In early July, participants from PoEM – Palette of Emotions : Supporting Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing through Art– began implementing the PALETTE: Local Art for Well-being Labs initiative. Co-funded by the European Youth Foundation (EYF) of the Council of Europe, these community-based activities use creative art to support young people’s emotional well-being and respond directly to local needs. In the beginning of the month, our member organisations KARGENC, IRELI, APY, and MCBIT successfully implemented their local initiatives.
On July 31, our Tunisian member organization, WeYouth, hosted a local activity to implement the knowledge and skills gained during the international training in İzmir. Read more about the local action carried out by WeYouth.
The WeYouth team in collaboration with Sfax El Mezyena, a local association committed to promoting the cultural heritage and public spaces of Sfax, organized, Mental Len
s workshop. This activity brought together 22 young participants in Sfax to explore the connection between emotions, mental well-being, and photography through creative visual storytelling.
The workshop kicked off at the El Collab youth hub with interactive icebreakers, building a safe, trusting environment for self-expression. A guided reflection followed, exploring the distinction between feelings and emotions and how emotions shape our perception of ourselves and the world. Participants then learned the basics of photography, like composition, framing, lighting, and visual storytelling, focusing on camera work as a tool for emotional release rather than technical perfection.
For the main practical exercise, participants walked through the city listening to music through headphones. As each song evoked different feelings, participants translated their mood into visual art by capturing urban scenes, colors, lights, and perspectives. The session wrapped up back at El Collab with a group reflection and gallery share. Participants presented their photos, shared the stories behind them, and explored how different people interpreted the same images, highlighting how art fosters empathy, dialogue, and emotional well-being.
More local activities from our member organisations MOJU, TOG, and CID will take place over the coming months. Stay tuned to discover their activities and follow the next steps of the PoEM project!
