GRRR Waterlandscapes Vol.2 Summerschool

Tracing Myths, Reviving Paths, and Reimagining the Future of Rural Community in Morfi

Details

Organisers

Venue

Morfi
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Building on previous efforts in Morfi, the final ASOC workshop expanded its focus to accommodate 65 participants, including students, faculty, and volunteers. In collaboration with local residents and external partners, the workshop aimed to repurpose the school as a vibrant community hub. The high level of local involvement, coupled with a partnership with the Vrilissos Hiking Association, enriched the workshop’s dynamic, combining physical restoration with environmental stewardship.

Participants engaged with three interconnected scales of work—regional, local, and communal—linking their interventions to both the village’s immediate needs and its broader cultural and ecological landscape. On a regional level, they explored Mythological Waterways, delving into the history of sites like Morfeas Cave and Styx Lagoon, uncovering water’s central role in local mythology. In collaboration with the Vrilissos Association, they worked on opening a new path connecting these two significant locations. Locally, the Water as a Lifeline focus examined how water sustains the region’s economy, agriculture, and fishing, while addressing pressing issues such as water rights and the environmental challenges of Kalodiki Lake. At the communal scale, Water as a Co-living Infrastructure concentrated on revitalising the old school, designing and constructing gathering spaces and exterior water systems to foster communal life.

Through these scales, participants engaged in diverse, hands-on activities: recovering mythological routes, caring for neglected infrastructures, and mapping biodiversity linked to local myths. By working in places like Kalodiki Lake, Morfeas Cave, and Styx Lagoon, they embraced an ecosystemic approach where activities—whether drawing maps, writing articles, cooking meals, or building kitchens—were seen as equally integral to understanding and shaping the landscape.

Pedagogical Approach

The workshop offered an immersive, hands-on learning experience. Participants worked across six tracks:

  • Rural Other Growth: Exploring alternative rural development.
  • External Furnitures: Designing outdoor communal furniture.
  • Mythological Waterscapes: Mapping and engaging with water-related myths and sites.
  • Common Ornaments: Creating decorative elements with local significance.
  • Dream Campsite: Reimagining the school’s outdoor spaces for gatherings.
  • Fresh Playgrounds: Designing playful, multifunctional spaces.

Evenings were filled with discussions, public events, and collaborative activities, fostering both practical skills and deeper reflections on rural life, commons, and alternative pedagogies.

Activities and Outcomes

Hands-On Construction and Design
Participants transformed the old school into a functional space. They built outdoor furniture, including benches and tables, and installed a water-spraying arch repurposed from disused football equipment. Inside, they crafted sunshades for the windows, featuring motifs inspired by local water myths, and revitalised areas like the old nursery for exhibitions.