Activity 1: My Photo
Overview of the activity
Participants are invited to share a photo and discuss and exchange memories related to it to form deep connections. This process highlights the power of individual memories in the context of personal or collective heritage.
Objectives
- Encourage participants to express themselves.
- Get participants into a story sharing mood.
- Encourage appreciative listening.
- Trigger emotions.
- Make clear that there is value in everyone’s story, as it is always connected to memories and to the past. Every story has a meaning.
| Duration (in minutes) | Min/max number of participants | Room/space requirements |
| Depending on the number of participants, count on 15 to 20 minutes each. | There is no minimum or maximum for this activity; however, the activity will take a lot of time with more than 12 participants. | As the activity preferably is organized in a circle, it might be good to have a room that is large enough to make a circle. |
| Minimum knowledge requirements from participants | Materials needed | Preparation |
| No requirements | Smartphones (if the participants do not have a smartphone, perhaps they have an object other than a photo with them, e.g. in their bag or pockets?). | Make a circle
Make sure that there is a safe space Have three pictures of your own readily available in your smartphone to steer the dynamics of the group if necessary |
Instructions
- Ask participants to take out their mobile phone and go through photos they have taken. Invite them to pick a photo that really means something to them.
- Ask them, one by one, to show the picture to the rest of the group, to say what (or who) is in the picture, to tell the group why they picked this picture and to share the memory connected to the picture.
- Ask the rest of the group not to comment and to listen carefully.
- Repeat this until every participant has shown a picture and shared a memory connected to it.
Evaluation
Thank participants for being open and sincere. Ask them if there is something they would like to highlight or discuss. Also explain what this exercise intended individually and in terms of group dynamics.
Teaching tips, stories and experiences during piloting
- This exercise can trigger strong personal emotions, so be prepared for this.
- Never push somebody to show a picture or to tell a story. Also ensure that during the exercise all participants view the pictures of others respectfully.