Cinema Paradiso: Social Impact Through Videomaking

From the 26th of September until the 5th of October, a group of curious youth workers and young people from all over Europe gathered in the small town located in the Asturias region, called Villaviciosa (Spain).

Why, you ask?

An Erasmus+ Training Course funded by the Erasmus+ program and approved by the Spanish National Agency brought together 24 participants from Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, Belgium, and Poland that were eager to unravel the basics of videomaking and how to bring a social impact through it.

The Goal?

To foster creativity but more importantly to make videomaking more accessible and to explore how to promote local association and their amazing work!

The project introduced the basics of videomaking and many information were shared. Yet, it didn’t stop the creative process that exceeded everyone’s expectations!

Throughout the week, participants engaged in different and challenging creative exercises focused on image composition, video making and storytelling.

Cooperation, laugh, fun... and a lot of stress to deliver the assignments on time! None of this stopped the participants to have a great experience, sharing more than just a week together!

Different perspective, expertise between participants and cultural background made this week very interesting and valuable from many different points of view!

Participants sometimes struggled to apply the principles of videomaking in practice. Still, the project’s emphasis on non-formal education, alongside a challenging yet engaging theoretical approach to digital storytelling, image composition, shooting types, and camera movement techniques, empowered them to craft impactful messages.

The culmination of the project was the Movie Gala on the last day of the project. Here, participants showcased their creations (videos) of the local organizations they were working with in the last days of the project. Many guests were invited, as well as local press and beneficiaries of the associations.

The gala was a resounding success, showing how important it is to get to know the local realities and what amazing job their are doing! The impact of the project didn’t stop in the week. Each national team was asked to create a social promotional video either for their sending organizazions or for a local association in their respective countries to put into practive the knowledge and skills gained. This ongoing effort ensures that the benefits of the project reach local communities, participants colleagues, and young people, perpetuating the Erasmus+ spirit of cross-cultural learning and dissemination. The project was coordinated and organized by L’Asociation Cultural l’Ayalguina.

A special thanks to the organizers of l’Ayalguina.

A special thanks to the Trainers Fabio Meazza (yEuropa) and Stefano Esposito (Loud&Clear)

A special thanks to all the beautiful Erasmus+ lovers and local organizations that made this project amazing and stunning!