Sabar Bar: Welcome to our pick-up truck!
An open invitation to our pick-up truck!
During the difficult times we are all going through, we wish to co-reflect on the notion of public space as a space of creation, expression and coexistence that belongs to all of us.
We would like, thus, to introduce "Sabar Bar": a collaboration between Ohi Pezoume, Fabrica Athens, Vassia Valkanioti, Muhammad Tayeb, Momina Algaga and Yaman Junaid. Together with these beautiful people, we are going to visit the area of Exarcheia and collect local stories that we intend to co-narrate through turning them into multilingual songs!
A Datsun pick-up truck will be our vehicle – literally and metaphorically – to wander around the area, interact with people and groups, share stories, co-create and co-express in the city’s public space in order to carry –throughout music- the message of Exarchia’s solidary and collaborative culture everywhere!
At the same time, it will be held an open series of workshops on oral history, song creation and theater, leading to a final parade-performance in the area.
During our first meeting, 5 months ago (photo: K. Protonotariou)
Our collaboration begun about 5 months ago, in the context of Co-Athens/ Curing the Limbo Program (of Athens’ Municipality), where 20 Athenian groups, specialized in several fields, met the refugee participants of the program, with the aim to try together a new idea: The active collaboration between locals and “new-comers” towards the realization of ideas that could make our common city better.
Two months of weekly digital meetings gave birth to Sabar Bar: Meaning “cactus” and “patience”, the idea of Sabar Bar inspired us to create something that will last in time: Songs out of the most strong and beautiful stories that the neighborhood and its people have to narrate.
Stories from the past
This idea finds its roots back to 2016 – 2017, when our group used to explore Omonia square (a very central, yet neglected area of Athens), collect stories of local small size shop- owners, turn them into songs and serenade them! This performative narrative practice -among others- allowed us to bring out less visible strands of the area.
Urban Tour to the Institute of Place Management at the market of Omonia area (March 2017, photo: Ohi Pezoume's archive)
Now, we are about to return to Exarchia – a neighborhood that we love a lot- also with the desire to reveal not broadly known stories and perspectives: After the performance “Heart & Bones” at the house of the poet Napoleon Lapathiotis (2006) and our return there for the artistic action “Leisure Time” (2018), after the project UrbanDig_Ushakova and the performance Gabriellas’ Rock at Strefi Hill (2018) and many days and nights of strolling around the area, we are happily returning back to Exarchia!
Gabriella's Rock at Strefi Hill (June 2018, photo: Irina Vosgerau)
So, we are inviting you - taking into consideration all the nessecary Covid-19 measures- to ride the Datsun track, share stories, sing and perform together at the neighborhood of solidarity and synergies!
Our first activity is about to happen soon - so stay tuned!
This activity is part of co-Athens that is being developed within the context of the European pilot program of the municipality of Athens Curing the Limbo. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) initiative.
