A new educational journey to get students closer to the language of photography and cultural planning  

Starting in 2025 Fotografia Calabria Festival Educational begins—an innovative project dedicated to schools, conceived and organized by the Pensiero e Paesaggio Association and promoted within the 4th edition of the Fotografia Calabria Festival, with the support of the Deloitte Foundation. The educational program address to secondary school students not only from Calabria but from all Italy, interested in unveiling photography as a contemporary language, a tool to narrate our time, a means of exploring places and communities, and a stimulus for reflecting on both collective and individual identities. 

The main goals of the project are: 

• To develop artistic and technical skills in order to realize a complete photographic project. 

• To provide students with basic knowledge for producing, organizing, and setting up a photographic exhibition. 

• To promote an educational approach based on direct experience, observation, and experimentation. 

The project aims to be fully integrated into the school curriculum, responding to the cultural, social, and economic needs of local areas. It is conceived not only as a subject-specific enrichment but also as a learning opportunity geared toward developing transversal skills and the ability to “learn how to learn.” 

Methodology 

• Lectures and hands-on workshops 

• Collaboration with photographers, curators, and industry experts 

• Group activities and critical discussions 

• Use of professional equipment for production and exhibition setup 

Through this program, Fotografia Calabria Festival Educational aims to encourage students to develop a conscious gaze toward their environment, enhancing their critical and visual thinking, while offering a tangible first experience in cultural planning. 

First Edition: “Lo Piano” Art High School in Cetraro 

The first edition of the program will be held at the “Lo Piano” Art High School in Cetraro (CS), where students will participate in an intensive workshop focused on designing and creating a collective photographic exhibition. Guided by professionals and experienced teachers, the students will attend theoretical lessons, practical exercises, critical discussion sessions, and project-based activities. The workshop will revolve around the 2025 Festival’s theme, “Common Roots: Places”, with a particular focus on school as both a physical space and a place of relationships. The final exhibition, the result of the students’ work, will be included in the official program of Fotografia Calabria Festival 2025, offering participants a concrete and high-profile showcase to publicly present their creative project.