Children as chief agents in an educational journey
The project, taking place across Lazio, Tuscany and Liguria, will run until the end of May 2026 and involves over 3,000 pupils aged between 3 and 10 from 22 school clusters. A journey aimed at ‘going beyond the screen’ and exploring the world of cinema through screenings, formation activities and workshops, designed to stimulate the discovery of emotions and promote empathy, inclusion and creativity.
The aim is to develop children’s personal identity, their sensitivity towards others and their social skills, through the principles of emotional education and the mindful use of digital media. The films in the programme explore themes such as inclusion, friendship, courage, self-discovery and finding one’s place in the world, the value of collaboration, and respect for nature and the environment.
Furthermore, thanks to collaboration with psychologists specialising in children’s emotional and cognitive education, new crucial issues will also be addressed, such as awareness of new digital languages and the fight against bullying.
The significance of the project
‘Alice Through the Screen’ aims to make students more conscious viewers and provide them with essential tools to become creators of new content themselves. Cinema, therefore, is understood here not only as a tool for formation and interpreting the present, but also as a means of discovery and deeper understanding.
“The ‘Alice Through the Screen’ project, in line with Don Bosco’s Preventive Educational System, aims to guide young people in experiencing the world of images and media as a space for growth, awareness and creativity,” explained Fabio Zenadocchio, Director of the Salesian Cultural Centre. “Through education in visual perception and audiovisual language, we offer tools to develop critical thinking, responsibility and positive agency within digital culture.”
Venues, stages and participants
Five cinemas are involved, including the Don Bosco cinema-theatre in Rome, the beating heart of the project.
There are three phases to this second edition of ‘Alice Through the Screen’: from screenings in the cinema, accompanied by opportunities for dialogue and discussion; to formation sessions with experts who will introduce children to the languages of imagery and audiovisual storytelling; to creative expression to develop imagination and communication skills.
It is, therefore, a wide-ranging project, which this year is enhancing its educational programme by expanding the range of training on offer, the schools involved and the age groups covered. Among the professionals involved is also the animator Margherita Giusti, director of The Meatseller (2023), which won both the David di Donatello and the Nastro d’Argento awards in 2024 for best animated short film.
The Salesian Cultural Centre is an association operating in the field of Social Communication through the study, experimentation, promotion, formation, organisation and implementation of projects and initiatives relating to culture and art in their many possible aspects.
