Building connections through participatory animation

Participatory filmmaking empowers individuals and communities to use film and video as a tool for both personal and collective development. It allows underrepresented voices to shape their own narratives and control their representation while it offers professional novel and rich human perspectives. Here, animation offers a specific medium for telling stories that transcend the limitations of reality. Animation, unbound by the constraints of the physical world, enables the reconstruction and sharing of experiences, particularly when visual records of past events are scarce or non-existent.

Our cluster aims to explore the transformative power of collective storytelling through participatory animation, where diverse groups come together to create visuals and narratives. By hosting a series of workshops across select European cities, we will engage students from various cultural and geographic backgrounds in a collaborative, hands-on filmmaking experience. These workshops will offer an innovative approach to film education, providing a low-fi, accessible way for both professionals and laypersons to learn filmmaking in a nontraditional, experiential setting. By developing a framework for future projects, this cluster will connect the creative process of filmmaking with cultural policy, education, and community engagement, helping to create more inclusive narratives that reflect the diverse experiences of people across Europe.

Team

• Nairy Eivazy
• Sandy Claes
• Sandra Ramos
• Soskova Eva
• Natalie Woolf
• Guido Devadder
• Sophie Quin
• Radostina Neykova
• Peter Vistisen