Free and Real, a collective of activists building the first ecocity in Greece
Free and Real is a vegan eco-community situated on Evia island in Greece since 2010. Their vision for the future is to create Telaithrion: a school that teaches sustainability, self-sufficiency, natural agriculture, eco-construction and the creation of fruit forests.
“Free and Real”is an acronym that stands for: Freedom of Resources for Everyone, Everywhere and Respect, Equality, Awareness, and Learning.
Young people and adults from the around the world come here to follow workshops or to volunteer.
Three spaces for experimentation exist on the island
Free and Real is spread across three sites in the North of the Evia Island in Greece.
One of them, at the summit of a mountain with a view over the sea, will host the Telaithrion school.
As an ecotown, the school will teach self-sufficiency, natural agriculture, ecobuilding, renewable energies andhow to create fruit forests.
Vegan ecofestival and permaculture
The land is currently cultivated in tune with the principals of permaculture and hosts yoga workshops, sound therapy, thai massage and tai chi.
Every September, the Spiral Knights – a vegan ecofestival – takes place here.
The ‘Test Site’is a place where different types of ecoconstructions taught at the Telaithron school (domes, yurts etc.) are tested before being brought to the top of the mountain.
The ‘Workshop’is a space used for theoretical and practical courses where members of the community as well as the co-founder of Free and Real, Apostolos Sianos, 38, live too.
Collaboration with SEYN, the Sustainable Energy Youth Network
In April 2018, a workshop on renewable energy was coordinated by the 35-year old engineer Alexandros Filippidis, as well as members of the Sustainable Energy Youth Network.
40 participants from across Europe learnt how to build using various techniques with small ecological impact in 10 days.
Solar ovens, solar heating, solar batteries, solar boilers, solar panels, a bike-powered washing machine… Everything needed for a sustainable and self-sufficient way of life.
Discover SEYN in this video
Free and Real in pictures
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