Bratislava Policy Institute, in cooperation with local partners, organized an international meeting as part of the CERV program, bringing together participants from 6 European countries and people with migration background, young people as students and also members of wider public, who are interested in creative and civic initiatives.

The 2-day event provided a space for exchanging ideas on how communities function and what role participatory photography plays in society. What changes it can achieve and how people can use it to highlight problems in their communities, increase their civic engagement, and how through this tool they can achieve solutions and gain the attention of stakeholders.

The team of Bratislava Policy Institute (Slovakia) organized and facilitated workshops in cooperation with professional photographer Dominik Belica. Before the international meeting, they carried out two types of workshops. The first workshop took place on June 4, 2026 in Trnava with 19 young people from active communities in the city and broader area. Participants learned in an interactive format how they can work with participatory photography tools, what methods they can use, how to point out shortcomings in their communities and how to present them in a way that reaches stakeholders and achieves positive change.

The second type consisted of individual workshops. Six participants were selected through a public call disseminated in cooperation with partner organizations, especially in communities of young people and people with migration background living in the Bratislava region. Their first meeting took place on May 13, 2026, where Dominik Belica explained the functioning of participatory and community photography. Subsequently, he worked with them on an individual level for four weeks. Participants continuously sent photographs they were working on, at consultations they discussed improvement options and he shared his experience and practical skills with them.

During the international meeting, the team presented their work, facilitated a workshop on Community Photography methodology, and organized the exhibition „Between Us” showcasing the results of participant work. The exhibition was displayed as printed graphics and images, was accessible to the public, and subsequently remained on display at Kafé Lampy in Bratislava throughout June.