The visual factory

BEHIND THE LENSES:
Inside Photojournalism

The first masterclass of The Visual Factory will take place in Turin, at the Dora Docks. The mentors will be Fabio Bucciarelli, Manu Brabo, and Bulent Kilic. Guest speakers will include Damiano Rizzi from Soleterre and Emila Astore from Amnesty International.

©Fabio Bucciarelli

©Bülent Kılıç

©Manu Brabo

BEHIND THE LENSES:
Inside Photojournalism

The first masterclass of The Visual Factory will take place in Turin, at the Dora Docks. The mentors will be Fabio Bucciarelli, Manu Brabo, and Bulent Kilic. Guest speakers will include Damiano Rizzi from Soleterre and Emila Astore from Amnesty International.

4 days of immersive mentorship, practice and inspiration

From October 8 to October 11, 2025
The Factory, DocksDora | Turin, Italy
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Program
Location
Fee
Mentors&Guests
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Program

This four-day intensive workshop in Turin offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of contemporary photojournalism, documentary photography with a particular focus on conflict and humanitarian storytelling. Led by three internationally acclaimed photographers—Fabio Bucciarelli, Manu Brabo, and Bülent Kılıç—the program is designed to help participants develop both a personal vision and a professional approach to visual storytelling.
 
Throughout the workshop, participants will be guided through the entire creative process, from the initial conception of a photographic story to its execution in the field, with special attention given to editing, sequencing, and building a cohesive and impactful body of work. The program also offers an overview of the various contemporary outlets available for photojournalists today—not only traditional editorial platforms, but also photobooks, exhibitions, festivals, and artistic circuits.
 
The structure of the workshop is dynamic and collaborative. Each day will be divided between plenary sessions involving all three instructors and smaller working groups, in which participants will rotate among the mentors to receive diverse perspectives and personalized feedback. Field assignments in the streets of Turin will allow for the development of new stories in real time, while those who wish to focus on a work-in-progress will have the chance to refine and expand their projects under expert guidance.
 
Key themes will emerge naturally through practice and discussion: ethics and responsibility in conflict reporting, the role of fixers and logistics in the field, the realities of freelance life, and strategies for navigating today’s editorial and artistic markets. There will also be space to reflect on audience engagement, community building, and the evolving future of independent visual journalism.
 

Each day will feature a Lectio Magistralis delivered by one of the instructors, offering an intimate look into the philosophies, long-term projects, and personal experiences that have shaped their careers.

The workshop will also address the practical realities of field journalism, with a particular focus on its psychological dimensions. This includes two special guest sessions featuring Damiano Rizzi, founder and president of the NGO Soleterre, and Emilia Astore, head of Human Rights Education at Amnesty International Italia. Drawing on decades of field experience, they will explore often-overlooked topics such as mental health, conflict-related and post-traumatic stress, and how collective educational practices can serve as powerful tools to build resilience and raise awareness in contexts marked by systemic violence—ultimately contributing to long-term social transformation.

These sessions are designed to inspire reflection and deepen understanding of the human, political, and ethical challenges inherent in this line of work.

This workshop is open to photographers of all levels, from passionate amateurs to experienced professionals, who wish to deepen their storytelling skills, confront real-world challenges, and gain meaningful insights into the practice of photojournalism today. To ensure a focused and high-quality environment, participation is limited to 20 people.

09:30 – 10:30

Welcome Breakfast

An informal meet & greet moment to connect with participants and faculty over coffee and croissants.

10:30 – 11:30

Workshop Introduction

Presentation of the program, philosophy of the workshop, and key objectives. Led by the three instructors.

11:30 – 13:00

Group Division & Assignment Brief

Participants will be divided into three working groups. Each group will work with one of the mentors to discuss story ideas, receive a tailored assignment, and define an initial approach.

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 – 18:00

Fieldwork Begins

Participants go out to shoot individually or in small groups, based on their assigned projects. Faculty will remain available at the base for one-to-one meetings, portfolio reviews, or guidance upon request.

18:30 – 20:00

Guest Talk: Bülent Kılıç

Bülent will present his powerful work from the Middle East, reflecting on his 16 years as a staff photographer and his transition to freelance. He’ll speak candidly about the pros and cons of being embedded in a news agency, and what it means to reclaim independence.

10:00 – 11:30

Plenary Session

All participants meet with the three mentors to discuss challenges encountered on the first day. A collective space for questions, advice, and redirection.

11:30 – 13:00

Group Work

Back in the original groups, each instructor works closely with their students to review the first set of images, offer feedback, and help structure the next steps of their story.

