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The above image is screengrabbed from the intro to ロンドン精霊探偵団, a story set in 19th century London. This is a line from the prologue. It reads:
その予感が
人々の中に芽生え始めようとしていたなかで
きままに暮らす ひとりの少年がいた……
I have highlighted a string of kana in bold. How should this string be read?
I see the volitional form of 始める followed by としていた, meaning "was about to begin", but I can't tell if なかで is particles, words, conjugation, or some combination thereof. What does なかで do to this sentence?
On the Japan Foundation website, you can download a PDF that outlines the differences between なか and うち. While that particular issue is not relevant to the question, the document explains all sorts of grammatical constructions using なか, including the「〜なかで」construction.
There are two distinct usages according to the document, which the author refers to as type A and type B respectively.
The first usage described in the document is that of type A. Here, the construction「〜なかで」can describe something such as an action, a state, an event, etc. within a general or broad setting that can give rise to that thing. The author refers to this broad setting as the frame. I'll try to illustrate what this means by clarifying the examples given in the document:
道元{どうげん}は「正{しょう}法{ぼう}眼{げん}蔵{ぞう}」という本{ほん}のなかで、そのような禅{ぜん}の悟{さと}りについてくわしく述{の}べている。
Throughout his book, the Shōbōgenzō, Dōgen provides detailed explanations about the concept of enlightenment in zen buddhism.
しかし、このような高度{こうど}成長{せいちょう}、日本{にほん}社会{しゃかい}のなかで、いろいろな問題{もんだい}を起{お}こしました。
However, such high growth of the economy has brought about various problems within the Japanese society.
このような幕政{ばくせい}のなかで、西南{せいなん}日本{にほん}の大藩{たいはん}を中心{ちゅうしん}にして、尊王攘夷{そんのうじょうい}のうごきがかたまりました。
The Sonnō jōi movement was established around the south-western clan domains under the Shogunate's rule.
As you can see, the frame can be something well-defined (inside a book) or it can be a bit more abstract and vague (within society, under the administration).
While type A uses「〜なかで」to relate a certain frame or setting to events or actions that could occur within that frame, type B uses「〜なかで」more specifically to represent one or more options out of a range or a set of options. You're most likely more familiar with type B than type A, but I'll clarify with some more examples.
それでもフランスは、ヨーロッパのなかでスウェーデンに次{つ}いで結婚率{けっこんりつ}が低{ひく}い国{くに}だ。
Nevertheless, France has the second lowest marriage rate in Europe after Sweden.
Range of choices: European countries
このころは、子供{こども}のなかで、男子{だんし}が一人だけ家{いえ}をつぐことになっていました。
At the time, of all the children only one boy was to become head of the family.
Range of choices: the children of a certain family
There's another piece in the prologue preceding your screenshot. Putting both together looks like this
19世紀{せいき}ロンドン・・・・・・・
何{なに}もかもが
大{おお}きく変{かわ}わろうとしていた時代{じだい}・・・・・・
人々{ひとびと}が過去{かこ}のすべてを捨{す}て
輝{かがや}いて見{み}える未来{みらい}へと
夢中{むちゅう}で走{はしり}り出{だ}そうとしていた時代{じだい}・・・・・・
その予感{よかん}が
人々{ひとびと}の中{なか}に芽生{めば}え始{はじ}めようとしていたなかで
きままに暮{く}らす 一人{ひとり}の少年{しょうねん}がいた・・・・・・
Since there is no clear set or range of choices, this usage of「〜なかで」is of type A. The thing that's happening is the last sentence:
There was a young boy who lived a carefree life.
Whereas the frame is contained in the previous sentence:
While a glimmer of hope for a better future budded among the citizens of London
Where the whole glimmer of hope stuff is contained in「その予感」I believe.
I'm not 100% confident in my translations quite yet, but I hope this helps!
