reworks agora: 10 years of dialogue on the ideas shaping our present and future

This year’s edition of reworks agora marked a decade of action and dialogue, paving the way for the institution’s future growth. As Greece’s first interdisciplinary forum combining ideas and music, reworks agora returned with a three-day program in Thessaloniki, aiming to raise awareness and encourage reflection on pressing issues such as humanitarian values, society, technology, democracy, international relations, economy, and music.

The festival-conference, a privately initiated event, unfolded across two cultural venues and featured 7 discussion panels, 22 speakers, and 14 artists—uniting creative thought and sound experience, and drawing more than 12,000 reworkers closer to the agora community.

The festival kicked off on Friday, May 23, 2025, with electrifying DJ sets by MOMERY, ISON, and PAUL KALKBRENNER at the iconic Kyverneio (Royal Palace), on Thessaloniki’s eastern waterfront. Placing dialogue, inspiration, and urban culture at the heart of its philosophy, the music segment of reworks agora gave way to the forum’s main program, inviting the public to reflect on how our increasingly digital lives are redefining human experience.

On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the agora hosted seven engaging panel discussions featuring researchers, academics, activists, journalists, professionals from the music and tech industries, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. These sessions introduced fresh perspectives, encouraged exchange, and shed light on current debates.

In the first panel, Christina Angeli (PhD candidate and researcher at AUTH) led a conversation on how media narratives reproduce stereotypes and reinforce stigma against vulnerable groups, joined by psychiatrist/psychotherapist Filippos Kouniakis (Ego Ideal Institute) and Naya Kalfeli (lecturer and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Western Macedonia).

In the second panel, Dimitris Ganitidis (Executive Director, Thessaloniki Convention Bureau) moderated a discussion on gentrification and its impact on tourism, food culture, and urban life, with insights from Michalis Mittas (Secretary General, Municipality of Thessaloniki), Lina Liakou (architect & director, Resilient Cities Network), Konstantina Mamada (CEO, Porto Palace Hotels), and Aristeidis Theodoridis (co-owner, Thermaikos Bar).

The third panel focused on AI’s role in work culture, privacy, and intergenerational dynamics (Millennials, Gen Z, Gen Alpha), featuring Christos Papagiannis (Director, Eteron Institute), business consultant Konstantinos Kindzios, futurist Dimitris Dimitriadis, and content creator/podcaster Nefeli Meg.

The fourth panel, held in collaboration with iMEdD (incubator for Media Education and Development), brought together Kelly Kiki (data editor, iMEdD) and Pulitzer Center’s senior AI editor Joanna S. Kao to discuss journalism’s critical role in auditing algorithms and digital platforms.

In the fifth panel, journalist Sofia Papadopoulou (ANA-MPA) hosted a session on the Middle East, the influence of global powers, and how shifting geopolitics impact Western countries, with speakers Spyridon Litsas (professor of international relations, University of Macedonia) and Maria Alvanou (criminologist & member of ITSTIME research group).

The sixth panel featured journalist Giorgos Evgenidis (anchor, STAR Channel) in conversation with Stefanos Kasselakis (President, Movement of Democracy) about U.S. tariff policies, the position of Greece in global markets, the economic effects of ongoing wars, and the future of the Eurozone.

In the final panel, reworks artistic director Anastasios Diolatzis sat down with Michael Mayer—renowned DJ, producer, and co-founder of the influential label Kompakt—for a discussion on how a record label can become a global reference point, the challenges facing today’s music industry, and the future of electronic music.

As Kosmas Panagiotidis, head of the forum’s program, notes:
“Each year, our goal with reworks agora is to bring together experts from different fields to engage in meaningful conversations on timely and vital issues. Through these panels and one-to-one talks, we aim to explore the forces shaping our reality—how, when, and why these transformations happen.”

Following the talks, the event continued with energetic DJ sets by PETROZA, SIMEON, MICHAEL MAYER, MAYDAY, and BELLAS across two stages at Ypsilon.
The third and final day, Sunday, May 25, 2025, concluded with anticipated performances by KIKI BOTONAKI, SYMMETRIC, ALEX WANN, and MISS MONIQUE.

We look forward to seeing you again at reworks festival, taking place from September 24 to 28, 2025.