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The Story Within a Photo

2020-1-HU01-KA105-0778282020Youth mobilityfinalized
Countries: HU|CZ|RO|SK|PT · Grant: €32,702
ICT - new technologies - digital competencesCreativity and culture

Objectives

The 4 partners involved in the current project aimed to address a need encountered in their communities. Initially, there was a Slovakian partner(Obciansky Spolok) foreseen to participate also, but ultimately, they had withdrawn being not available for the scheduled period of the mobility. Our project idea started off from the premise that nowadays more than ever pictures are used to transmit information, people and especially youths have less patience to read a text. The affirmation is backed up by studies that show that visual information is processed 60.000 times faster in the brain than text. Although this can represent a possible threat in terms of young people wanting to read books to explore and learn about the world it can also be seen as an opportunity. Photography plays an important role to people’ visual minds and are considered to have a special status for truthfully recording the world and making them perceive photographs as something real, representing a good method to document real life situations that can be shared further. The project idea is older, during our previous KA1 YE “Picture This” we noticed that young people are very much interested in taking pictures and explore their artistic sides. They consider photography relevant to the current labour market and as a potential activity that could generate income. However, it is less perceived as a mean to explore the world and tell stories that have an impact not only commercially and from the sales point of view, but also culturally and socially. This project is a direct follow-up of our previous Picture This project. During our DEOR events, youths felt inspired by the videos and photos documenting the project and wanted to participate in a similar activity. Most of them did not have the chance to be part of transnational contexts, had not traveled abroad or had low level of social skills. Correlating their needs with their passions, we had aimed to encourage them to take initiative and get involved in a youth exchange in which together with youths from other countries they could have the chance to develop cultural and social awareness with the use of photography. By opening a call to our international network and promoting the project idea we found partners that shared the same issue within their communities they activate: most young people manifest resistance towards other cultures, and have limited awareness on how to use photography as a mean to explore the world; they need to be empowered to increase their level of awareness towards the cultural and social issues of the realities in which they live and photography is an effective way for doing so. Our goal was to create a safe space in which young people from 4 partner NGOs from 4 countries develop their intercultural awareness, adaptability and raise cultural issues by exploring them with making full use of photovoice. Objectives reached by the end of the project: 1. Increased the capacities of 40 young people from HU, RO, CZ and PT to use photovoice method as a mean to explore the world around them. 2. Created a framework for communication, understanding and recognition of group identity composed by 40 young people from 4 countries supported by 10 group leaders and 2 facilitators. 3. Increased awareness among the participants and partner organisations on the efficacy of photovoice as a non-formal learning method for raising issues and exploring the needs of a specific target group. Project objectives were connected to: 1.The priorities of the E+ by “enhancing media literacy, critical thinking and sense of initiative of young people” by making full use of photovoice method. As well as, by encouraging the enhancement of intercultural dialogue, diversity, create common understanding and by working in creative ways with young people on the 8 key competences; and in line with the Protection and safety of participants, principle of E+ by providing both physical and emotional safe learning environments for participants. 2.Aims of KA1: by improving the level of key competences and skills of young people, including those with fewer opportunities, by involving youths with social, economic and geographic obstacles, as well as by enhancing the international dimension of youth activities, gathering 4 partner countries with different cultures. Inclusion and Diversity Strategy: 1. Creating common understanding among youths, 2. Increasing commitment to inclusion and diversity, 3. Promoting E+, and 4. Reduce obstacles for young people with fewer opportunities. 4. Res. on the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 by facilitating and supporting development of youth through non-formal education.

Project partners (5)