Date
Tuesday 19 November 2019 to Friday 01 May 2020
Location
Schools throughout Greece

Following the successful completion of our Salonika Remembers programme in 2018, we are delighted to announce our new collaboration with Never Such Innocence, the British Embassy in Athens, the Museum for the Macedonian Struggle and, this year, the School Life and Education Museum, and invite students throughout Greece to take part in Greece Remembers, an exciting new competition we are launching on the occasion of the 75th year anniversary of Victory in Europe Day – commonly known as VE Day – which celebrates the formal acceptance by the Allies of the Second World War of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces 8 May 1945.

Congratulations to the four Greek students among the winners of the Never Such Innocence competition

You have made us proud!

  • Mary Bournazos: 1st place in the poetry category (Ages 9–11), 75 bonus strand
  • Rafael Parlapanis: 1st place in the speech category (Ages 9–11), 75 bonus strand
  • Dimosthenis-Dimitrios Despotidis: 1st place in the poetry category (Ages 11–14), A Fight For Freedom bonus strand
  • Vlad Krasilnikov: 2nd place in the song category (Ages 16–18)

Find out more about the competition winners.

Over the next few months, we invite young people to use the Never Such Innocence’s free online resource Conflict Through the Ages, along with the supplementary activities, and to watch one of our Push Play Poetry videos to create some wonderful poems.

Never Such Innocence Competition 2019–20

Having celebrated the participation of over 7,000 students from 43 countries and three Greek winners in 2017–18, the Never Such Innocence competition is bigger than ever this year: it has introduced a new speechwriting category and broadened the age range to 9–18.

This year’s theme is The Impact of Conflict on Communities, with a bonus 75 category commemorating seventy-five years since the end of the Second World War (WW2), which is the category we are inviting students in Greece to take part in by writing a poem, speech or song or creating a piece of art responding to WW2 and how it impacted their community. Visit the NSI Resource webpage for inspiration!

The competition is completely free to enter. Every single participant will receive a special personalised Certificate of Commendation.

Here are the most important things to know before you enter:

  • Make sure you have filled in an entry form.
  • If entering one piece produced by multiple students, please include everyone’s name on the entry form, so that all of the students receive a certificate.
  • The competition closes on Friday 1 May 2020.
  • If you have any questions, contact the Never Such Innocence team, who will be happy to assist you: email the team at enquiries@neversuchinnocence.com or call +44 0207 836 2603.

Competition and programme launch

As part of the programme, we are delighted to invite you to the launch event we are organising in Thessaloniki entitled Greece Remembers: VE Day and its impact on Greece. The event is aimed at teachers and students who are interested in finding out more about the Greece Remembers competition and educational programme.

Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a place, please register online by Saturday 16 November. Your reservation will be confirmed by email.

When Tuesday 19 November 2019, 18.30–21.00
Where Museum for the Macedonian Struggle
Alexandros Chaitoglou Room
23 Proxenou Koromila Street
546 22 Thessaloniki
Information Chrysoula.Melidou@britishcouncil.gr | 2310 378 314

‘Not forgetting our history and our past makes us more aware of our present and future actions. With the lessons that past wars have taught us, we as a society can accomplish greater things than our past generations, and this is how I look upon this competition.’

Vasko Stamboliev (age 16), Greece, Winner of the Never Such Innocence Competition 2017–18 in the Art category (14–16 age group)