Open Cultural Center - OCC

Casa
España
Barcelona
Open Cultural Center - OCC

A non-profit organization that develops inclusion programs in refugee camps and urban areas in Greece and in Spain

A non-profit organization that develops education & arts community centers in refugee camps / refugee population centers in Greece

21/08/2026

Last week, the CREATE students were given a cyanotype workshop by our ESC volunteer, Grace, where they learned how to print with the sun. 🌞

Over 3 days, the students went through the process of applying the chemicals to their paper and t-shirt, designed a visual to print and finally printed their drawings and images using the summer sun. It was an opportunity to put their creative ideas into a reality.

CREATE is a project co-funded by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. Alongside our partners , , , , , , we support over 600 young people across Europe in learning the language of their new country and fostering inclusion through education.

12/08/2026

Last week our Catalan students visited CosmoCaixa in Barcelona where they received a guided interactive tour.

The students got to explore the different climates and ecosystems of the earth, from the Amazon forest to the oceans, as well as learn more about outer space, all whilst practising their Catalan skills.

Our classes are supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ajuntament de Barcelona.
—
La setmana passada els nostres alumnes de català van visitar CosmoCaixa a Barcelona on van rebre una visita guiada interactiva.

Els alumnes van poder explorar els diferents climes i ecosistemes de la terra, des del bosc amazònic fins als oceans, així com aprendre més sobre l’univers, tot practicant el català.

Amb el suport de la Generalitat de Catalunya i l'Ajuntament de Barcelona.

05/08/2026

One of our summer excursions with the boys of the Youth4All Project! 🥾🌿

Every second week we go on a day trip to a must-see place in the Moianès region or beyond. Recently, we went to the Granera reservoir, an amazing nature spot where we walked a bit, had a picnic and chatted for a while.

The place is amazing, a beautiful green landscape with huge rocks and a dam and the Granera village itself is super beautiful! 🥰

These trips are a great way for everyone in the project to discover more of the local area and spend time together!

-------
Una de les nostres excursions d'estiu amb els joves del projecte Joventut Per Tothom! 🥾🌿

Cada dues setmanes fem una excursió d'un dia a un lloc imprescindible de la comarca del Moianès o més enllà. Recentment, vam anar al pantà de Granera, un lloc natural increïble on vam caminar una mica, fer un pícnic i xerrar durant una estona.

El lloc és molt bonic: un paisatge verd preciós amb enormes roques i una presa, i el poble de Granera en si és maco també! 🥰

Aquestes excursions són una oportunitat per a tothom en el projecte per descobrir més de la zona local i passar temps junts

04/08/2026

In recent years, online learning has increasingly been promoted as a democratic tool. But is it truly accessible to everyone?

🔎 As part of the Digital Lingua project, we worked with partners across five EU countries to explore how digital language learning can help break down barriers for migrant learners and what challenges still remain.

Our research shows that digital education has great potential to support migrant learners. However, greater investment in funding, training and infrastructure is needed to ensure that no one is left behind by digitalisation.

✊ 📚 Making language learning accessible is not only an education priority : it is an integration imperative, a social justice obligation, and an economic necessity.

🔎 Read the full report on https://digitalingua.eu/es/

Digital Lingua is funded by the European Union through Erasmus+. The project brings together five partners across Europe: , , and

28/07/2026

If you were forced to leave home, what one object would you take with you? 💬🪧

That was one of the questions we asked members of the public this summer during our three-day journey across Catalunya with the Caravan project.

Originally created by the Croix-Rouge française, Caravan is an itinerant awareness-raising project that brings conversations about migration into public spaces. Through interactive activities, it invites people to reflect, challenge stereotypes, and connect through dialogue.

🚐 This year, the Caravan made its first transnational trip to Catalunya, with our team at OCC in charge of translating and adapting the activities to the local context. We visited Sabadell, Manresa and Moià and sharing many interesting conversations with hundreds of people along the way.

None of this would be possible without our fantastic volunteers who participated in the project: thank you all for bringing so much enthusiasm and energy!

Thanks as well to our partners at the French Red Cross for all the support and for trusting us with your project.

Caravan is co-funded by the European Union through Erasmus+.

24/07/2026

Language is a crucial tool for inclusion and exchange 💬

Here at Open Cultural Center, we want to encourage language learning that is accessible and useful to newcomers. Through the CREATE project, we are able to offer tailored A1 Spanish classes to unaccompanied minors in Barcelona.

Our classes provide a fun and interactive mode of learning through classes, workshops and excursions tailored to the interests and needs of young migrant people.

Here are some words from our CREATE students on why they want to learn Spanish and how they enjoy learning the language.

CREATE is a project co-funded by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. We implement alongside our partners @glossomatheia , , . Together, we support over 600 young people across Europe in learning the language of their new country and fostering inclusion through education.

