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Reinventing placemaking Revealing matter's potential
in Crete
19 - 30 July 2026
Unleash your deeper creative self by sustainably challenging the material world’s potential and its imprint upon us and bring to surface innovative skills to share with rural communities
The uniqueness of the environment of the chosen region of Crete, nurtures the distinctive nature and resilience of its inhabitants. Through the characteristic landscape and dry stone architecture but also through the deep cultural paths opened in the past by its people, creatively coexisting with the natural forces of the surrounding land.
Its distinctive roughness proved to be a hyper fertile soil for the flourishing of Cretan traditions and it is here that music, traditional dances, folk poetry, literature, pottery, weaving, particular culinary practices, painting
of church frescoes and traditional Cretan hospitality, thrived.
Get inspired and take an active part into giving this wide territory visibility as a living creative laboratory.
Open to new thinking, capable of playing a key role in enriching the social fabric, coming up with inventive approaches and sustainable solutions towards new paths for the local communities. Gaining confidence
in promising new practices, such as pioneering craftsmanship manifestations and sustainable
micro-entrepreneurship. Finally influencing their mindset, while maintaining its identity and singularity.
Genuinely reconnect with nature and rediscover its analog sensibility by exploiting the potential of working closely with unconventionally approached hand techniques and material treasures which are hidden in local nature or among the abundant farming neglected byproducts.
Experience a workshop in the open, that is a daring intersection between design, crafts, art, material experimentation, performing, and innovation curation for the social good. A fearless exploration
of the synergy that may be empowered from Crete’s treasured environment and rich local traditions.​​
Immerse yourself in a unique
and intense "creative only" voyage
Participants will have the opportunity to develop a main creative project, a design prototype or artwork. Objects and challenging proposals that speak of new and strong functional and cultural values or even radically redefine the language of materiality. Promoting sustainable development through innovative approaches, in conjunction with the environment and the local folklore culture.
Being encouraged to find original perspectives through explorations in various aspects of material’s behavior, the natural environment and timeless history narratives, questioning the rules and pushing the boundaries
of creativity. A number of inventively approached technique studios are used as an introduction to unlock creative confidence and then delve into the main workshop theme challenge.
The workshop’s outcome will be openly presented in an exhibition staged by the participants at the Anogeia Environmental Education Center, close to the traditional village center, and for all sides of local stakeholders to attend. A professionally registered video distilling the full workshop experience, will be afterwards sent
to all participants.
The spirit of wild improvisation and finding unexpected ways to deal with complex thinking through basic means, is a must for the workshop’s philosophy.
During the workshop, participants work alternatively on their own individual tasks, or in small groups building interactive experiences. The workshop’s nurturing and playful atmosphere will purposefully embrace this togetherness, which finally enhances individual originality.
All the necessary tools and materials to turn ideas, design, art and craft concepts into reality, will be provided in the specially prepared and fully equipped facilities or will be available to be carried on the field if required.
The carefully built holistic approach of the whole period experience, completes with organized visits to local points of interest and a continuously changing variety of body activities, local culinary culture introduction
and acts open to improvisation.
Being located next to the village center, provides a generous opportunity of directly meddling with locals
of all sides and activities and talking first hand about the topics that are important for their community.
Book workshop
Workshop tuition : Early bird*: 1780 euros (until 30th of April)
Normal Price*: 1980 euros
​
12 days – 11 nights
All-inclusive price per person
*Please inquire for applicable discounts (eg. in the case of educational institutions).
To reserve early one of the strictly limited places available and be part of a life changing experience,
please go to the Booking page.
What is included in the price
Tuition
Each workshop is a unique hands-on experience, initially comprised of various trying and learning,
mainly technique focused studios, such as unusual materials’ and techniques labs, custom kiln building, impromptu molding on location, or experimenting with traditional looms reengineering, specially intended
to unlock new competencies. Approached in totally fresh and unconventional ways. Progressing to the main theme, which follows as an intense and continuous workshop, closely interwoven with all the other period's experiences (related to mind, body, culinary, environment, fun). Some experiential tasks are done individually while others will be interactively collaborative. A variety of inspiring places will be used as locations for the activities to take place. An intense and holistic experience is guaranteed through learning by doing, giving totally new meaning to the concept of creativity fun.
Also, a full day tour will take place, to selected places of environmental, historical and cultural importance, local craftsmanship traditional workshops etc in the wider area of the Psiloritis UNESCO Global Geopark. Along with walking visits to the local village's points of interest such as the nearby School of Textile Art
and the Center of Music, Dance and Tradition.
Tools and materials
All the necessary tools and materials to turn ideas, design, art and craft concepts into reality, will be provided in the specially prepared and fully equipped facilities or will be available to be carried on the field if required.
Accommodation
Participants are accommodated in shared ensuite rooms at the hospitable Environmental Education Center
of the Anogeia village. Its location near the entrance of the village, at walking distance to its central square and with a panoramic view of the surrounding area makes it a truly unique experience. All bathrooms
are WC/shower. Plenty of surrounding recreational and mind relaxing spots.
Culinary experience
We meticulously take care so that a delicious culinary experience, tied to the healthy and rich mediterranean and Greek treasury of local ingredients and nutritional traditions’ history, is an essential part of the Periplus Workshops experience. In Crete every small village is blessed by having its own culinary customs and recipes deeply rooted to long traditions and what the local environment had to offer. You will therefore
only enjoy the best that local small scale producers have to offer, and the family type cooking which
made the area gastronomically famous.
Extra activities as sensory experiences
The carefully built holistic approach of the workshop's long experience, completes with a continuously changing variety of daily activities such as recreational and fun body wandering sessions, narrative stargazing and group sound making. All targeted in the stimulation, regeneration and participation of all layers of the senses and of their possible correlations and combinations. A brain-body- imagination involving program where everything is a world of its own and at the same time everything is connected. More seductive surprises to be revealed on location.
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The famous local three days music and art Hyakinthia Festival, is another excellent way to come in contact with the local culture.
Local social impact and international networking
For a whole and intense twelve days period, enjoy living together with a group of individuals, commonly sharing the thirst for creativity. Through constantly searching for the unexpected, connect with people from all over the world and with different backgrounds of studies, work and life experience. All with an indisputable common ground, the urge to meaningfully and creatively enrich their lives, and the one of others by becoming new agents for introducing positive interventions. The workshop’s experience and the relevant regional material culture's revealed potential, will be further and extensively communicated to many directions through “the PERIPLUS project” future activities. The nonprofit organization running the workshops and whose scope is to explore and promote the power of creative potential for optimizing human life, society and the environment. All workshop participants are welcomed, if they wish so, to get involved with the future PERIPLUS platform of activities and its international collaborative creative network.
Throughout the workshop period, and as we are located close to the central area of the village,
freely meddling with locals of all sides and activities will provide a generous opportunity of talking
first hand about the topics that are important for their community.