PHOTOFX - Photos To Fight Xclusion

Background The Photo to Fight Xclusion (PHOTOFX) project emerged with the intention of empowering young people to actively participate in civil and political life by exploiting the potential of culture, namely photography as a tool to fight exclusion and to connect European youth. In this way, PHOTOFX has contributed to raising awareness of the social aspect of photography among European youth, allowing young people to learn about the enormous possibilities of a camera. PHOTOFX has emphasised participatory photography, which combines photography with social action, and seeks to investigate through a collective gaze how individuals sustain a range of social conditions. Likewise, working on topics such as photojournalism, PhotoVoice and creative dynamics within photography such as social photo marathons, landscape photography gymkhanas or the emulsion lift technique, more than 200 young people in four countries (Spain, Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands) have benefited from the contents of the creative labs, and we hope that they can apply all the knowledge in their daily lives. Objectives The central objective of PHOTOFX has been to provide the participating youth with the tools to be able to give voice to their expressiveness, vision and personal interpretation of the world, with a purpose of social inclusion and awareness-raising, the intention of this objective has been at all times to form processes of collective creation in community interventions that use art for social transformation, positioning photography as an artistic practice that favours a social gaze and a greater knowledge of their context, their community, their environment. Fighting exclusion is essential for a united, cohesive and strong Europe in the face of increasing external threats. Connecting European youth through techniques and themes that appeal to them, being able to instil in them a sensitivity to social issues and generate a desire to spread this impact in their community. Today's participants can be tomorrow's artists, advocates of culture and social photography so that all realities are known and our voices are multiplied to fight injustice. Implementation The activities carried out in the framework of the PHOTOFX project have been: Manual for participatory photography, created by the PHOTOFX partners, which includes: photographic theories and techniques, social photography, photojournalism and reports, portrait and nature, conceptual photography, participatory photography, social impact of photography on vulnerable individuals and groups, etc. Participatory Photography Laboratory: Creative workshops created by each partner organisation in which the themes of the manual were worked on. Multiplier Events: Sessions held by each of the entities in which the results of the PHOTOFX project have been disseminated. Transnational Project Meetings: The first one had to be online due to the pandemic situation, where the contents of the manual, the creation and sharing of the participatory laboratories by each of the entities and the dissemination of the results through the specific PHOTOFX website (https://www.photofx.eu/) were mainly worked on. The last meeting took place in Holloko (Hungary), where an evaluation of the creative labs was carried out and the details for the publication of the participatory manuals were finalised. Achievements PHOTOFX has involved in total (counting the participants of the participatory laboratories and multiplier events) more than 250 young people in a non-formal and informal education pathway for the acquisition and development of transversal skills and competences in the field of social photography. Among the main results to be highlighted, we find the promotion of active citizenship, dialogue, mutual respect and awareness of young people, using photography as a means to achieve these objectives. Thus, having seen the overall impressions shared, we can confirm that PHOTOFX has contributed: - to the development of young people's skills in the field of social photography and digital communication in order to promote social inclusion, through quality non-formal learning. - to raise awareness among European youth about the need to be aware and committed to carry out activities aimed at promoting social justice and inclusion, dialogue, solidarity and peace, being able to achieve these goals through photography, because photography is a window that brings you closer to what is going on in the world.