Challenge

The project had two key objectives:

• Deliver filmmaking workshops to foster critical understanding of film language among students aged 10-15

• Assess the territorial needs for cultural and educational development in Calabria, a region facing significant socio-economic challenges

Solution

We developed a two-pronged approach:

1. Five-day stop-motion animation workshops where students:

• Worked in randomized teams of 4-5 people

• Created original stories and characters

• Produced short films using a personal manual, tablets and specialized apps

• Recorded sound effects collectively

2. Comprehensive territorial research through:

• 13 semi-structured interviews with school principals, teachers, and psychologists

• Workshop observation and documentation

• Anonymous surveys with participants

• Group discussions

Research Methods

Data collection combined multiple tools:

• Observation grids during workshops

• Anonymous surveys with both open and closed questions

• Group discussions with students

• Semi-structured interviews with education professionals

• Field notes from school visits across 7 educational institutions

Key Activities & Findings

Workshop Impact

Students demonstrated significant engagement with both technical and creative aspects of filmmaking.

Nearly one-third of participants spontaneously identified collaboration as their most valuable learning outcome.

Random team assignments, while initially challenging, proved highly effective for social skill development as we facilitated team working throughout the workshops.

Selected answers to the open ended question: "What's the best thing you've learned?"

Territorial Research

Four key areas emerged from the interviews:

1. Regional Challenges

• Limited local opportunities for higher education pushes students to leave the region, especially towards northern regions

• Scarcity of cultural and educational resources

• A prevailing sentiment that "to build something, one has to leave"

  
  

A teacher told me:

“I’m incredibly fortunate to have returned. After I graduated, I left immediately because I wanted to work... but now, as someone who's come back after so many years, I realize that opportunities here are scarce. I’m the one who structures and plans projects for the kids.”

2. Creative Opportunities for Students

• Establishment and success heavily dependent on individual teacher initiative

• European funding crucial for resource acquisition

• Innovative teaching methods show positive impact on dropout rates

I asked a principal who is very active in creating opportunities and communicating with parents: "What differences have you noticed from working this way over the years?"

"Well, on days when us ‘80s kids wouldn’t have bothered going to school, we find them here, every day. We've drastically reduced school dropout rates. It helps that we have strong relationships with local partners, like social services, the municipality, and the families. If you don't seize the opportunity to engage people, it's hard to get them to come to you."

3. Infrastructure Gaps

• Insufficient spaces within schools

• Complete lack of external social spaces, leaving students vulnerable to negative influences

• Limited opportunities for youth engagement outside school hours creates social disparities

  
  

“The issue is, when kids leave school, their only source of stimulation comes from their family, and it’s usually something that requires money. The problem is that those who can afford it, do, and those who can’t, don’t. That’s where the divisions start. All it would take is a room, a cultural center—but it just doesn’t exist.”

4. Interviewees consistently described the need for a cultural center that would provide:

• Open access policy

• Regular programming

• Library facilities

• Social areas

• Screening rooms

• Outdoor spaces

Conclusion

The research directly influenced the establishment of "La Piccola Biblioteca di Amantea," a new cultural center inaugurated in August 2024. This space addresses the identified needs by providing:

• Free study spaces

• High-speed internet

• Computer stations

• Library services

• Multi-functional rooms for events

• Professional music recording facilities

The project demonstrated how combining educational activities with careful needs assessment can lead to concrete community solutions, while revealing the power of mandatory collaboration in teaching valuable social skills to young students.

Publications

1. La Grotta dei Piccoli - Laboratori di Cinema nelle Scuole - La Guarimba Film Festival

2. Creatività in Calabria. Ecco cosa abbiamo imparato su scuole, cinema e collaborazione - AIF Associazione Italiana Formatori