The role of boys and men in gender equality development has been debated for decades. Although their involvement is emphasized in current development discourse, the practical implications are still scarce. Studies of development projects actually involving boys and men report how participants experience positive changes of attitudes and behaviors regarding gender equality and gender norms. This study aims to explore how three young men, participants in the development project Centro Albor Arte y Cultura (Albor) in El Alto, Bolivia, experienced their participation with regard to their knowledge and perceptions of masculinities, machismo and gender equality. Semi-structured respondent interviews were conducted online in Spanish, and four themes were developed in the reflexive thematic analysis: ‘New and nuanced understandings of masculinities and machismo’, ‘Acquiring knowledge otherwise taboo’, ‘Engaging oneself and others in the thematics’ and ‘The power of art as means for societal change’. The participants reported how Albor has taught them about and changed their perceptions of masculinities, machismo and gender equality. They appreciate art as a means for societal change, and their participation has inspired them to talk about these thematics with other people and engage themselves in other projects for gender equality and changed gender norms.