ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the theoretical foundations of and the methodology behind four participatory photography laboratories with youth living in the marginalised suburbs of four Italian cities. From May to September 2021, four laboratories were designed and run by the PACO Design Collaborative in direct collaboration with the Tree of Life Foundation and local photographers. The aim of the experiments was to bring about a cultural opportunity for marginalised youth by inviting them to narrate their lives in the neighbourhood (Gutiérrez Novoa, Remotti, 2021).
During the lessons, the participants learned the main concepts of photography and immediately put them into practice by capturing their surroundings using a digital camera during the pilot project and an analogue camera in the four other workshops. The photos were a pretext for reflection and feedback sessions in which the participants were asked to talk about their feelings and thoughts and about their lives in the community and the neighbourhoods in which they live. To conclude the educational cycle, some photos were selected and displayed in a public exhibition in the district to involve the community. The four workshops involved a total of 62 children and adolescents from 7 to 13 years of age (Gutiérrez Novoa, Remotti, 2021).
