Seen and Heard: participation of youth and right for culture

The project addresses the growing disengagement of young audiences from cinema and cultural participation, a trend observed globally and increasingly evident in Slovakia. Traditional cinema attendance among young people is declining due to shifts in media consumption, where uncurated audiovisual content on social media and streaming platforms dominates. This environment often limits opportunities for critical engagement, reducing young people’s ability to interpret and evaluate audiovisual content.

At the same time, many young people—especially those from marginalised communities—face social isolation, mental health challenges, and limited access to inclusive cultural and educational opportunities. Cultural spaces such as cinemas remain insufficiently accessible, both physically and socially, and are rarely designed to actively involve young people in shaping content or decision-making processes. People with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups are often even more reliant on consuming audiovisual content at home, due to limited access to inclusive cultural experiences and a lack of accessible programming in cinemas.

These challenges are further reinforced by systemic gaps. In Slovakia, there is no structured support for cinemas at the level of public policy, nor dedicated funding schemes for inclusive programming within the Audiovisual Fund or regional and local governments. As a result, inclusive practices remain fragmented, dependent on individual initiatives rather than sustained policy support.

These challenges are interconnected: reduced participation in cultural life contributes to weaker social inclusion, lower media literacy, and diminished civic engagement. The project responds by strengthening youth participation, inclusion, and the right to culture through participatory, research-based, and advocacy-driven approaches, aiming to develop and promote inclusive models for cinemas, education, and public policy.

The project aims to improve access to film culture and education for marginalized youth by combining participatory research, pilot activities, and advocacy. The project will be implemented through four interconnected phases:

1. Participatory research and planning – organizing focus groups and workshops with young people and marginalized communities to identify barriers and co-create the programme of an inclusive film festival. Implementation and pilot testing – organizing an inclusive film festival with 6 screenings, workshops, and stakeholder meetings. The festival will serve as a testing ground for inclusive formats and participatory approaches.
2. Development of outputs and international cooperation – conducting a study visit to Norway and developing three key outputs: a methodology for cinemas, a methodology for schools, and policy recommendations. These will be published on the Caring Cinema platform.
3. Advocacy and implementation – carrying out a communication campaign and organizing meetings with public institutions to promote systemic changes, including the integration of accessibility into funding schemes and policies.

The project involves key stakeholders such as young people, community organizations, schools, cinemas, public institutions, and international partners.

The project aims to achieve both practical and systemic results.

At the level of direct results, the project will:

• actively engage at least 20 young people from marginalized groups in participatory activities,
• involve over 500 participants in inclusive cultural events,-deliver training activities for educators and cinema professionals,
• produce three key outputs (methodologies and policy recommendations).

At the outcome level, the project will:

• increase participation of marginalized youth in cultural and educational activities,
• strengthen capacities of cinemas and schools to implement inclusive practices,
• improve awareness and understanding of accessibility and inclusion among stakeholders.

At the systemic level, the project aims to contribute to:

• policy changes and improved funding mechanisms supporting accessibility in culture,
• stronger cooperation between cultural, educational, and public sectors,
• long-term integration of inclusive approaches into audiovisual and educational practices.

The main beneficiaries are young people from marginalized groups, organizations working with them, educators, cultural institutions, and public authorities.

The donor project partner contributes through sharing international expertise, supporting the design of methodologies, and providing insights into effective funding models and advocacy approaches, thereby strengthening the overall impact and sustainability of the project.