Curriculum fit
This activity can be used at school at teaching the following subjects and skills:
Primary School (students aged 10–14):
Ethics:
- recognise and name key emotions (e. g., joy, sadness, fear, anger, pride, love, jealousy).
- use emotional vocabulary to talk about your experiences in moral contexts.
- analyse emotions, actions, and attitudes of characters in literature, films, theatre, and games using ethics.
High School (14+):
Ethics:
- identify and describe emotions, both real and fictional, yours as well as other people’s.
- use ethics to interpret the behaviour and motivations of characters in texts and games.
Multimedia Arts:
- define multimedia as a combination of text, sound, graphics, animation, and video.
- understand multimedia use (e.g., art, advertising, education, entertainment).
- learn about modern creative tools and techniques.
- describe and explain the concept and execution of your multimedia work.
- critically evaluate films, presentations, and photos (your own & other people’s)
Health Education:
- identify positive and negative factors affecting health and well-being.
- describe effective ways to manage and reduce stress.
About the activity
The integration-based workshop combines elements of psychoeducation, group work, and film analysis. It is divided into theory and practice.
In the theoretical part, you learn how films very often incorporate parables, fables, and metaphors (and increasingly, other films) which are also used as tools in psychotherapy. This can be effective when working with schoolchildren and youth, supporting their development of social and emotional competencies.
You will learn how to improve your communication skills, and find out about the role of film – especially documentaries – in emotional education. In this way, he workshop emphasises the importance of cinema in general and documentary films in particular as a medium which fosters dialogue and reflection on social issues.
We’ve put together a short quiz so you can test your film knowledge after the activity – check it out!
What participants gain
- learn about emotions, interpersonal relationships, and psychological mechanisms;
- stimulate creativity and critical thinking.
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What educators gain
As participants in workshops:
- tools enabling effective use of film in education;
- learn about emotions, interpersonal relationships, and psychological mechanisms;
- stimulate creativity.
As workshop leaders:
- support the development of students’ social and emotional competencies;
- foster empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills in their student groups.
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Resources
Venue requirements
- a room where all participants can sit comfortably.
Technology
- film screening equipment
Supplies
- paper
- writing tools, colourful markers, crayons
- documentary films selected according to the topics of your workshop
- reflection sheets, flipchart
Step by Step
Preparation
(2–3 hrs)
(2–3 hrs)
- Choose your documentaries: something similar to #Bullyingstory (dir. Eef Hilgers) and Giovanni and His Water Ballet (dir. Astrid Bussink). The films you decide to show should deal with important and challenging youth issues such as peer violence (including cyberbullying), social exclusion, empathy, and the importance of support from adults and peers.
- Prepare discussion questions: develop thoughtful prompts for post-screening discussions.
- Prepare handouts and with room for reflection and note-taking.
Implementation
(2–3 hrs)
(2–3 hrs)
- Introduction
• establish group rules that include confidentiality, mutual respect, and speaking in the first person (i. e., for oneself).
• present the workshop’s goals and highlight the significance of film as a psychoeducational tool, focusing on its role in developing social and emotional competencies. - Film screenings
• participants watch two documentaries addressing key topics, such as violence, exclusion, and building empathy. - Discussion
• first thoughts (emotions) after watching the film(s).
• describe the key challenges faced by the protagonist(s), and their social contexts.
• mechanisms of violence, including the roles of perpetrators, bystanders, and victims. - Group work and exercises
In groups, discuss the following questions:
• what emotions are present in witnesses and victims of violence?
• how can you support victims, and how should violence be addressed?
• imagine alternative scenarios for the events shown in the films and simulate appropriate behaviours in challenging situations using tools like mind maps, brainstorming, and metaphors.
- Introduction
Evaluation
(optional) – 30 mins
(optional) – 30 mins
Participants share their reflections on the knowledge and experiences gained.
Make it accessible for all
Accessibility removes barriers and offers multiple ways to understand, move, hear, and feel comfortable. To ensure accessibility for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, have mobility issues, cognitive disabilities, sensory sensitivities, or are non-native speakers of the workshop language, make sure to lead the workshop in a clear and accessible manner (subtitles, sign language interpretation, pictograms) and make it inclusive throughout: visual aids, appropriate lighting, comfortable seating, assistive listening devices, easy-to-use tools, calm environments to prevent sensory overload, and trained staff. It’s important to offer clear schedules in advance, use simple language, allow extra time, and create safe, quiet spaces when needed.
The signup process and all communication (email, SMS) should also be straightforward and open to applicants with special needs.
Thoughts & Experience
What we created
FOR ORGANIZATIONS
What organisations gain
- support the development of students’ social and emotional competencies;
- foster empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills.
- enhance the competencies of educators;
- build expertise in modern film education;
- attract a broad audience, from teachers to anyone interested in psychology.
Team requirements
- individuals experienced in combining education/cultural animation methods (especially in film) and psychology.
- a coordinator if the workshop is held outside a school setting (to take care of the finances, technical requirements, promotion, and finding an audience).
Funding tips
If held at schools:
- use school funds allocated for additional activities or film clubs (subsidies or Parent-Teacher Association funds).
- incorporate the workshops into after-school classes on site.
If held in different settings:
- local government funds designated for cultural activities.
- support from art house cinemas, e.g., as part of educational activities within the Europa Cinemas network.
- grants from non-governmental organizations or local cultural centres.
Promotion tips
- send a newsletter to the organisations/educators you are cooperating with;
- highlight what participants gain from your workshop, such as increased awareness of how emotions work, and practical solutions for managing conflict situations in peer groups;
- employ the method in psychotherapeutic or psychoeducational activities;
- use social media hashtags to attract a younger audience (#emotions, #films) and write to school teachers;
- offer incentives, such as certificates of participation or a showcase of attendee projects.
Find your audience
The workshop participants are children aged 10+ or adults (teachers, educators). It can be a mixed-age group. Find your potential participants:
- at school: students aged 10 or older at their extracurricular activities or film clubs
- outside of school: young people in cultural centres, film clubs in cinemas, already participating in other projects of non-governmental organizations and institutions, attending film festivals and other film-related activities; teachers or educators in training, members of film education teams in schools or interschool teams.
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