Creative Conversations 2024
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Creative Conversations, a rural arts and older people programme has had two iterations to date.
Initially an Arts Council England and Barings Foundation three and a half year Celebrating Age funded pilot, led by MediaActive Projects and Arts Alive. From Summer 2024, a subsequent development phase in partnership with Wem Town Hall was launched, thanks to new funding from Vibrant Shropshire, and the Inclusive Communities Fund awarded through the Heart of England Community Foundation.
With emphasis on co-design, co-production and creative collaboration, the programme connects to experienced agencies and individuals across the arts, community, health and social care sectors.
We have generated new and high quality opportunities, for people aged 55 to 103, including those at risk of isolation and loneliness, to get creative, to take part, to enjoy the arts, and to raise their voices and celebrate their creativity and life experiences.
Alongside the shared ambition to increase access and cultural provision for and with older people, was the concern to build creative and cultural capacity at a local level. We did this by investing in our community of artists, through professional development and creative commission opportunities.
Initially an Arts Council England and Barings Foundation three and a half year Celebrating Age funded pilot, led by MediaActive Projects and Arts Alive. From Summer 2024, a subsequent development phase in partnership with Wem Town Hall was launched, thanks to new funding from Vibrant Shropshire, and the Inclusive Communities Fund awarded through the Heart of England Community Foundation.
With emphasis on co-design, co-production and creative collaboration, the programme connects to experienced agencies and individuals across the arts, community, health and social care sectors.
We have generated new and high quality opportunities, for people aged 55 to 103, including those at risk of isolation and loneliness, to get creative, to take part, to enjoy the arts, and to raise their voices and celebrate their creativity and life experiences.
Alongside the shared ambition to increase access and cultural provision for and with older people, was the concern to build creative and cultural capacity at a local level. We did this by investing in our community of artists, through professional development and creative commission opportunities.
Hillcrest Manor residents enjoying a session with Rachel and Sal
Participating community groups, organisations and venues: Age UK singing groups in Shropshire and Telford; Age UK Dementia Services; Withywood Supported Living; U3A; Wem Town Hall; Our Space community centre and library, Ellesmere; Radfield Community Care; SCC Carer’s Support Group; SCC Dementia Friendship Group; Up Sewage Creek group; Sparc Theatre; Talbot Theatre; Silverster Horne Institute; Hillcrest Manor Care Home; The Redwoods Centre, Minsterley Library; Talking News; and village halls: Church and Chetwynd Aston, All Stretton, Chetton, Bitterley, Claverley, Cleobury Mortimer, Bedstone and Hopton.
The core creative team were: Adrian Plant (Musicologist & Curator), Sally Tonge (Verbal Artist), Jean Atkin (Poet and Writer), Rachel Liggitt (Dance Artist), Eve Whitmore (Music Leader), Eugenia Hamilton, Adam Farish and Danielle Phelps (Animators), Andy Lowe and Chris Renshaw (Sound Artists) and Sue Gainsborough (Creative Producer / MediaActive Projects), Rose Horner (Creative Producer / Wem Town Hall) and Hannah Prior (Creative Producer / Arts Alive). Creative and technical support was provided by Richard Hepenstal (MediaActive Projects).
The core creative team were: Adrian Plant (Musicologist & Curator), Sally Tonge (Verbal Artist), Jean Atkin (Poet and Writer), Rachel Liggitt (Dance Artist), Eve Whitmore (Music Leader), Eugenia Hamilton, Adam Farish and Danielle Phelps (Animators), Andy Lowe and Chris Renshaw (Sound Artists) and Sue Gainsborough (Creative Producer / MediaActive Projects), Rose Horner (Creative Producer / Wem Town Hall) and Hannah Prior (Creative Producer / Arts Alive). Creative and technical support was provided by Richard Hepenstal (MediaActive Projects).
