We met Daniela Conti while exploring and collecting information about the Imagining Climate Just Futures, an international initiative to imagine climate-just futures and the paths of action to achieve them.

That's how we discovered her work with CREDA, an association working on the issues related to sustainable development through the lens of education. Located north of Milan, they set up projects in collaboration with schools and teachers, in formal and non formal settings.

The Photovoice method

Through the discussion, we discussed a particular method employed by CREDA to enable youngsters to talk about climate issues: Photovoice. It is a participatory action research method that uses photography as a means of accessing the various points of view, images and knowledge of the participants. This method was created by Caroline Wang and Mary-Anne Burris of the University of Michigan in the 1990s (Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, Methodology, and Use for Participatory Needs Assessment.)

This approach's main objective is to grasp the real concerns of people, how they perceive problems in their environment. Each person is asked to take photos about challenges, issues they want to show, discuss and change. The participants are then gathered to talk about the pictures, explain what they wanted to display, add context and the information that seems important. A research period can be integrated into the workshop to dig deeper into the topics and their ecosystems.

Afterwards, the group sorts out the material into different themes, they choose key elements, give them titles and write a short description to put the photos on display. The production takes the form of an exhibition that can be installed in different places (a museum, a street, a school) to present the work and what it says about specific issues.

The goal of the exhibition is to talk with people outside of the group, other citizens. The pictures and the reflection developed with them are a great trigger to courageous discussions on the problems unveiled.

The discussions, according to Daniela Conti, are less theoretical and more grounded. The exhibitions invite emotions, sensations into the depiction of the issues.

Climate change from a subjective viewpoint

Photovoice has been used by Daniela Conti and her team in different settings to enable the expression of climate concerns and images of climate futures. For example, they proposed it for an Horizon Widera initiative called SENSE The New European Roadmap to STEAM Education (art-integrative science education).

In a local experiment in the city of Monza, two classes of 16 year-old students and their teachers participated in a workshop to imagine a just and sustainable future for their community.

"Through photos and personal stories, students explore emotions, facts and relationships tied to climate change, as well as the people and places where they live and learn. They highlight needs and share ideas about how they want to act and bring change. This photovoice activity creates a learning environment where young people challenge dominant climate narratives, imagine their future cities and take meaningful steps within their communities."

What emerges from this experiment is a constellation of concerns and subjects related to the climate crisis: quality of life, justice, democracy, reflection on one's role and involvement. Some photos are focused on the visible impacts of human activity like production of carbon dioxide and others display trees in the city, places of refuge in case of heatwaves.

Bonus project: SEMI (Science, Empowerment and Wonder for the Planet)

At the moment, CREDA is also working with a contemporary art collective and 80 students on a two-year project dedicated to the co-creation of a video installation using a generative AI app and content developed around the themes of youth participation and climate action. The project's name is SEMI, an Italian word for seed and it is a place for youngsters to gather seeds, new skills, through different learning modules and experiment around environment, art, expression with their body, senses.

The first year was dedicated to nurturing and talking, discussing their concerns. It is really a participatory project in the sense that the students are deeply invited to give feedback and twist what is proposed to them during the workshops. By the end of the first year, they even decided that they wanted to focus on action and not exclusively around the climate crisis.