions. And all the above using our imagination as a tool of creativity, a way to envision the big picture and shape our strategy.

Learn more about the event's agenda HERE! 

Like every spring for the past 6 years, Athens Science Festival returns this year at Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens from 3 to 7 April! For five days, we will enjoy an exciting world, comprised by various small as well as great wonders of science and technology through speeches, exhibitions, workshops and interactive exhibitions suitable for people of all age groups. From ASF2019 multifaceted program here are 10 + 1 activities that you should not miss!


1. An Astronaut at Athens Re-Science Festival

Space veteran and NASA retired astronaut Clayton C. Anderson has had the unique opportunity to spent 167 days floating over the Blue Planet, to understand its fragility and to admire the beauty of the Earth! In his talk at the Athens Re-Science Festival 2019, he will embark with us on an exciting journey beyond the limits of our planet, with photos taken during his expedition to the International Space Station (ISS), reflections about life onboard the United States’ most complex technical achievement, but also a “mock game of Jeopardy on world geography.

Title: For the beauty of the Earth // Date & Time: Sunday 7 April 2019, 20.00 Clayton C. Anderson’s talk will take place with the support of the U.S. Embassy in Athens.


2. Racial & Gender Bias in AI Systems

Can Artificial Intelligence systems become subjects of racial or gender-based prejudice? Should we be worried or are there effective ways to ensure the principles of equality? Alexander Fefegha invites us to talk about issues which will concern us all very soon.

Title: Racial and gender bias in AI systems // Date & Time: Saturday 6 April 2019, 20.30 Alexander Fefegha’s talk will take place with the support of the British Council. Interactive Exhibition


3. Czech Innovation Expo or in Other Words… An Invisible Exhibition

An exhibition which combines interactive audiovisual art with virtual reality (VR) and aspires to travel us through the 100 years of Czech Republic's achievements in the fields of research and science and also to introduce to us the new generation of Czech scientists, researchers and innovative entrepreneurs.

Title of action: Czech Innovation Expo || Date: 3-7 April || With the support of the Czech Center in Athens.


4. Portable Digital Planetarium - Planetarium on the Go

Do you want to see the starry sky as you’ve never seen it before, through a unique audio-visual educational experience? You’re in the right place! In this year’s Athens Re-Science Festival, 8 astronomy documentaries by Planetarium on the Go (Portable Digital Planetarium) will take you on a fascinating journey of space exploration. The Planetarium’s hemispherical shaped screen, 6 meters in diameter, projects images on the entire inner surface of the dome- surrounding viewers and creating an amazing experience of full immersion! Activity

Title: From the Earth to the Universe || Date: 6-7 April || With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Athens.


5. A Trip to the Science of Meteorology

Visitors of Athens Science Festival should be prepared for a “stormy” and thrilling journey to the science of meteorology, as the scientific partners of the National Observatory of Athens and the meteorological team of meteo.gr, will show them the most interesting aspects of climate and weather phenomena. How are lightnings created? How can we predict the weather by seeing only the clouds? How likely is it to see a hurricane in Greece? What does climate mean and what does it really mean about climate change? Activity

Title: Weather Mysteries… || Date: 3-7 April || Organization: SA TITAN Cements, National Observatory of Athens / Meteorological Scientific Team of meteo.gr


6. The New Exciting Escape Room of The Athens Re-Science Festival

At this year’s Athens Re-Science Festival escape room, humanity is in danger! A series of industrial accidents have poisoned water resources around the world. People drink heavily contaminated water without even knowing it. You and your team must take action! You must create a microorganism that can detect poisonous water and warn people not to drink it. Enter the American Synthetic Biology Laboratories, transform DNA, create a new microorganism and save life on Earth! Activity

Title: Save life on Earth || Date: 3-7 April || Curation: Philippos Tourlomoussis, MIT With the support of the U.S. Embassy in Athens. Workshops for kids and for adults


7. The Tower of Creativity!

Dr. Kristóf Fenyvesi, of Hungarian origin, the founder of the Experience Workshop International STEAM Movement (Hungary-Finland), brings into the Athens Re-Science festival some of the unique STEAM activities he has created. During this unique workshop, participants will have the opportunity to participate in a social design project. Warka Water tower is a social design by the Italian architect, Arturo Vittori. The tower was designed so as to provide assistance to Ethiopia’s population in its everyday challenges and specifically their quest for drinking water. Through this workshop, participants will be able to connect the digital modeling with a hands-on activity, thus to become sources of collaborative problem-solving group effort so as to develop creativity and to boost imagination. Activity

