This project aims to equip 24 youth workers from Italy, Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, Iceland, Romania, and Ukraine with innovative and creative methodologies to foster self-expression, active participation, and social inclusion among young people, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. By integrating participatory photography into youth work, we seek to provide accessible, engaging tools that empower youth workers to create meaningful learning experiences, encourage non-verbal storytelling, and strengthen young people's connection with their communities. The project aspires to embed participatory photography as a tool: to enhance youth participation within European youth work to promote youth advocacy campaigns to create bridges between youth work practices and communities, as well as between youth work practices and decisionmake Through the development of an open-source toolbox, a digital learning community, and structured mentoring, we aim to ensure that participatory photography remains accessible, adaptable, and impactful beyond the training course. The longterm vision is to strengthen the professionalization of youth work, ensuring that youth workers gain recognition and validation for their skills, while fostering a culture of creativity, participation, and civic engagement within youth organizations and communities across Europe.
The core of the project is a nine-day training course in Italy where participants, selected based on their experience or interest in youth work, non-formal education, and participatory media, took part in an immersive program that blends theoretical learning with hands-on practice. They explored the methodology of participatory photography, ethical storytelling, and visual communication, applying these techniques through fieldwork with local communities.
from Self Portrait assignment
The training did not only enhance their technical skills but also served as a platform for self-exploration and competence development. Through guided reflection, they deepened their understanding of how photography can be used as a tool for empowerment and community engagement. A key component of this experience was the the co-creation of a participatory photography toolbox, ensuring that the knowledge and methodologies developed during the training can be applied and adapted to their own contexts. Following the training, each youth worker took the methodology back to their local communities, implementing participatory photography workshops with young people. Engaging at least 160 young participants, giving them the opportunity to explore their identities, document their realities, and share their perspectives with a wider audience.
During the training course, participants had the opportunity to explore the town and connect with its inhabitants through the creation of photographic projects.
