Begun in 2013, I began exploratory work examining public attitudes in Italy, Serbia, and Greece about the EU’s use of policies and design strategies to support member states’ diverse cultural identities while moderating historical conflict.

During austerity and “Grexit” in 2015-2016, research pivoted to solving community problems through local resources in the absence of institutional and financial support in western Greece. The region has a long history of crises, and as I and my colleague in social sciences Dr. Maria Patsarika (Institute Associate, University of the Arts London, Social Design Institute) found out, has an identity that is both local and cosmopolitan through diaspora networks while occupying an economic and political position on a historical “borderline” between the East and West.

Working in the community, subsequent design interventions highlight participatory ways of collaboratively building community identity, finding alternative ways to preserve and communicate oral histories, and sharing local sustainable practices. This is connected to “Design and Social Innovation,” a recent series of ideas and practices that looks to local resources and respects local knowledge as a way to respond to social needs. This ongoing intervention explores methods that enable researchers and participants alike to reflect on their cultures, interests, and roles in the participatory design process, including visual making and storytelling. Our public presentation can be found here