Star Wars Hellenic Academy, the big Greek Star Wars union! They talk about Cosplay, the team and their philanthropic work!
THE STAR WARS ACADEMY !
The one and only Greek Star Wars academy in Greece, counting over 5 years of existence! The big non profit Star Wars union of Star Wars fans based in Athens, Star Wars Hellenic Academy!
Starting its activities on December 2, 2015, it sets the spread of history, essence and love for Star Wars in Greece as its goal! Star Wars themed Cosplay couldn’t be absent, with Star Wars Hellenic Academy being the largest Cosplayer team in Greece, irrelevant of theme!
Its philanthropic activities are also part of its actions, with it being the first case of Cosplayers’ participation in a philanthropic activity in Greece, on October 25, 2016, in collaboration with Make-a-Wish Greece and the Mangatellers, as part of the making a child’s wish come true! Its philanthropic work continues to this day with their participation in various types of voluntary activities! To reach this goal led the team to take on the form of a registered union!
Their various appearances on the news on TV is nothing new, nor the creation of various Star Wars themed fanmade live action videos, either as promos for various events it attends or independent ones! Respectively, their appearance at various Star Wars movie premieres is something to be expected of course.
We meet them at their own huge themed booth at various major Cosplay events in Athens, where they present their team and spread their love for Star Wars! The team’s appearances on stage during various Cosplay Parades and Cosplay Contests at those events, as well as the large Star Wars march in their corridors, fascinate the crowds! After all, what’s better than seeing all your beloved Star Wars characters in front of you! However, their presence isn’t limited to large events, but also extends to smaller ones related to the world of Star Wars.
On December 1, 2018, during AthensCon 2018 in Athens, it establishes the Greek branch of the internationally recognized Star Wars Cosplayers group 501st Legion, under the name 501st Legion Hellenic Outpost! Plans also include the establishment of the respective Greek branch of sister Star Wars Cosplayers group, Rebel Legion, this year!
Let’s talk to Marwan Sanoussi, representative of the Star Wars Hellenic Academy, about everything!
Find Star Wars Hellenic Academy on the following media! Page - Facebook - Instagram
IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY !
1) Tell us a few words about your team! What do we need to know about you? How many members does it include at this point of time?
First thing I should mention is that we aren’t an ordinary team, but a union with articles of association and a board of directors, where elections are being held every 2 years for the election its members. Our team currently consists of 35 active members of all ages.
Christos Oikonomou as Sith Lord Darth Valaz – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
2) When and how did you get started with Cosplay and what got you into it? What led to the formation of your team? What was your first appearance and first Cosplays?
Cosplay is a bug that has been chasing me for years now. It all started at Athenscon 2015, where I met two other people dressed in Cosplays from the same subject by chance. It didn’t take long after that to set up the team.
Fulfillment of children’s wishes in collaboration with Make-a-Wish Greece – Photos by Make-a-Wish Greece
3) Your team’s theme is Star Wars. What kind of characters and from which sources of superheroes specifically do you choose your Cosplays from? Is the choice of this theme based on personal interests, and if so, when did you get in contact with it before the team’s creation?
Each member of our team has his own unique character that he embodies. In my case it’s two characters, a Jedi and an officer of the Empire. Before the union I usually wore the Jedi uniform.
Star Wars has been a part of my life since 1984 when I watched the first movie at the age of nine. After that I became addicted and watched the rest gradually, because back then movies only existed in videotapes and even the internet didn’t exist. Magical moments.
Nikos Papakonstantinou as Qui-Gon Jinn – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
4) Which characters do you think were the most popular? Which characters are you thinking about doing in the future? What were the most difficult Cosplays you have done until today? What makes them the most difficult?
Our most impressive characters are Darth Vader, the Jedi and the Stormtroopers. We are thinking of introducing several more characters to the team in the future, but we are keeping those thoughts as a surprise for now. The most difficult Cosplays of all of them to date are uniforms including armor, since they are very cumbersome and hot.
Star Wars Hellenic Academy & 501st Hellenic Outpost Booth – Photos by Star Wars Hellenic Academy
5) How much effort, time and money does it usually take to create a Cosplay? What is the most common plan and methods you use to create a Cosplay? What do you think about store bought Cosplays? Are they part of your ensemble as well?
The costumes we create are characterized by quality to the point that they could be part of the costume ensemble of a Star Wars movie, meaning they have an increased cost. A Jedi suit costs about 650 Euros without the lightsaber, while a Stromtrooper suit starts at around 600 euros without counting the time it takes to assemble and create them to our measurements.
I personally don’t have a problem with ready-made Cosplays, as long as they are proper ones and good looking. It’s difficult to find them ready-made in our case, since everything must be made to the measurements of the person who wears the corresponding uniform.
Kevi Magel as Sith Lord Darth Desea Se – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
6) Do you consider your involvement with Cosplay a hobby or something more serious? How does that define the way you present your work? Your team has the form of a registered union. What led you to take on this particular form?
We don’t deal exclusively with Cosplay as a team, but also with many philanthropic activities, which is our main concern. This was the reason that led us to acquire a legal status, resulting in the formation of a union.
Fulfillment of a child’s wish in collaboration with Make-a-Wish Greece – Video by Make-a-Wish Greece
7) Your philanthropic work is a important aspect of your team. Tell us about all the related cases that have arisen to date. What got you involved into this field as the first ones in Greek Cosplay?
Our love for Star Wars is reflected in the smiles of the children we see when we make their wishes come true. Along with the voluntary spirit that characterizes us, this is the reason that pushed us to act as an union with a philanthropic layer.
