The workshops of the project “D.B.Y. – Directed by Youth”, co-financed by the CERV (Citizens, Equals, Rights and Values) European Union, ended in Italy.
The CEIPES workshops, divided into five days from 12 July 2023 to 24 July 2023, saw the presence and active involvement of 25 young people aged between 15 and 29 coming largely from the city of Palermo. The youth engaged in various activities, such as storytelling, filmmaking, video editing and graphic design and had the opportunity to test themselves by shooting their short film about a topic of civic commitment. Some participants made videos on local policies, others on discrimination, others on the sad phenomenon of cat-calling and the brain drain abroad.
The experiences reported were all very positive and were carried out in a spirit of discovery and collaboration. The aim of the project is precisely this: to offer young people from all over Europe the opportunity to make their voice heard, to change things little by little and to engage in the democratic debate in a direct way thanks to the innovative technique of participatory documentary.
But that’s not all: the films made will have the opportunity to participate in a local film festival in which many citizens will take part and, later, the winner of the festival will have the opportunity to send the short film to a festival in Greece in May 2024.
What to say then? Good luck to all and that the experience may have been an opportunity for growth and civic engagement!