„We frame the change” – When photography becomes an instrument of social transformation
Bucharest, August 24, 2025 – Today took place another important moment from the Erasmus+ project „We frame the change”, implemented by the European Art Workshop Cultural Association in collaboration with DGASPC Sector 6: an impressive photographic exhibition at the „Iulia Hasdeu” Seniors Club, where 30 European youth presented their vision of active citizenship through the universal language of image.
A project born from frustration and transformed into a solution
„We frame the change” starts from a reality that most European youth experience daily: frustration with problems in their communities – urban pollution, lack of respect for authorities, inadequate treatment of the vulnerable, or disinterest in civic participation. Instead of remaining prisoners of this frustration, the project organizers found a creative path of transformation: visual storytelling.
„The central idea is simple but powerful,” explains Felix Crainicu, president of the European Art Workshop Cultural Association. „Young people don’t need another lecture about the importance of civism. They need concrete instruments to transform their ideas into actions and to inspire others to join them.”
Ambitious objectives for a generation seeking civic meaning
The project aimed to respond to three fundamental challenges of today’s European youth:
1. Understanding modern active citizenship
Through exploring the concept of active citizenship, participants discovered that civic involvement doesn’t just mean voting every 4 years, but concrete daily actions that can transform the reality around them.
2. Developing communication instruments for change
Youth learned the photovoice method – an innovative technique for documenting community problems through photography – and visual storytelling techniques that transform simple images into powerful stories of social mobilization.
3. Cultivating a proactive mentality
The most important objective was changing the attitude from „someone should do something” to „I can and will do something” – transforming youth from passive observers into active agents of change.
A European partnership for local impact
The project’s strength comes from collaboration between five European organizations united by the same vision: European Art Workshop Cultural Association (Romania), Promesas (Spain), Rokiskio Jaunimo Centras (Lithuania), Stichting Jong Noord (Netherlands), and doMani (Italy).
The partnership with DGASPC Sector 6 brought a special dimension of social inclusion, with 15 of the 30 participants being youth with fewer opportunities from the social protection system, demonstrating that social change begins with offering opportunities to those who need them most.
Seven days that transformed 30 perspectives
Between August 19-25, 2025, Bucharest hosted an intense journey of learning and transformation. The mobility followed a logical progression, from understanding theoretical concepts to practical application in the local community.
The final exhibition – when art meets civism
Today, August 24, the „Iulia Hasdeu” Seniors Club transformed into a contemporary art gallery where photographs told the story of Bucharest through the eyes of a new generation of European citizens.
The dialogue of generations – the unexpected lesson of the project
What made the exhibition truly special was the spontaneous dialogue between European youth and Bucharest seniors. Visitors of all ages participated in an authentic exchange of experiences and perspectives.
Change through lens – lessons of a European mobility
The photographs exhibited today are not simple artistic images – they are instruments of social change that demonstrate that:
✨ Active citizenship manifests in small, daily gestures – from proper recycling to helping a neighbor
✨ Change begins with observation – problems must be seen and documented before they can be solved
✨ Involvement doesn’t require official positions – every citizen can contribute to community improvement
✨ Diversity of perspectives enriches solutions – the view of strangers can identify both problems and opportunities that locals have learned to ignore
A European investment with social return
The „We frame the change” project, co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme, demonstrates how public funds can generate authentic transformations at the community level. The investment in non-formal education of these 30 youth multiplies exponentially through the impact they will have in their home communities.
„These 30 European youth haven’t just learned to take photographs,” summarizes Felix Crainicu. „They learned to see, to understand and to act. They are now ambassadors of change in their communities.”
The beginning of a European movement
Although the mobility will end tomorrow, „We frame the change” is just the beginning of a broader movement. The project continues for another 5 months through dissemination activities in the 5 partner countries, where each organization will implement the photovoice method in the local community.
The future vision is ambitious: creating a European network of young photographer-activists who document and promote active citizenship through visual storytelling, transforming a generation’s frustrations into concrete solutions for 21st-century problems.
Today, in the hall of the „Iulia Hasdeu” Seniors Club, 75 photographs demonstrate that change is not just possible – it is inevitable when young people learn to frame it correctly.
We frame the change – and change begins now! 📸✨
For more information about the „We frame the change” project and to see the exhibited photographs, follow the pages of partner organizations from Romania, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Italy.