Title: Tower of problem-solving and creativity! || Date & time: Saturday 6 April, 12.00 || The workshop will take place with the support of the Hungarian Embassy and Business Grove. Labs for Adults


8. Create 3D Games and Scare Them!

What are the stages of creating a ... terrifying 3D horror game interest? How do we create script and plot? What properties do we give to the characters? These and more will be learned with the help of Unity, the world's most widespread gaming platform. Activity

Title: 3D Horror: from A to Death || Date & Time: Saturday April 6, 15.00 || Organization: SAE Creative Media Education Performances


9. Stand Up Science

For one more year, Science Reactors team will present us with humorous stories as it aspires to show us that science improves our lives through smiling and enjoyable narratives. New skits related to the theme of Athens Re-Science Festival for a sustainable planet and of course re-thinking over the three basic concepts: re-use, re- cycle, reduce.

Event Title: Stand up Science: Science stories and comedy || Date & Time: Friday 5 April, 21.30 || Organized by: Science Reactors


10. FameLab: Final Stage of The Competition:

Ten young people who stood out from the preliminary stage of the FameLab 2019 international competition, will have three minutes to present to the judges a scientific subject of their choice. The charismatic winner of the night will represent our country at FameLab International this June in the UK.

Event Title: FameLab competition || Date & Time: Saturday 6 April, 21.30 || Organization: British Council and The HUB Events, οn the occasion of British Council’s 80 years anniversary celebrations in Greece.

11: Bring Your Old Sneakers With You and Donate Them

During ASF2019, a special sports shoe collection and a re-use bin will be installed to ensure the right to sports, even for those who are not able to buy a pair of sneakers.

Activity Title: Let them run again for a good cause || Date: 3-7 April || Organization: Institute for the World || The program is under the auspices of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

 

The Festival is organized around several thematic areas and we are adressing an open invitation to the participants of this year’s festival so as to plan their actions by prioritizing issues that highlight the following scientific areas:

Green Development / Cyclical Economy / Bio-Economy / Energy / Biodiversity / Climate Change / Ecosystems / Water Resources / Soil/ Forests

Do we still burn coal? When do we plan to stop doing it? What do we know about properly managing natural resources? Do we recycle correctly? Knowing what is right and wrong is not always enough to make our ambitious environmental goals a reality. Social and economic barriers are often confronted and intertwined.

The solution lies in sustainability and “knowledge economy”, thus the Athens Science Festival 2019 will focus on this area! Together we will explore all challenges linked with living a sustainable everyday life, we will share good practices in order to reduce our environmental footprint and plan a future where global warming is in line with growth. An unforgettable experience awaits this year’s festival audience: observation and demonstration will give way to exploration and experimentation and all visitors will become part of science in the most interactive and entertaining way!

Learn more about the festival HERE! 

What does an online service that helps YouTubers create intro videos for their channel, an online marketplace for natural food products, a decentralised cross-chain cryptocurrency exchange, a parking app, a web-wed website and a system that monitors the safety of people with Alzheimer or young children, have in common?

All are innovative ideas by high school students, aged 15-17, participating in Orange Grove’s “Junior Squeezy”, the new entrepreneurship program for young students. For the past three months, the students have attended training sessions delivered by Orange Grove’s network of experienced mentors and coaches, in order to develop and promote their entrepreneurial ideas. Now, they are ready to go on stage and participate in Orange Grove’s Pitching Competition for high school students which will signal the conclusion of the program.

The Junior Squeezy pitching competition will take place on Friday, April 5 at 18.00 at Orange Grove (5-7 Leof. Vassileos Konstantinou, Athens), the international startup incubator in Athens, which is an initiative of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece.

