RE:EASA story: The Epilogue

Written by the 303 crew

Exactly three months ago, we published this Letter from the organisers, in order to prepare future Easians (including ourselves) for the life-changing experience that is the European Architecture Students’ Assembly (EASA). Ten days later, we were on the front in Rijeka, trying our best to contribute to the community in different ways. Today, we are publishing this Epilogue letter, hoping to inspire new students to join our big, shameless family.

RE:EASA

“There is no aesthetics without ethics.” – EASA Croatia

The story began two years ago when a team of students from the Zagreb Faculty of Architecture, among others, applied to host EASA 2018. The city of their choice was Rijeka, a post-industrial urban jungle full of contradictions and wild dreams waiting to be realized. The proposed theme of the Assembly was both a question and an answer for the future of the event: the prefix re, which demanded a new way of thinking about the network and all of its vital components. They insisted that the urgency of the global climate crisis begs of architecture, as well as architecture students, to draw a line between need and luxury, and to re:evaluate waste as a phenomenon that inevitably occurs during and in the aftermath of every EASA. With determination, imagination and the sheer audacity of the Croatian team, Rijeka won the bid.

Indeed, The Flowing City served as both our creative muse and our true home this summer. Behind its cold industrial shell lies an unbelievably humble and kind spirit of its citizens. The natural beauties of the Croatian coastline compliment the eclectic urbanity of its industrial capital. It is where all the extremes blend to make a vibrant shade of orange. Rijeka embodies all that is good in the Balkans (and all humanity), which was something that RE:EASA aspired to mirror during these two weeks.

LEARN OUR LANGUAGE

“Re:discover a sense of self beyond ego.” – RE:EASA Manifesto

Additionally, we prepared fifteen definitions of the most common terms that are universal for every EASA:

1° Easian /ˈea.sɪ.ən/
A member of the international network of architecture students that gather at EASA events.

2° Assembly /əˈsem.bli/
A self-organised, two-week long meeting of six hundred Easians from more than fifty countries. The Assembly is the main event of the community and is held every year since its conception in 1981 in Liverpool, England. Today, it is one of the largest gatherings of architecture students in the world. Sometimes, a smaller gathering called Small European Architecture Students’ Assembly Meeting (SESAM) can also be held.

3° Community /kəˈmjuː.nə.ti/
The core of the Assembly. The community creates a loving environment that is self-sustained by the energy and goodwill of its individuals and their own personal connections to other members of the community. It is non-hierarchical and is morally led by the EASA Guide.
Easians gather in Community Meetings to discuss plans, schedules and other important daily topics. EASA Forum serves a purpose of joining every Easian to theorize about the fundamental themes of EASA, its sustainable development in the future, as well as the problems of architecture education across Europe.

4° Workshops /ˈwɜːk.ʃɒps/
The focal point of the Assembly. Students and young architects with or without previous experience can apply to hold workshops. The overarching goal of all workshops is to improve the EASA community, as well as to leave a mark on the communities that already live in the vicinity of EASA sites. Some of the most essential, recurring infrastructural workshops are: Tapaland, Umbrella, EASA.tv and EASA.fm.

5° Accommodation /əˌkɒm.əˈdeɪ.ʃən/
A temporary habitat of the EASA community, which has had varying forms throughout the years. The conditions of the accommodation are highly dependent on the personal responsibility of every Easian and every small effort makes a ripple effect on the whole community. Besides Love and Kindness, Tokens are used as an official currency inside the informal settlement. Participation fees vary by year, country and your role in EASA.
To learn more about the history of EASA habitats, read this year’s Kišobran.

6° Organisers /ˈɔː.ɡən.aɪ.zərs/
Those who are chosen to host EASA in their home country and are responsible for organising the event – a process which lasts for two years.
Organisers are the superheroes of the EASA community.

7° National Contacts /ˈnæʃ.ən.əl ˈkɒn.tækts/
Those who volunteer to gather students from their native countries and lead their national teams.
There is an Intermediate National Contact Meeting (INCM) held two years prior to every EASA, where NCs unanimously choose future organisers and make core decisions about future Assemblies.
NCs are the spirit guides of the EASA community.

8° Tutors /ˈtʃuː.tərs/
Those who are chosen by the organisers to hold a workshop. The call for tutors is released at the beginning of the year.
There is an Intermediate Tutor Meeting (ITM) held eight months prior to every EASA that serves to educate and inspire potential tutors about the theme and location of the next EASA.
Tutors are the creative geniuses of the EASA community.

9° Participants /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.pənts/
Those who are chosen by the NCs to participate in workshops and represent their country at the Assembly. The community mostly consists of participants. The call for participants is released after the call for tutors.
Participants are the creative prodigies of the EASA community.

10° Helpers /ˈhel.pərs/
Those who are chosen by the organisers as their extended support system. The call for helpers is released after the call for participants. Helpers are welcome to stay a few days before and after the main event.
Helpers are the angels of the EASA community.

11° Guests /ɡests/
Those who are chosen by the organisers to be temporary residents of the community. The call for guests is released after the call for helpers.
Guests are the party animals of the EASA community.

12° National Teams /ˈnæʃ.ən.əl tiːms/
All national teams are non-profit organisations. Seven participants from each country form a national team and each of them is free to choose a workshop to take part in during the Workshop Fair. National teams are traditionally assigned with certain duties during EASA and they serve their national food and drinks during National Evenings. National teams can sometimes also form bidding teams for hosting future EASA and INCM events.
RE:EASA gathered a total number of 49 national teams from all over Europe and a few special ones: NASA (India), CLEA (Latin America) and an International team.

13° Dinos /ˈdaɪ.nəs/
A term invented to describe Easians who have been active members of the community for a very, very long time (at least half a decade). They sometimes gather outside of EASA, in strange community meetings called weddings.

14° EASA Spirit™ /ˈea.sa ˈspɪr.ɪt/
A term invented to describe the unique feeling of belonging to the EASA community.
To learn more about the Spirit of RE:EASA, read this letter written from a perspective of an organiser, and this essay written from a perspective of a helper.

15° EASA Blues™ /ˈea.sa bluːz/
A term invented to describe the unique feeling of nostalgia for the EASA community. After spending two weeks together during the summer, Easians like to torture one another with emotionally-charged stories, photos and videos in obscure Facebook groups for the rest of the year.
To learn more about the Blues, read this article from EASA 2013 in Žužemberg, Slovenia.

BECOME OUR RE:CRUIT

“What role will EASA play in your future?” – Nudge workshop

One day, you will look back and realize that you can’t really imagine what your life was like two weeks prior to that moment. You will feel at home with several hundred people you’ve never met in a place you’ve never visited before. Your contribution to the community will leave a permanent mark on you. You will feel proud of yourself as you tightly hug your new best friends on the day of your departure.

EASA is alive everywhere and nowhere at all. It is the uncatchable ray of light that disperses and disappears, only to reappear once again, even brighter, somewhere new. We will all want to join and allow the genius loci to take over. The Assembly may be temporary, but the EASA Spirit™ stays forever inside every Easian. The story starts with a goodbye.

Thank you, Alexandra Kononchenko and Simon Sais, for the opening video. Take a look at our photo album here.
Hvala, EASA Croatia, for everything.

Read our re:ports about this year’s workshops: