Dance: Between Access and Ecology – Medie Megas and Demy Papathanasiou (liminal)

Dance: Between Access and Ecology
Workshop on familiarization with the toolkit of the European SEED program – Social and Ecological Engagement through Dance

How can we choreograph and teach dance today in ways that are both socially and ecologically responsible?
What is the intersection between ecological awareness and the principle of accessibility? Can these two vital axes enrich our content, narratives, and methodologies?
In the workshop “Dance: Between Access and Ecology”, participants are introduced to a practical toolkit developed within the framework of the eponymous European project. They are invited to explore hands-on strategies and methodologies for creating more sustainable and inclusive choreographic processes. The workshop encourages reflection on how we create, teach, and coexist through artistic practice.
It is designed for artists, choreographers, and educators with or without disabilities, who wish to re-examine their creative and teaching practices through the lenses of ecological sustainability, accessibility, and social justice.
The toolkit was developed as part of the European project SEED – Social and Ecological Engagement through Dance, funded by the Erasmus+ programme.
The project SEED – Social and Ecological Engagement through Dance is implemented by liminal and l’éveilleur, and funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

Ages: adults
Levels: amateur and professional dancers and choreographers with and without disabilities

Photo credit:

liminal

liminal is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing equal participation in culture. Since 2016, it has been actively fostering the transition towards a cultural landscape that embraces human diversity in its entirety. The core pillars of activity for liminal are Education, Accessibility Services, Productions, and Research.
liminal has curated more than 400 inclusive cultural and educational programs and has trained over 300 cultural professionals in Greece and abroad in inclusive practices and integrated accessibility services. Additionally, through more than 100 workshops and seminars, liminal has trained over 1200 participants with and without disabilities, equipping them with the skills needed to actively engage in accessible artistic and cultural activities.
To date, liminal has successfully supported over 50 established cultural organizations and independent artistic groups in Greece. Through its inclusive productions, it promotes pluralism and diversity as core values of the contemporary creative sector. Finally, research and innovation are integral to liminal’s approach, with a strong focus on embedding accessibility within artistic creation. In collaboration with artists, cultural professionals, and experts, liminal develops inclusive methodologies and has led several research projects that redefine accessibility in the arts.
https://liminal.eu/

Medie Megas

Medie Megas (b. 1978, England) is a graduate of the Greek National School of Dance (1998) and has a Master of Arts in Contemporary Dance from Kent University aff. LCDS, The Place. She works as a dancer, choreographer and educator, teaching improvisation, choreography and history of dance. Since 2013 she has been active in the field of dance and disability and in the fight for equal access of disabled people to dance professions. She is in a close creative partnership with Manolis Saridakis, first Greek learning disabled and autistic choreographer, currently developing their second work entitled “Cops & Robbers”. She is also an artists’ mentor for the Erasmus+ program SEED – Social and Ecological Engagement through Dance.
In 2024 she published Present Bodies: an introduction to dance theory, a collection of texts exploring dance through interdisciplinary and theoretical approaches. She is a founding member of the Greek dance network Syndesmos Chorou and Arsi Network for Dance and Disability. Her choreographic works have been presented at major cultural institutions and festivals, including the Onassis Cultural Center, the Greek National Theater, the Athens Festival, the Kalamata International Dance Festival, ΜΙRfestival, the Thessaloniki Biennale of Performance, Fast Forward Festival and the Danae Festival.
www.mediemegas.gr

Demy Papathanasiou

Demy Papathanasiou is a Crip dancer and choreographer. Since 2013, she has been actively involved in programs of the Onassis Foundation and has served as artistic co-director of Theatre enCorps Collectif. In 2018, she completed a Minor Concentration in Contemporary Dance Practices with a focus on choreography, becoming the first disabled dancer in Greece to earn a degree in dance. Since 2018, she has consistently presented choreographic works including Dançor, Journey, [New] Horizons, and You Walk, performed at festivals in Greece and abroad. Her experimental short film You Walk received an Honorable Mention Jury Award at the Festival VideoAndanza Internacional (2023).
Since 2019, she has been in ongoing collaboration with the Prosxima Dance Company as a dancer and choreographer, participating in workshops and receiving artistic support from the company. In 2025, she received a grant from Culture Moves Europe to continue her research through collaborative residencies. She is a founding member of ARSI Network for disability and dance (2024), a national network focusing on advocacy and actions to promote access to dance education and professions in Greece.
https://demypapathanassiou.myportfolio.com/introduction