Creative Conversations, led by Arts Alive and MediaActive, was a three year partnership development that linked experienced agencies for arts, health, community and social care, to help establish a new exciting Countywide development that aimed to establish new opportunities for people, aged 55 and over, to get creative.
One of only four initiatives to be funded in the whole of the Midlands through the Celebrating Age programme, jointly funded by the Arts Council England through the National Lottery and the Baring Foundation, the project partnership involved Age UK, Shropshire Council, and Shropshire Provider's Consortium members, including Wem Town Hall and Connexus
Activity took place in day centres, care homes, community spaces and arts venues, and, during the pandemic, in outdoor spaces, and on online video platforms, and via telephone, in the participants own homes.
Older people have taken part, made artworks, and enjoyed as audiences a wide range of creative activity and artworks. Sessions, performances and exhibitions have included storytelling, music, singing, dance, poetry, visual arts, filmmaking and animation, and creative use of technology, and cinema. In Autumn 2021 the On Your Doorstep theatre piece, devised to reflect the many creative conversations shared throughout the project, toured venues across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Birmingham.
To find out more about the project please visit the dedicated website - launched in Spring 2022 - follow the link below:
creative-conversations.co.uk
One of only four initiatives to be funded in the whole of the Midlands through the Celebrating Age programme, jointly funded by the Arts Council England through the National Lottery and the Baring Foundation, the project partnership involved Age UK, Shropshire Council, and Shropshire Provider's Consortium members, including Wem Town Hall and Connexus
Activity took place in day centres, care homes, community spaces and arts venues, and, during the pandemic, in outdoor spaces, and on online video platforms, and via telephone, in the participants own homes.
Older people have taken part, made artworks, and enjoyed as audiences a wide range of creative activity and artworks. Sessions, performances and exhibitions have included storytelling, music, singing, dance, poetry, visual arts, filmmaking and animation, and creative use of technology, and cinema. In Autumn 2021 the On Your Doorstep theatre piece, devised to reflect the many creative conversations shared throughout the project, toured venues across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Birmingham.
To find out more about the project please visit the dedicated website - launched in Spring 2022 - follow the link below:
creative-conversations.co.uk
Creative Conversations at Home
In Spring 2020 the project was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, with the support of Community Foundation for Staffordshire & the NET Coronavirus Appeal, Shropshire Council (Arts, Libraries, Museums), Connexus, and The National Lottery Community Fund, it has developed an additional online participatory strand, ‘Creative Conversations at Home’, which will continue through to 2021.
In fact, prior to the Spring lockdown, in direct response to feedback from Creative Conversations’ participants and partners, and inspired by the At My Home Helsinki pilot, we had begun to consider how we might better support people unable to travel to take part in Creative Conversations’s programme of activities.
We simply sought to create new routes to taking part in the arts for those most at risk of isolation and loneliness, by utilising available technology, providing one to one support in using the tech, and by working with artists, performers and cultural organisations to develop “virtual friendly” models of participatory activity. Connexus social housing joined us as a partner and funder. The Creative Conversations - At Home pilot got underway…READ MORE HERE
In fact, prior to the Spring lockdown, in direct response to feedback from Creative Conversations’ participants and partners, and inspired by the At My Home Helsinki pilot, we had begun to consider how we might better support people unable to travel to take part in Creative Conversations’s programme of activities.
We simply sought to create new routes to taking part in the arts for those most at risk of isolation and loneliness, by utilising available technology, providing one to one support in using the tech, and by working with artists, performers and cultural organisations to develop “virtual friendly” models of participatory activity. Connexus social housing joined us as a partner and funder. The Creative Conversations - At Home pilot got underway…READ MORE HERE
Creative Conversations - project showreel from Autumn 2019
Creative Conversations PROJECT LAUNCH
University Centre Shrewsbury
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A packed audience at the University Centre Shrewsbury enjoyed an inspiring afternoon of speakers and presentations of national creative projects for older people including We engAGE, Duckie, Kate Organ (images above) and Curious Shoes...in addition, as promised, the audience also consumed plenty of tea and cake...
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MediaActive Projects C.I.C.
Wem Town Hall High Street, Wem Shropshire, SY4 5DG |
email: info@mediaactive.org
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