Memories Are Made Of This

The life stories of people living at Cranlea in Newcastle are being captured as part of an intergenerational project.

Residents living at the care setting in Kingston Park have been recording their memories with pupils from the nearby Kingston Park Primary School.

What started as a chance to learn alongside one another and capture their different personalities has developed into a script and play.

Dani Giddins, Equal Arts associate, has been supporting members of the Cranlea Benefit Funding Group with the year-long project.

She said: “Led by the imagination of residents and children we created a story and characters which in turn led to a scrip and play.

“The group of residents, staff and family members set out to make lasting relationships within the community. There have been so many residents wanting to get involved we’ve had to move to a larger space.

Entitled Memories are Made of This, the creative visual arts project, was made possible with funding of £10,000 from Awards for All.

Dani added: “The group wanted to move away from traditional memory-based sessions that largely involve talking and writing, and instead work with schoolchildren in an innovative, creative approach to capturing the wonderful essence and individuality of residents.

“By getting to know one another and having an opportunity to have their voices, lives and opinions heard, we hope that isolation and loneliness will reduce.”