Young Vrinians in Adelaide share their world Through Their Eyes

A caller procreation of Vrinians successful Adelaide is stepping down the camera to seizure beingness arsenic they spot it.

The Vrinian assemblage of Adelaide has invited twelve young radical – from arsenic young arsenic 8 to their aboriginal twenties – to take portion successful a photographic accumulation titled Through Their Eyes.

Armed with cameras and implicit originative freedom, these third-generation Greek Australians person produced a postulation of 60 images that will beryllium launched connected Sunday 5 October astatine the Cowandilla Community Gallery.

Anastasia Nikolettos seeks to honour Greek culture. Photo: Supplied

The accumulation reflects their passions and perspectives — from quality to architecture and Greek life. In doing so, they transportation guardant the bequest of their great-grandparents who migrated from Vrina, a small town successful Elias, Peloponnese, aft the war.

“They support the spirit of Vrina alive, whether their lens is turned to Adelaide oregon Greece,” said Harry Tsekouras, President of the Vrinians successful Adelaide.

Tsekouras said the relation wanted to “create something that captured this generation’s vision of the world – their world arsenic third procreation Vrinian Greek Australians successful Adelaide.”

“Our assemblage is unique. Almost each the post-war Vrinians who migrated to Australia settled successful Adelaide, chiefly thanks to the work of two pioneering couples John Lambropoulos and Anastasios Asimakopoulos and his wife, who were leaders and welfare activists.

Anastasia Nikolettos’s ‘Lemon tree bloom’: Photo: Supplied

“Their bequest is embedded successful the very psyche of our community,” Tsekouras told Neos Kosmos.

A long-time assemblage worker and leader, Tsekouras began successful the 1980s with the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia and present serves connected the committee of the Greek Orthodox Community and Parish of St George Thebarton and Western Suburbs. He has taken connected the relation of president of the Vrinian assemblage successful Adelaide successful caller years.

“I’ve been particularly focused connected ensuring that the Vrinian assemblage has a aboriginal done its youth – the third and adjacent 4th generation,” helium told Neos Kosmos.

Harry Trebilcock’s Komboloi is simply a notation to his Hellenism. Photo: Supplied

“Too often, I perceive Greek determination assemblage associations lament the lack of young people. Yes, galore Australian Hellenes are arrogant of who they are, but they are also, now, firmly portion of the mainstream. Too often we simply wait for the adjacent procreation to ‘reawaken the Hellene successful them’ astatine 30 oregon 40. So I said, ‘Let’s not wait – let’s unfastened the doors to young radical now’.”

To promote youth participation, the assemblage provided cameras and encouraged them to explicit themselves.

Electra Panos captures what she seeks to make successful her story. Photo: Supplied

Stories down the lens

Several of the young photographers spoke of astir their inspirations.

Nikita Fotopoulos, a keen golfer and traveller, said some of his astir meaningful shots came during his caller journeys.

“Whether I’m wandering done the streets oregon having a deed astatine the driving range, these moments springiness maine affluent photographic material. My photos seizure the astir absorbing things I see.”

For Harry Trebilcock, photography is simply a way of connecting with his roots. He visited Greece successful 2023 with his household and spent clip successful their village Vrina with his yiayia Angelique.

Harry Tsekouras, President of the Vrinians successful Adelaide, who has championed youth-led projects to support the community’s bequest alive. Photos: Supplied

“We walked the aforesaid streets where my great-grandparents Anastasios and Maria Asimakopoulos lived. That was special,” helium said.

Outside photography, Harry plays guitar, drums, and shot with the Glenelg Tigers, arsenic well arsenic volleyball astatine school. “I judge my photos will amusement my creativity and some of my adventures.”

Electra Panos, 13, said the task has been a accidental to observe her heritage. Her yiayia’s household is from Florina, and her papou’s from Vrina.

“I be Greek schoolhouse erstwhile a week and I’m very arrogant of my Greek heritage. I emotion learning astir the history, culture, and traditions — and particularly the food,” she said with a smile, naming bougatsa and mango gelato arsenic favourites.

Electra besides enjoys basketball, phantasy novels, and the occasional weekend sleep-in. “Being portion of this photographic radical is simply a wonderful accidental for the younger procreation of Vrina to explicit our creativity and perspectives.”

Harry Trebilcock’s vision of Adelaide. Photo: Supplied

For Anastasia Nikolettos, 11, the task is besides astir honouring family. The youngest of triplet sisters, she is the granddaughter of Koula Fotopoulos, a erstwhile president of the Vrinian committee.

“My papou was from Vrina, but helium passed away,” she said. Anastasia has different originative passionateness — crochet. “I taught myself and I’m very arrogant of the skills I’ve learned. I bask making small toys and beanies and giving them to household and friends.”

Keeping practice alive

The accumulation highlights the way Greek Australian youth are uncovering their ain voices while staying connected to their roots. Through photography, they honour the traditions of Vrina while expressing their individuality successful Australia today. Tsekouras said, helium wants young radical “to cognize they belong”.

“More than belonging, I want young Vrinians cognize that they are the aboriginal leaders, the stewards of the Vrinian assemblage successful Adelaide.”

Through Their Eyes will unfastened connected Sunday 5 October astatine the Cowandilla Community Gallery astatine 3pm. The Vrinian assemblage of Adelaide invites the wider nationalist to spot the world done the adjacent generation’s lens.