The population of the world’s cities is getting bigger. New pressures such as environmental sustainability and social cohesion are challenging urban planners and designers to think creatively about the way we live and interact with our urban surroundings. The cities young people live in are both their daily reality and source of inspiration – and young people are increasingly expressing their creativity and experience through urban art forms and motifs.

As part of our Metropolis season, we are organising a series of thought-provoking exhibitions, debates and workshops to explore these issues:

			City Streets Photography Project We invite you on a journey into the streets of Athens, where Europe meets Africa, Asia and the Balkans. The aim is to create a photographic record of the new, multicultural face of the Greek capital. 2006–2008
			The Life of Objects In collaboration with Vakalo School of Art and Design, we are presenting the work produced at the The Life of Objects workshop led by Julia Lohmann and Gero Grundmann, which took place in the context of our Great Brits – The New Alchemists exhibition. Athens: 21 March–13 April 2007
			City Debates A series of talks where high profile UK speakers will engage with Greek designers, architects and urban planners to discuss challenging issues on themes of urban culture. Athens: 2 February-20 March 2007
			Great Brits – The New Alchemists Organised in collaboration with Megaron Plus, our Great Brits exhibition showcases the new generation of talented young designers working in Britain. Each experiments with new materials and technologies and explores the transformative – or alchemical – possibilities of design. Athens: 2 February–4 March 2007
			Onto the Streets: Contemporary Street Photography in London Our Onto the Streets exhibition showcases the work of an emergent generation of British photographers and captures the unique flux of people, matter and imagery that combine in the streets of London. Thessaloniki: 1 December 2006–10 January 2007
			Michael Nyman Our first British guest in our Metropolis season is the composer Michael Nyman, who, to the accompaniment of live piano music, will present and discuss his views on urban living, illustrated by his photographs of the urban environment. Athens: 12 April 2006