Giorgos Chrisanthidis

Giorgos Chrisanthidis

Streetworker | Music therapist - Emfasis Foundation

Giorgos Chrisanthidis holds a degree in “Musical Harmony”, he is an undergraduate student of “Classical Guitar” and he has studied “Sports Management and Organization” at the University of Peloponnese. He has participated in several bands and has contributed to the implementation of a number of cultural/musical events. As part of his studies and as a volunteer he has taught music to students, of all ages and levels and he has played a key part in the creation and design of music therapy workshops for vulnerable populations. He has been part of the management team at “Vrysaki multi-cultural space art & events venue” creating and executing projects and helping people express themselves creatively, promoting self-awareness and social interaction through fun and affordable means.

Through the program, he started working at Emfasis Foundation as a Streetworker – Music therapist. His responsibilities include the creation and implementation of special weekly activities, based primarily on the element of music as a therapeutic tool, complemented by the creative occupation of the people supported by the organization. These activities are either individual or group and due to the flexibility-diversity that music offers, they can take place both on the street and in collaborating open or restricted entities, as well as «neutral» spaces. The purpose of this project is the mental uplift and relief of people who are in a state of or on the verge of homelessness/rough sleeping, placing emphasis on the cultivation of emotional bonds and promoting a common sense of identity.

Emfasis Foundation was founded in 2013 to address the holistic needs of all vulnerable and socially excluded people who live deprived of safe housing. It has been increasingly active in supporting the homeless, the chronically unemployed, families below the poverty line, socially vulnerable young people and neglected/isolated seniors at risk of imminent homelessness or living in street conditions/rough sleeping.