This is a new project which I'm hoping to continue over the coming years involving a wide range of schools.

 

The maturità (maturity) exams are something of a rite of passage here in Italy, an experience shared (and dreaded) by every student in the country, drawing a line under their high-school education and marking a transition into adulthood. I was allowed to make these portraits of students on their last day at school in the moments just before entering the exam room for the final, high-pressure oral exam. My thanks to everyone at the Rudolf Steiner school in Zoppè (Treviso) for opening the doors to me. ​

 

I'd like to continue the project in other schools to build a wider portrait of this generation of young Italians in a moment of transition. The portraits will be accompanied by interviews to get a feel for how they feel about their future.

 

So far no state school has given me permission to make portraits during exam time, which is a shame because I think the project could have some value. But I will keep trying.