Six teams of aspiring entrepreneurs will pitch their idea to an international jury consisting of theU.S. Ambassador to Greece, H.E. Geoffrey R. Pyatt, Ambassador of Israel to Greece, H.E. Irit Ben-Abba, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Greece, H.E. Caspar Veldkamp, the Head of Human Resources at Interamerican, Drossia Kardassi and the co-founder of Square Athens, Yiannis Kehagias, in order to claim one of the three big prizes of the competition.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Greece will offer to the first and second prize winners (and an accompanying parent/team) a trip to the Netherlands, during which the winners will visit the Global School for Entrepreneurship in Amsterdam, will learn more about the Netherlands startup ecosystem and meet young people with innovative business ideas. The winning team of the 3rd prize will have the opportunity to continue using Orange Grove's facilities and advisory team for a three-month period.

The 6th OPEN HOUSE Athens is back!

On 6 & 7 April 2019, 100 buildings open their doors; 500 volunteers are getting ready to guide us! A two-day event of free architectural guided tours addressed to the general public; an event based on volunteerism, which aims at promoting the architecture of our city; an opportunity to walk the city, look up while walking in the streets, see the buildings from a different angle…

It is our established appointment in early April, when everyone can continue their tour from where they left off last year!

The programme includes public and private buildings, modern and historic, monuments, museums, theatres, schools, residences, professional spaces, in the city centre and the suburbs… and it is strengthened by a plethora of parallel events and contests, which launch one month earlier:

 

Learn all about the buildings participating in OHA  2019 HERE! 

Get inspired and explore food and the way you eat!

The Embassy of Sweden in Athens and Impact HUB are collaborating with the Swedish Institute in Stockholm on an Eat Smart Challenge. 

The purpose of this challenge is to encourage awareness about food and its effect on the environment. Challenge yourself along with your friends to make daily changes in your food habits. During seven days and seven inspiring challenges, you will explore how to eat more sustainably.

Welcome to join and share your experience with others via social media.

Sign up HERE! 

Why? The way food is  produced, consumed and wasted impacts our lives, our communities and the planet. There is huge potential to make the food system smarter by changing the way we eat. And there is a lot we can learn from each other!

Who can join? Everyone! You sign up as an individual participant, but you are encouraged to involve friends and family in our challenges. You only need a Facebook account to share your insights with your friends on social media.

How? During the campaign week, April 8–14, one challenge will be announced daily. The challenges are fun and easy to do! You share your take on the challenge by posting a photo, video or text on the Eat Smart Challenge Facebook page! 

The Eat Smart Challenge is part of Food for Tomorrow, a three-year initiative organised by the Swedish Institute (www.si.se).

One of the most anticipated sports event in Athens organised by the Organization of Culture, Athleticism & Youth of the Athens Municipality (OPANDA), returns on Sunday April 14th to Syntagma Square!

Online registrations will remain open till the 12th of April at 24:00 midnight.

The Athens Bike Tour gives bikers the chance to cross the city following a 15km route (ages 15+), as well as a smaller one about 3.5km long (ages 6+)

Both routes will begin in Syntagma square, but the 15km one wil start at 10:30 am, while the 3.5km route at 10:00 a.m 

Don't miss the chance to register, by clicking HERE

The Meet Market is back at our homely venue of Technopolis for our classic, annual Easter Edition celebration, and ready to hail the arrival of Spring one weekend before the big week, on the 20th and the 21st of April! 

Expect to find us in our usual spot, both indoor and outdoor, with our usual tents, but with plenty of new businesses & brands too, making a total of 120+ participants. Indeed, there will be something for everyone at our April Meet Market, from back-to-back dj sets all weekend long, street food, yummy cocktails, and interactive games for kids, including our annual Easter Egg Hunt for our little friends (and big friends too), where we will be hiding over 100 eggs all over Technopolis. Find them and bring them to the central cashier to pick up prizes! And while you are at the Central Cashier, roll the dice to see what other gifts you can win.

We have organized some special activities for kids during this Easter Meet Market. Saturday will feature circus workshops and juggling shows from the Fundastick Performing Arts Crew and Sunday, we will be joined by ΠΑΙΖώΝΤΑΣ Team for plenty of fun in the sun, including ziplining, slacklining, mega jenga and bubble fun. We will also have graffiti workshops from our favorite doodlers on the planet, Imaginary Rooms, of course! So, gather your family, call up your friends, put on your egg hunting gear and come to Gazi for a weekend full of meetings, shopping, chatting, food, music and a whole lot o’ Easter fun!

For more information on the exact line ups click HERE!

Keep it local! Support the independents. Happy Easter!