17/07/2026

Chapter 2: Breaking down walls

Just 7 km from the small town of Polykastro in northern Greece lies the Nea Kavala refugee camp, isolated from the surrounding community. Our centre in Polykastro exists to help break that isolation.

Our OCC Greece Site Coordinator, Alexis, speaks about the realities of life in a refugee camp and how we aim to break down its isolation by providing mobility options that connect residents to the town and our centre, where they can access classes, resources, and a cultural community space.

2026 marks 10 years since we founded our NGO and began our commitment to the inclusion of displaced communities in Greece and Spain, a milestone we proudly celebrate alongside our partners, .

🎬 We're proud to share this documentary about the past 10 years, told through the voices of the people who helped shape our organisations into what they are today.

Filmed and edited by the talented , thank you for your incredible work!

👀 Watch the full documentary on our YouTube channel. The link is in our bio.

🤝💙 We have always stood and continue to stand with displaced communities everywhere.

14/07/2026

Discovering a Modernist gem! 💠⚕️

Everyone has heard of the Sagrada Família, but last Friday our Language Lab community had the opportunity to visit another Modernist masterpiece just a short distance away: the Recinte Sant Pau, originally a public hospital designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner.

We got to learn about the Catalan architecture style of Modernism which fills the streets the city as well as the history of health and medicine in Barcelona.

🏥 🌿 The guided tour brought us through the hospital where we learnt about the different departments of the hospital, as well as the herbal medicine garden.

These cultural outings give our language students the chance to deepen their understanding of Barcelona's history and culture while practising their language skills.

Amb el suport de l'Ajuntament de Barcelona i la Generalitat de Catalunya.

10/07/2026

How it all started ⏳

Open Cultural Center was founded in 2016 under the original name Idomeni Cultural Center, in response to a humanitarian emergency. Millions of people had been displaced from their homes in various countries, and many were passing through Northern Greece in search of safety and a place to rebuild their lives.

In this first reel, Alexis, Site Coordinator at OCC Greece, reflects on the context in which our organisation was born.

2026 marks 10 years of our commitment to the inclusion of displaced communities across Europe, a milestone we proudly celebrate alongside our partners Refugees Welcome Spain.

🎬 We're proud to share this documentary about the past 10 years, told through the voices of the people who helped shape our organisations into what they are today.

Filmed and edited by the talented , thank you for your incredible work!

👀 Watch the full documentary on our YouTube channel. The link is in our bio.

🤝💙 We have always stood and continue to stand with displaced communities everywhere.

01/07/2026

CAT: Gràcies a totes les persones que us vau unir a nosaltres per a la projecció de “Shahid: Créixer o morir a Palestina” i el col·loqui posterior, celebrats en el marc de la Festa Major del Casc Antic i del Dia Mundial de les Persones Refugiades.
Va ser una vetllada significativa per reflexionar sobre les experiències dels infants que creixen en contextos de guerra, desplaçament i migració, a través de les històries dels nens i nenes que vivien a Cisjordània l’any 2023.
Moltes gràcies a Qusay Abu Salah per compartir la seva experiència com a persona procedent de Jenín, el camp de refugiats que apareix al documental; a Andreu Merino, codirector del documental, per compartir la seva perspectiva; i a Mün Kanfach per moderar un col·loqui tan enriquidor i reflexiu.
Gràcies també a La Manchester per acollir la projecció.
Si us vau perdre el documental, el podeu veure a 3Cat.
Gràcies de nou a totes les persones que ens vau acompanyar i vau contribuir a crear un espai tan important per al diàleg i la reflexió.
Palestina lliure. CAPTION ENG:
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the screening of “Shahid: Growing Up or Dying in Palestine” and the discussion that followed, held as part of the Casc Antic Festival and World Refugee Day.
It was a meaningful evening to reflect on the experiences of children growing up in contexts of war, displacement, and migration through the stories of children living in the West Bank in 2023.
A heartfelt thank you to Qusay Abu Salah for sharing his experience as someone from Jenin, the refugee camp featured in the documentary; to Andreu Merino, co-director of the documentary, for sharing his perspective; and to Mün Kanfach for moderating such a thoughtful and enriching discussion.
Thank you as well to La Manchester for hosting the screening.
If you missed the documentary, you can watch it on 3Cat.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us and helped create such an important space for dialogue and reflection.
Free Palestine. 🇵🇸

Dirección

Rec 27
Barcelona
08003

Página web

https://openculturalcenter.org/

Notificaciones

Sé el primero en enterarse y déjanos enviarle un correo electrónico cuando Open Cultural Center - OCC publique noticias y promociones. Su dirección de correo electrónico no se utilizará para ningún otro fin, y puede darse de baja en cualquier momento.