Behind the scenes at Creative Conversations 2024 short film
An overview of activities:
Creative Technology - Sharing Stories, Sharing Skills
MediaActive Projects with Andy Lowe, Chris Renshaw, Adrian Plant, Eugenia Hamilton, Danielle Phelps, and Adam Farish.
MediaActive Projects with Andy Lowe, Chris Renshaw, Adrian Plant, Eugenia Hamilton, Danielle Phelps, and Adam Farish.
- Taster sessions for older people and care staff, to explore creative approaches with sound and moving image, including animation and film.
- Collaborating with Up Sewage Creek, a group of older people who, in later life, have been driven to become active environmental campaigners, due to the sad state of pollution in their local river, the River Severn. We are collaborating with the diverse group of individuals, capturing their different stories of what connects them to the river and how their environmental considerations and activism evolved. Through animation, film, audio, poetry and prose the group hope to inspire a 'call to community action' by conveying concern, but also by offering a message of hope for positive change.
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“Thanks Sue and team, it been a lovely experience so far"
"Thanks everyone for all of the beautiful animations we have created. With appreciation for all I am learning”
- Up Sewage Creek animation taster session participants
"Thanks everyone for all of the beautiful animations we have created. With appreciation for all I am learning”
- Up Sewage Creek animation taster session participants
- An animation residency at Our Space community centre and library, working with people aged 60 to 103, exploring the playfulness and storytelling potential of stop motion animation. We were especially delighted to bring together young animation graduate Eugenia with raconteur Sally, who - at the age of 103 - took her first playful steps into animation! We hope to continue to support Our Space’s, Sally’s and Eugenia’s enthusiastic creative encounters.
“I just wanted to say many thanks to you all for the animation work at Our Space last week. Especially you, Eugenia! People have been talking about it ever since. We have had some animated discussions! Hope we can do some more work together in 2025”.
- Mike Grierson, Assistant Service Manager, Our Space
- Mike Grierson, Assistant Service Manager, Our Space
- A festive sing-a-long video made with a group of older people, including those living with dementia, met regularly throughout the autumn, working with musician and musicologist Adrian Plant. Together the group devised a themed sing-a-long video, as a test piece, for use in care settings and at home by individuals. The group chose the set list, devised the creative approach and met regularly to rehearse and then performed to camera for the final film. The sing-a-long video was then shared by AGE UK and through community networks. AGE UK’s interest in particular was to find ways of connecting to older and isolated people who may feel lonely.
“From my perspective...it was a delight to work with people whose aim was to bring joy to others with a sing-a-long. As we know this is something that can bring us all together, wherever we may be.
The one thing that keeps being relayed to me by those who used the sing-a-long, was it was a joy to watch, and they very much felt part of the session!!”
- Claire Fishlock, Service Development Officer Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
The one thing that keeps being relayed to me by those who used the sing-a-long, was it was a joy to watch, and they very much felt part of the session!!”
- Claire Fishlock, Service Development Officer Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin
A SHORT CLIP FROM THE SING-ALONG VIDEO
WATCH THE FULL FESTIVE THE SING-ALONG HERE
- A series of audio features profiling creativity in older age, designed for and broadcast by Shropshire’s Talking News service for blind and partially sighted people. The series featured: the Orchard Singers talking about why they meet and sing together; Jean Atkin talking about her inspirations as a poet who loves to collaborate with the community; and Samantha Moore talking about Visible Mending, her BAFTA nominated animation made with local elder knitters. Take a listen below (Samantha Moore's interview coming soon!)
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Whatever The Weather
walk ~ explore ~ create ~ connect
walk ~ explore ~ create ~ connect
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Inspired by Mythogeography, which at its simplest is a way of walking, thinking and visiting a place on many levels at the same time. Anyone can do it. A walk, or ‘drift’, opens up the world, clears our eyes, allows playfulness, and lets us see the extraordinary inside the everyday.
Led by poet Jean Atkin and verbal artist Sal Tonge, Whatever The Weather sessions provided participants with the chance to explore their locality and nature and see it afresh. It’s was a flexible, playful programme, exploring nature through creative writing and leading to collaborative poems and song.