Some examples are:
– Fulfillment of children’s wishes in collaboration with Make-a-Wish Greece
– Participation in the charity road race Greece Race for the Cure
– Participation in the parents and children activity Color for Life by the Parents’ Association of the 12th Primary School of N. Smirni
– Organization of the voluntary blood donation at AthensCon 2017 in collaboration with the the National Blood Donation Center
Michael Infernoaoz Agas as Jedi Knight Kalas Ag – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
8) You established the 501st Legion Hellenic Outpost in Greece. What is the 501st Legion and how did the establishment of its Greek branch in Greece come about? What activities did you undertake under its banner?
501st Legion is a global organization, whose main feature is its members dressing up in exact replicas of costumes similar to those in Star Wars movies and series. It focuses mainly on Dark Side costumes.
The actions of the 501st Legion Hellenic Outpost are similar to those of the Star Wars Hellenic Academy, except that through this way we can represent Greece also worldwide.
This year, preparations are being made for the inclusion of our team in the Rebel Legion, which is the sister team of the 501st Legion, with the difference being that it’s about the Light Side.
Participation in the Cosplay Contest at GameAthlon Winter 2019 – Photo by CowboyTV
9) How did you feel the first time you appeared in public or at an event wearing Cosplays. Describe your experience to us.
At first I was shy, but as soon as the first child approached me to take a photo with us … then everything changed, I was no longer myself, I was a Jedi.
Christos Patsiouris as Stormtrooper – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
10) How did you end up attending Cosplays events intensively and what experiences did you get from it?
We ended up attending events intensively so that we could promote our union better and share our madness.
The experiences are incredibly beautiful and many. Where to start … from the many photos, from the collaborations with members abroad and generally many more.
Solo: A Star Wars Story Movie Premiere
11) Did the theme and size of an event ever affect your decision to visit and dress with Cosplays at them? What would you say were your favorite events so far?
On one hand, the type of event is very important, on the other hand, we haven’t missed many, since we are always present wherever there’s a relation to pop culture. Our favorite events are Athenscon and Gameathlon.
Travis Kristin Spencer as Han Solo – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
12) Do you think that Cosplay as a subject will continue to be part of your daily life and philanthropic work for a long time? If so, what are your plans for the future in this area that you have not yet been able to implement? Is there a long term goal or personal dream that you want to achieve related to it?
Personally, for as long as I can stand, I will dress as a Jedi, while each of us has a long term goal. Mine is to be able to create the next costume and prepare the booth for our new exhibition.
Pandemic Safety Measures – Video by Star Wars Hellenic Academy
13) What is your opinion, in proportion to Greece’s size, in terms of the number and level of Greek Cosplays, but also the level of events where they attend? What evolution around them did you notice over the years?
The truth is that when we first started everything was very timid, but as the years went by we saw more lively and more impressive Cosplays, and with a more professional tone. There’s lot to be done, but what’s coming is bright and beautiful.
Marwan Sanoussi as Jedi Master Mar-Wan Lodbek – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
14) Do you think the provided Cosplay activities at various events are satisfactory or is there something you would still like to see there regarding Cosplay?
Related to the size of Greece they’re quite good. Of course we all know that the enemy of good is better … so there’s a lot of room for improvement. Therefore, we are expecting to see the better one.
Star Wars March at AthensCon 2019 – Photo by Star Wars Hellenic Academy
15) Is there anything else you would like to see happen in general in regarding Cosplay in Greece?
A lot, but one of the most important things is not to judge how old someone who cosplays is, since all ages can get attached to Cosplay.
Evangelos Zafeiroulis as Gray Jedi – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
16) You have occasionally participated in Cosplay Contests and Cosplay Parades on stage at various events. How did you feel the first time you went on stage? How do you feel now every time you go up?
As a union we participated in several Cosplay Parades within the conventions and had a wonderful time. Every time we show up, the atmosphere we feel remains incredible.
Participation in the charity road race Greece Race for the Cure – Photo by Star Wars Hellenic Academy
17) How important do you think is a distinction in a Cosplay Contest in terms of whether it was worth the effort someone put into creating a difficult Cosplay? To what extent do you think such a possible distinction should influence the choices of a Cosplayer while creating a Cosplay?
We are generally not interested in distinctions at Cosplay Contests, since our love is purely related to Star Wars and the best embodiment of characters based on it.
Dimitris Itsios as Sith Lord Darth Aheron – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
18) Do you think that off stage roleplaying should be a key part of a Cosplayer or do you consider it practically inapplicable?
The basic concept of Cosplay is the embodiment of a character played by a person. Meaning staying in character is something desirable.
Interview at Epsilon TV channel’s News – Video by Epsilon TV
19) Is there any important or funny experience you experienced during your time in the Cosplay scene that you will never forget? What has Cosplay offered you so far?
The most touching experience was the case when we made a wish for a child who had a very bad illness come true, with the help of Make-a-Wish Greece.
The look of the child who saw his favorite heroes alive in front of him cann’t be replaced with no money world.
Lia Louna Theodorou as Bastila Shan – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
20) What is the first thing you would say to someone who wants to get into Cosplay, either seriously or not? Do you think it’s easy to get started? Are you looking for people interested in joining your team? If so, what do they need to know about that?
First I would tell him to be patient, and to persist in the character he wants to embody, in order to achieve it, since it’s a very nice world to get into.
As for our union, one does not need to own a uniform to become a member. The basic condition is to be over 18 years old and to like Star Wars. We are generally looking for people who like this whole concept.
Organization of the voluntary blood donation at AthensCon 2017 in collaboration with the the National Blood Donation Center – Photo by Star Wars Hellenic Academy
21) Is there anything last you would like to share with our readers?
Always dream and always smile. Don’t forget to be yourself.
Loukas Dalaklis as Obi-Wan Kenobi – Photo by Paraskevi Kourmpeti
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