"Exercises in Looking. Photography Workshops for Youth" is a series of free, independent meetings about photography for people aged 15–19. It’s an invitation to discover how an image works—how it tells stories, manipulates, and changes the way we see the world. We will learn the basics of operating a camera (including the one on your phone), work with portrait, reportage, and artistic photography, experiment with editing, and create new contexts for photos. Museum collections, archives, and exhibitions will serve as inspiration, and meetings with photographers as well as experts from the POLIN Museum will bring extra energy. We will test ideas, ask questions, and build our own visual language—without pressure, without the need to have your own equipment, and without prior experience. Join us for workshops held every other Saturday from the beginning of February to the end of May 2026, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Each meeting is dedicated to a different topic, so you can join only the sessions you choose. ✨ Registration for the first two meetings is now open, so grab your spot now. 🗓️ Registration for subsequent workshops opens in the middle of the month preceding each session (February 15 for March, March 15 for April, April 15 for May). Workshop topics and dates: - February 14 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm To begin: truth or perspective? We’ll start our photography adventure with a question that excites both beginners and professionals: does a photo show reality, or rather how we see it? We’ll discover the history of photography and its documentary power, learn about Rita Miernik’s project “Sad Synagogues,” and in the practical part, we’ll learn the basics of operating a camera or phone to consciously choose what and how we want to show. These workshops will ignite a new, more conscious perspective on photography. Registration: https://polin.pl/cwiczenia-z-patrzenia-prawda-czy-perspektywa - February 28 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm Portrait: from studio to selfie We’ll enter the world of portrait photography—from 19th-century studios to contemporary selfies. We’ll look at museum examples, including “Warsaw Portraits” by Jasmine Bakalarz, discuss the role of the portrait and why we love photographing ourselves. Together, we’ll find the perfect spot for a museum selfie and see how light affects the appearance of the photographed person. Registration: https://polin.pl/cwiczenia-z-patrzenia-portret-od-atelier-po-selfie Upcoming workshops: - March 14 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm - March 28 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm - April 12 (Sunday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm - April 25 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm - May 9 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm - May 23 (Saturday), 10:00 am–1:00 pm The concept and facilitation of the workshops are by Alicja Szulc—educator and photographer. Alicja Szulc – photographer, animator, educator. Graduate of the University of the Arts in Poznań and the Pedagogical University in Kraków. For years, she has carried out photo-video projects for cultural institutions, NGOs, and companies. For over 10 years, she has been involved in media and digital education, conducting workshops throughout Poland. Author of the social innovation “Work with Your Smartphone,” Flying Culture Animator, owner of AS_fotografia. She has collaborated with, among others, the Orange Foundation, National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute, National Centre for Culture, and many museums and cultural organizations. Event information on the website: https://polin.pl/cwiczenia-z-patrzenia-warsztaty-fotograficzne-dla-mlodziezy