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 – 18:00

Fieldwork Continues

Participants return to the field to keep developing their stories. Instructors remain available at the base for reviews and mentoring as needed.

18:30 – 20:00

Guest Talk: Manu Brabo

Through Manu’s work in various conflict zones over more than 15 years, we will explore the different challenges this profession presents—from the agency perspective to the personal one—highlighting the inevitable coordination and cooperation between writer and photographer when working for major newspapers, where the text often sets the pace of the story.
 

10:00 – 12:00

Guest Talk: Damiano Rizzi / psychologist, psychotherapist, and founder of the NGO Soleterre
An expert in emergency psychology, Rizzi will address the psychological impact of war, focusing on trauma, PTSD, and the importance of dialogue and human connection over isolation. He will also share practical strategies to cope with vicarious trauma, and highlight the value of psychological support before, during, and after a journalistic assignment.

12:00 – 13:00

Group Rotation

Each group is now paired with a different instructor to offer a fresh perspective and new input on their ongoing projects.

13:00 – 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 – 18:00

Fieldwork (Final Shooting Day)

Last day to shoot on location. Participants push their stories further, applying previous feedback.
 

18:30 – 20:00

Guest Talk: Fabio Bucciarelli

Fabio shares his journey from agency photographer to photojournalist and author. Drawing on over fifteen years of work in conflict zones, he will reflect on the role of photojournalism today, the evolving landscape of editorial publishing, and the new challenges that lie ahead.
 

10:00 – 12:00

Guest Talk: Emilia Astore/Amnesty International Italy

In contexts marked by systemic violence and armed conflict, educational practices are vital tools to build resilience and raise awareness among affected communities. For journalists, understanding the importance of human rights education and critical storytelling is crucial to moving beyond surface-level reporting. This approach helps reveal the underlying structures of violence and injustice, fostering more nuanced, responsible narratives that contribute to long-term social transformation. This talk explores how combining journalism with educational and community engagement can empower both reporters and the communities they cover, ultimately promoting deeper understanding and lasting change.

 

12:00 – 13:00

Planary Editing Sessions
The mentors will explore various approaches to photo editing on specific platforms, including editorial, artistic, book, museum, and gallery contexts.

13:00- 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 – 17:30

Final Editing & Project Completion
Participants begin the editing process, working with each instructor to select, sequence, and refine their images. Focus on narrative clarity and visual coherence. 

17:30 – 19:00

Final Reflections & Open Discussion
A final open discussion wrapped up the three-day workshop, where participants reflected on the process, shared insights, and raised new questions

21:30 – LATE

Final Party
A celebration to close the workshop together—music, drinks, laughter, and shared stories. Participants who wish to showcase their work will have the opportunity to project it during the closing evening.
FULL PROGRAM (PDF)

Location

This workshop isn’t held in an ordinary rented space — it takes place at The Factory, Fabio Bucciarelli’s studio and gallery, located within the Docks Dora complex in Turin. Once an industrial area dominated by factories and warehouses, Docks Dora has been transformed into a vibrant creative hub, home to coworking spaces, startups, cultural venues, and a dynamic community of artists and professionals.

For the last decade, The Factory has been a creative hub for photojournalism—developing projects, curating exhibitions, and hosting HEAT courses. Today it’s the core of Fabio’s work, where he creates books, organizes exhibitions, connects with friends and photographers, and welcomes visiting artists.

Participating in a workshop here means immersing yourself in a unique creative ecosystem, where experimentation, dialogue, and exchange are at the core of the experience.

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Fee

You’ll notice this workshop costs significantly less than most offered by major agencies, festivals, or schools. This isn’t due to lower quality — quite the opposite.
 
There are clear reasons behind this choice. With no intermediaries or overheads, and by hosting it at The Factory  we keep costs down while maintaining complete control. More importantly, we don’t want high fees to exclude passionate, talented photographers. Our goal isn’t profit, but building a community around a slower, more thoughtful kind of journalism: work done on the ground, meeting people where they are, telling stories not just reported but lived.
This approach is disappearing. We want to help keep it alive by supporting the next generation of photographers willing to slow down, look closer, and give this type of storytelling a future. That’s what this workshop is really about.
From October 8 to October 11, 2025
The Factory, DocksDora | Turin, Italy
€ 650,00
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Mentors

Fabio Bucciarelli is an Italian photographer, journalist, and author known internationally for his documentation of conflicts and humanitarian crises. Bucciarelli’s evocative images not only capture the
human experience but also engage viewers on a visceral level, encouraging deep reflection on the complexities of the modern world.
Recognized as one of the most influential photojournalists of our time,
Bucciarelli collaborates with leading editorial platforms, including La
Repubblica, Die Zeit, and The New York Times, and his work has earned
several international awards, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, multiple World Press Photo, multiple Sony World Photography Awards, the Visa d’Or News, the Lucie Award, and The Bayeux-Calvados for War Correspondents. He has also won thirteen POY, including the title of Photographer of the Year in 2019.

