🇵🇹 Media Masters

Media Masters was a youth exchange centered around podcasting and livestreaming, hosted by CJE – Clube de Jovens Europeus. From November 24th to December 4th, 2023, the event brought together 60 digital media enthusiasts in Alfeizerão, Portugal. This exchange was particularly significant for CJE and all the E29 partners, marking a long-awaited return of international mobility to Portugal. It was clear that young people following CJE were eager for this opportunity, and the event did not disappoint.

The exchange stood out for its diversity, as it gathered participants from eight countries: Portugal, Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Latvia. This was the first time Latvians had ever been included in an E29 mobility, adding a special sense of excitement and cooperation. The group’s enthusiasm for podcasting and livestreaming made the experience both challenging and rewarding. It was inspiring to watch young people learn how to run their own shows, master digital tools, and collaborate to create content. The exchange highlighted the ambition and creativity of its participants, leaving everyone eager for more opportunities to connect and create in the future.

In the beginning of this mobility, the main focus was to create a big family. In the first couple of days, we played games together and made icebreakers. We also had activities on the beach, and it was heart-melting to see the smiles on the faces of everybody when staring and feeling the ocean. For some of us, it was a first-time experience! At the beach, we made a crazy-50 activity where we had to make multiple challenges in the area involving interactions within our group, with the environment, and even with unknown local people! You can check the hilarious results of this activity on the following Instagram pages that were created for this activity: @as.free.as.the.ocean.mm @444portoangels @portugese_tigers @easternblock.the1 @mediawaves2023

After getting our group together we finally put our hands on this topic of podcasting and livestreaming. First, we were introduced to the media gear involved in performing these activities. We got familiarized with how to use the cameras, microphones, tripods, lights, green screen, audio mixing table, etc. Then, we made groups and the goal for the following days was to create diverse types of digital media content that could be put together to create a huge livestreaming to be broadcasted online on YouTube, simulating a one-day content from a TV channel. The content created was splendid! It includes short movies, funny video advertisements, interactive games, interviews and podcasts that we made to each other, famous TV programs (such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Breaking News, etc.), and many more! You can check all these fantastic results compiled on this giant YouTube video with more than 5 hours of content.

After 9 days in a mobility with so many challenges and beautiful moments, the part of saying goodbye was not an easy task. However, the memories we shared, the results we made, the dissemination activities, and the impacts that are being generated in multiple countries, will make this activity everlasting.

The cultural diversity in this mobility generated on us a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment regarding the mission of contributing for the creation of a more unified Europe, where people from different cultures can feel themselves that they have lots of points in common with each other. The differences can create unity, and with unity we can create impactful stories loaded with beautiful memories.

We believe that everybody is unique, and the constant principle of creating a safe and familiar environment in all the activities, makes it possible for everybody to express himself with freedom and without fearing negative judgements.