On 2 July 2025, KMOP – Social Action and Innovation Centre – successfully held the conference titled “Empowering Seniors for Climate Action Through Art”. The event took place at WHEN HUB, in the heart of Athens, and welcomed over 40 participants across Europe from the fields of education, civil society, the arts, and the broader community.
The conference aimed to highlight the crucial – yet frequently underrepresented – role of older adults in addressing the climate crisis, focusing on how creative expression can serve as a powerful means of environmental awareness and civic engagement.
Dimitra Noni, Project Manager at KMOP and moderator of the event, warmly welcomed participants and underlined the importance of active ageing, community mobilisation, and the arts in fostering a more sustainable future. The first panel discussion, titled “Seniors as Climate Advocates”, featured speakers from across Europe, each offering unique insights into the transformative potential of art in the context of climate action.
Eva Ploumistou, Project Manager at ARTIT, shared her experience at the intersection of visual arts and sustainable creativity, demonstrating how art created by older adults can spark environmental reflection and strengthen emotional connections with nature. Claudia Erco, Project Manager at the INTRAS Foundation, spoke about the role of participatory art in empowering vulnerable groups of older people, enabling them to reclaim agency, visibility, and dignity. Annalisa Pezzini, Pedagogist and Project Manager at Anziani e non solo (ANS), focused on the importance of intergenerational learning, showing how shared creative practices between generations can promote sustainable thinking and reinforce social cohesion. Richard Kitta, Artist, Project Director, and Teacher at the Technical University of Košice (TUKE), highlighted the potential of artistic experimentation and education to help senior citizens become storytellers and advocates for environmental justice. Complementing this, Manuela Raisova, Project Manager and Teacher at TUKE, addressed the power of digital creativity and how online platforms can amplify the voices of older adults in the climate movement, ensuring their stories and artworks reach wider audiences.
The second panel, “From Insight to Impact: Initiatives Driving Climate Engagement”, shifted the focus to the practical implementation of these ideas through local and European initiatives. Representing KMOP, Angela Shkembi, Project Manager, talked about strategies involving digital tools and intergenerational approaches that empower older adults to become active participants in climate action. She shared examples of how seniors, when supported and trained, can contribute meaningfully through their knowledge, sustainable habits, and creative expression. Following this, Ioanna Lagiokapa, Project Manager at KMOP, introduced practices in climate education, especially those engaging teachers and students through experiential and project-based learning. Her presentation illustrated how schools can foster climate engagement beyond traditional curricula by connecting environmental issues with real-life actions and collaborations.
The conference also featured a comprehensive presentation on the progress and impact of the Seniors Climate Action project. This initiative brings together organizations from Greece, Slovakia, Italy, and Spain with the aim of developing green competencies among older adults – particularly senior visual artists – and strengthening their role in climate advocacy. Key achievements include the delivery of a training programme co-designed with senior participants, the creation of an interactive e-learning platform tailored to older users, the implementation of art workshops and visits to senior care facilities, and the publication of a practical toolkit for educators and professionals working with older adults. The project has directly engaged over 500 senior participants, produced more than 200 artworks now featured in a virtual gallery, and reached over 5,000 people through public events and outreach activities. Testimonies from senior participants reflected increased confidence, digital literacy, and a renewed sense of belonging and purpose, while the challenges addressed – including digital exclusion and initial hesitation around climate issues – have provided valuable lessons for future initiatives.
The event concluded on an optimistic and empowering note, with a reminder that climate action begins with connection – to one another, to our communities, and to the Earth. Referencing Warren Buffett’s words, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago,” participants were encouraged to continue planting seeds of awareness, creativity, and collaboration, and to recognize the crucial role of senior citizens in driving a greener future.
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