Over the past decade, Fabio Bucciarelli has complemented his work as a photojournalist with extensive writing and teaching activities. Since 2009, he has contributed dispatches from conflict zones for Il Fatto Quotidiano and co-authored a book on the Libyan war with Stefano Citati. He has also published three long-term photographic books, further developing his narrative approach through exhibitions and author-driven projects.

Alongside his editorial work, Fabio has developed an ongoing educational practice, leading international courses, workshops, and masterclasses in photojournalism across Europe and beyond. Over the years, he has been invited to share his experience at institutions and events such as the International Journalism Festival, Bocconi University, Repubblica delle Idee, Visa pour l’Image, the Turin International Book Fair, the Bronx Documentary Center, and the Frontline Club, among others. He has also taken part in TEDx talks and appeared on Italian television programs, including Che Tempo Che Fa and Piazza Pulita. In 2022, he worked as a correspondent for RAI TG3 covering the war in Ukraine.

Guests

Damiano Rizzi / Founder and President of Soleterre Foundation
Damiano is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and psycho-oncologist specializing in child and adolescent mental health and psychological support in humanitarian contexts. He is the founder of Fondazione Soleterre. Damiano works with children and families affected by cancer and trauma caused by conflict, particularly in various African countries, Palestine, Ukraine, and Italy. A trainer of both medical and non-medical personnel operating in emergency settings, he is also an advocate against gender-based violence and a promoter of mental resilience.
 He is the author of the psychology newsletter “Parliamone”. He has been awarded the Silver Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic for his work supporting children with cancer in Ukraine.
 Rizzi is a member of the Childhood Trauma Research Unit at the Catholic University of Milan and collaborates with the Department of Neuroscience and Behavior at the University of Pavia, where he serves as an academic expert in Developmental Psychology.

Emilia Astore / Amnesty International Italy
Emilia is a human rights education trainer with over 20 years of experience. She has worked with public and private organizations across Europe, leading training programs on civic participation, conflict resolution, and community empowerment. She has collaborated extensively with the Council of Europe, as well as with organizations such as OSCAD, ILGA Europe, and several Italian universities. She has developed educational materials and coordinated international projects focused on grassroots participation and freedom of expression, with a particular emphasis on youth engagement, media literacy, and anti-discrimination. She currently serves as Head of the Human Rights Education Unit at Amnesty International Italy.

FAQ

Who is the masterclass for?

The masterclass is open to everyone, with no age or experience requirements. It is designed for anyone interested in developing a personal photography project, deepening their visual language, or exploring a more structured approach to working.

The workshop will be conducted in Italian, English, Spanish, and Turkish. The group sessions will be held in English, while individual sessions can be conducted in any of these languages, depending on each participant’s needs.

Preparation is not mandatory, but it is recommended. Bring an idea you’d like to develop during the masterclass, a portfolio, or a selection of existing images. This material will help facilitate discussion and enhance the editing sessions. If you don’t have anything ready, don’t worry, we will guide you—there will still be space for experimentation and creative exploration.

Yes. While most of the sessions will take place in a group setting to encourage collective learning and exchange, individual reviews and one-on-one feedback sessions are also part of the program. Each participant will receive dedicated attention from the mentors throughout the masterclass.

The Factory is easily accessible by car or public transportation. For those arriving by car, a free on-site parking area will be available for the entire duration of the event.

There are several accommodation options near the masterclass location. We are preparing a list of recommended places to stay—covering a range of price points—which will be shared soon with all registered participants.

Yes. Please bring your camera (with a wide-angle lens) and a laptop with your preferred editing software (like Lightroom or Photoshop). These are essential for the shooting and post-production sessions.

If you’re unable to attend, please note that the registration fee is non-refundable. However, to ensure you still benefit from the experience, we will offer you a one-hour individual call with each of the three mentors. This way, you can recover some of the content and receive tailored feedback on your work.

No, recording is not allowed. This policy is in place to create a respectful and safe environment where participants feel free to share their work and ideas without concern about being recorded or having their contributions shared outside the context of the masterclass.

This masterclass is fully booked. Please leave your email address, and we will notify you if a place become available.