Sessions took place at Pontesbury Library and garden, at the Reabrook nature reserve, and with patients on a secure ward at the Redwood Centre.
Led by poet Jean Atkin and verbal artist Sal Tonge, Whatever The Weather sessions provided participants with the chance to explore their locality and nature and see it afresh. It’s was a flexible, playful programme, exploring nature through creative writing and leading to collaborative poems and song.
Sessions took place at Pontesbury Library and garden, at the Reabrook nature reserve, and with patients on a secure ward at the Redwood Centre.
“A brilliant morning, completely new experience and I hugely enjoyed myself. A bonus to have musical input and a final piece.
It’s great to do things on the spur of the moment, even if challenging - Adventure Without Fear - thank you both so much”
- session participant
It’s great to do things on the spur of the moment, even if challenging - Adventure Without Fear - thank you both so much”
- session participant
Bringing the outside in at the Redwoods Centre
“Using the natural objects - people handled them with fresh hands. The lady who didn’t think she was strong enough to hold a birds nest had resilience and a little sensory curiosity.
Playing with the shells - pleasingly stackable and role-playing they were goblets.
How the hagstone evoked memories of photography with two men and the nurse said that they could do some on the ward- a common interest revealed through creative conversation- a connection between two men in the disconnect of the ward.
The capacity of song to evoke engagement no matter how small - foot taps, quiet singing, percussing on the newspaper. The song also flowed through the room: patients and carers alike - as that man led with his ‘gospel song’ and we shared a moment of joy and meaning we had made. It truly is a joy to collaborate!”
- Sal Tonge
Playing with the shells - pleasingly stackable and role-playing they were goblets.
How the hagstone evoked memories of photography with two men and the nurse said that they could do some on the ward- a common interest revealed through creative conversation- a connection between two men in the disconnect of the ward.
The capacity of song to evoke engagement no matter how small - foot taps, quiet singing, percussing on the newspaper. The song also flowed through the room: patients and carers alike - as that man led with his ‘gospel song’ and we shared a moment of joy and meaning we had made. It truly is a joy to collaborate!”
- Sal Tonge
Collaborative poems made at three different locations...
ADVENTURE WITHOUT FEAR - AT PONTESBURY LIBRARY
NOT BY ACCIDENT BUT RANDOMLY - ON THE REA BROOK, SHREWSBURY
GOD BLESS THIS DAY - ON HOLLY WARD, REDWOODS CENTRE, SHREWSBURY
Place Stories Cafe Writers
Place Stories Café Writers sessions took place over a two month period, meeting regularly on mornings in a local café. The group of individuals aged 55+ joined poet Jean Atkin to explore their own stories and places through writing and poetry. The course was designed to develop a small, friendly group of people, providing an opportunity to look back down lives at places lived in and visited, and for participants to find new ways to tell their own stories.
“This was a hugely enjoyable and rewarding short project for me. The group bonded quickly in the café environment, and we were able to have valuable discussion of memories and places in the context of the poems I selected for us to read together. Building on this, participants enthusiastically drafted new poems of their own during the workshops, then worked on them during the week so that sessions began with a celebration of the poems started the week before.
The group has asked that the project be extended, and have exchanged email addresses to keep in touch”
- Jean Atkin
The group has asked that the project be extended, and have exchanged email addresses to keep in touch”
- Jean Atkin
“Thanks so much for the fabulous course, it was a delight. A poem I wrote on the course won a place on the Isle of Man poetry trail 2025, and will be displayed next year in Douglas, the Island's capital!”
- session participant
- session participant
Singing, Movement and Music
- Verbal artist Sal Tonge and dance artist Rachel Liggitt together ran a series of sensory encounters with residents of the Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home in Minsterley. Over a series of visits they explored and celebrated life stories and memories through music, song and movement.
