Making Movies Matter - Competence Based Approach to Applying Filmmaking in Youth Work

Background For over five years, the 4 partner organisations in this project had been experimenting with the use of film and cinema as methods of youth work, with the aim of supporting the personal development and participation of young people with fewer opportunities. We realised the value of involving youth workers with at least a basic knowledge of film processes, and filmmakers who were familiar with the principles of non-formal education and group learning processes. We found that we lacked a skills reference framework for the application of filmmaking in youth work. We had also identified a lack of tools and resources ready for use in this type of process. To meet these challenges, we decided to set up this strategic partnership project "Making Movies Matter -Competence Based Approach to Applying Filmmaking in Youth Work" to support youth work in Europe by incorporating film as a methodology, and creating a competency framework for training youth workers. Objectives We hoped that the project would strengthen the capacity of the organisations involved in the project and indirectly benefit their target groups and other young people in their communities. The project was implemented on a transnational scale in order to make use of the different types of expertise of the organisations experienced in this field and to develop a framework of competences for the youth field adapted to different realities. By setting out the minimum requirements for facilitating learning processes with young people, and by creating a specialised framework for making films with young people, we wanted to help organisations in Europe to diversify youth work and reach more young people, particularly more young people with fewer opportunities. Implementation To test the skills framework created in IO1 and some of the activities developed in IO2, the organisations involved in this project developed a training course for youth workers and filmmakers, which was organised in Northern Macedonia in February 2022. This enabled us to get feedback on how to improve IO1 and 2; develop a new innovative training programme based on IO1 skills; prepare a group of 15 youth workers and filmmakers to implement a piloting phase of IO2 in local communities in spring 2022 with over 75 young people in total. Another training seminar was held in Estonia in July 2022 to evaluate the piloting phase of the project and provide feedback on the results of the first two intellectual productions. Four transnational meetings between partners were organised, enabling all partners to collaborate effectively in implementing the project. Project dissemination events were organised in the various countries by the partner organisations. Achievements As we had initially imagined, our project has enabled us to collectively develop the following results : - a complete skills framework for using filmmaking as a methodology in youth work - a handbook containing educational tools and resources in the field of filmmaking that can be used to support young people's development and participation in non-formal settings - a simplified reference framework of youth work skills for non-professionals in other fields working with young people, and a programme of activities designed to develop these skills. These results have been published in the form of intellectual products produced by teams of experts in the fields of youth work, film-making and working with groups of marginalised young people.