Becoming the City presents the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum’s work as active citizens in
Athens. It showcases perspectives from members of the team, speaking as individuals and
as one, across and through multiple languages. The piece centres on citizenship, activism,
art, and the political voice: how SGYF uses diversity to create the city, finds shared histories
and connected cultures, uses art to assert presence, and works to become Athenians. The
narratives stretch across geographies and borders. From this emerge rebellious
methodologies that develop new forms of citizenship.
The Syrian and Greek Youth Forum is an international activism movement in Athens,
Greece. SGYF works to support community-building activities, provide pathways to
employment, and to research and implement sustainable solutions for an inclusive society.
The Forum established itself as a key resource for Syrians in Athens and elsewhere in
Greece in 2018, and works in solidarity and collaboration with other migrant and minority
organisations and communities to become active citizens in Greek society. They have
developed methods of creative activism: using culture as a tool of political participation, of
finding connections and shared histories, of belonging and becoming the city.
Video by SGYF, directed by Joe O’Connor – www.puzzleglass.com
Featuring (in order of appearance):
Wael Habbal, Hnd Alzayat, Kareem Kabbani, Christina Magiaki, Elias Fachides, Ayman
AlQalaa, Tom Western, Taghreed Abouassaf, Samer Tagi, Ataa Brimo, Ammar Abouassaf
