In setting up the Up to Me project, we wanted above all to offer marginalized young people an opportunity to speak out and reclaim their image through the medium of film. The aim was to highlight their backgrounds, thoughts and dreams, while boosting their self-confidence and ability to express themselves in public. Through the filmed self-portraits, we sought to change the public's view of these often-invisibilized young people, and provoke collective reflection on the issues of precariousness and social exclusion. At the same time, we wanted the teams from the two partner organizations to develop new skills in participatory practices, and to be able to disseminate this know-how in other educational and social contexts across Europe.
We applied to the Up to ME project in response to the crying needs of young people in precarious situations and social exclusion, in particular NEETs (neither in employment, education nor training), welcomed at the Foyer J.B. Fouque in Marseille. We found that these young people, though often marginalized, possess an inner wealth and skills that are underestimated. Through the creation of filmed self-portraits, we hope to enable them to regain control over their personal narrative, boost their self-confidence and promote their social inclusion. Through this project, we also sought to cross-fertilize our socio-cultural practices with our Polish partner, the C.E.L. Foundation, which has been working for years with young people in difficulty. The aim is to encourage the exchange of knowledge between the two organizations, amplify best practices and provide a concrete response to the discrimination experienced by these young people, while developing a methodology that can be reproduced on a European scale.