A Brand-New Creative Writing and Animation Workshop!

Spithes is once again joining forces with CineLike Lab under the educational programme of the B. & M. Theocharakis Foundation, offering an exciting new educational experience that combines creative writing with animation and augmented reality (AR).

Through close observation of artworks and guided explorations of the Foundation’s exhibitions, children create their own stories and then transform them into moving images. The programme nurtures imagination, storytelling, visual literacy and collaboration, while introducing children to the world of filmmaking.

When?

20 and 27 March, 3, 10, 17 and 24 April 2027

Saturdays, 17:00–18:30

Cost

Full programme fee: €140

THF Friends’ programme fee: €126

Book your ticket here: When Paintings Come to Life: Where Art Meets Technology | For Children Aged 8–12 | Tickets Online! | More.com

Advance ticket sales will open soon.

• All workshop materials are provided by the Foundation.
• To ensure the smooth running of the programme, parents and guardians are not permitted to remain in the workshop room. They may wait in the ground-floor waiting area, visit the Foundation’s current exhibitions* and shop*, or relax at the café*. (*These activities are not included in the programme fee.)
• Missed sessions cannot be made up.
• Transfers to another session are permitted up to 48 hours before the scheduled programme. For weekend programmes, provided the 48-hour deadline has not already passed, transfers can be arranged until Friday at 15:00.
• Ticket refunds are issued only if the Foundation cancels the programme.

Elpida Minadaki

Elpida Minadaki loves fairy tales and the magic they create. She is fascinated by their power to transport us to magical worlds while teaching us important lessons and revealing truths through enchanting stories. Fairy tales, she believes, can convey meaningful messages to audiences of all ages.

She studied Journalism and graduated from the Athinaiki Skini Drama School. She also holds a postgraduate qualification in Comedy Writing from Falmouth University. Her short-film screenplay received an award in a competition organised by Pfizer.

She works as a copywriter, screenwriter, children’s author and actress. Her children’s books, filled with imagination and warmth, include Litsa the Little Plastic Bag (Oselotos Publications), The Ballerina Who Didn’t Dance (Ydroplano Publications), The Journey of the Red Umbrella (Kedros Publications), The Magic Buttons & the Shower of Stars (Livani Publications), The Rescue of Neramygí (Ydroplano Publications), and The Red Umbrella’s New Adventures: Travelling with the Wright Brothers (Michalis Sideris Publications).

She has also contributed to several collaborative publications with the Women’s Literary Society.

With more than ten years of experience, she has been leading creative writing workshops and experiential activities for children and teenagers, fostering imagination, self-expression and empathy through the art of storytelling.

She also teaches creative writing in schools, municipalities, foundations and museums. She founded Spithes (www.spithes.com), a creative team that develops educational programmes for children.

She is a member of the Greek Children’s Book Circle, the Greek section of IBBY; the Women’s Literary Society; the Union of Greek Screenwriters; ADHD Hellas, an organisation supporting people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and a founding member of Assitej Greece, the Greek Network for Theatre for Children and Young People.

Ilias Florakis

Ilias Florakis began his artistic career as a writer of unusual and unconventional stories, publishing Charlie’s Little Bar (Kastaniotis Publications), The Therapist (Agkyra Publications) and 13 Past Midnight (Greek Screenwriters’ Publications). His literary work has also received recognition through numerous publications and awards.

From 2006 to 2019, he taught creative writing. In 2011, he wrote and directed the theatrical monologue Je t’aime, which won the Original Script Award and received an Honourable Mention for Female Performance at the Patras Satirical Theatre Festival. That same year, he staged the black comedy White Pages.

Since 2012, he has been working in film, focusing on screenwriting, editing and directing. His short films have been selected for competition and have received distinctions at numerous film festivals in Greece and abroad.

In 2014, he founded CineLike Lab, a mixed-media filmmaking workshop for children.

In 2017, his film Kalik, the Little Creator won the Grand Prize at the 19th Seoul Youth Film Festival. In 2021, The Grey Jungle received an Honourable Mention at the Stone Flower Youth Film Festival in Russia. In 2024, his film Learning won the Innovative Film Award at the 11th Plasencia Encorto International Youth Film Festival in Spain.

From 2015 to 2023, he collaborated with the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People and Camera Zizanio, delivering filmmaking workshops for children under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Education.

He also leads professional development seminars for primary and secondary school teachers.

He is a member of the Union of Greek Screenwriters, where he also works as a script analyst. In addition, he serves on the juries of screenplay competitions and delivers seminars organised by the Union.