“There was a moment when I looked up from our intensive walking dancing with Linda - 'sweet sweet...live life...yeah yeah' - and I noticed lots of folks were clapping and joining in with gentle body percussion! Our interaction had 'leaked out' and I then felt the old familiar pull of going and honouring these 'offers' made by residents on the edge of our 'assigned group'! We fragmented and reformed and fragmented and reformed!”
I loved finding rhythms to match the bouncing ball, and stopping and starting led by the play. I loved the tiny gestures of Fran, which grew and were amplified till a wave of rock n roll dancing seized the room for a while before fading away.
There's a dreamlike quality to catching the surf of folks' movements and utterings, memories and ideas - growing them and then letting them become for a while, and then fade. I like that texture to a session, it's soft and tender”.
- Sal Tonge, Verbal Artist
“Just a very brief thank you for yesterday’s session. It was such a privilege to see you both at work again. Your session beautifully illustrating the power and potential of collaborative practice - simply put - if either of you were working in that context on your own, you just wouldn’t be able to offer the same experience (despite your individual brilliance!)”
- Sue Gainsborough, Project Manager
I loved finding rhythms to match the bouncing ball, and stopping and starting led by the play. I loved the tiny gestures of Fran, which grew and were amplified till a wave of rock n roll dancing seized the room for a while before fading away.
There's a dreamlike quality to catching the surf of folks' movements and utterings, memories and ideas - growing them and then letting them become for a while, and then fade. I like that texture to a session, it's soft and tender”.
- Sal Tonge, Verbal Artist
“Just a very brief thank you for yesterday’s session. It was such a privilege to see you both at work again. Your session beautifully illustrating the power and potential of collaborative practice - simply put - if either of you were working in that context on your own, you just wouldn’t be able to offer the same experience (despite your individual brilliance!)”
- Sue Gainsborough, Project Manager
- Wem Town Hall ran regular dementia friendly community signing sessions, led by Eve Whitmore, as part of their ongoing commitment to dementia friendly service provision.
Wem Town Hall dementia friendly singing sessions
“It lifts my spirits, we get to meet and see people which we wouldn’t normally be able to do because we can’t go out and do the activities we used to anymore”
“Because of the dementia, we have been cut off from society to a good degree and places we used to go - people don't understand the unusual behaviour. We arrive in our 80's and leave in our 40's! My husband has lost most of his vocabulary but responds tremendously to the music. He interacts with others and is very outgoing and becomes the happy soul he always used to be”.
- Participants of singing sessions at Wem Town Hall
“Because of the dementia, we have been cut off from society to a good degree and places we used to go - people don't understand the unusual behaviour. We arrive in our 80's and leave in our 40's! My husband has lost most of his vocabulary but responds tremendously to the music. He interacts with others and is very outgoing and becomes the happy soul he always used to be”.
- Participants of singing sessions at Wem Town Hall
- Outreach music and singing sessions, delivered by Adrian Plant, across Shropshire, in a range of locations and settings, from care home, community centres, to dementia support groups.
- AGE UK’s Dementia Services hosted a variety of music and song sessions, led by a variety of specialist facilitators at the Withywood supported living complex and day centre.
Music and song at Withywood Supported Living
“We’ve really benefited from our collaboration with Creative Conversations….music plays such a vital role in our service delivery to those living with dementia, through reminiscence of songs from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s - everybody knows the words, both young and old.
It’s a good way to motivate people to move too, through waving a flower to a floral song or getting up and having a waltz - it’s so inclusive, everyone can take part no matter their stage of dementia”.
- Emma Wilde, Wellbeing Manager Age UK Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
It’s a good way to motivate people to move too, through waving a flower to a floral song or getting up and having a waltz - it’s so inclusive, everyone can take part no matter their stage of dementia”.
- Emma Wilde, Wellbeing Manager Age UK Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin
Culture Club - Theatre, Music and Cinema
An eclectic mix of music and touring theatre shows, and dementia friendly film screenings have been hosted at Wem Town Hall and Arts Alive partner venues across the county: the Talbot Theatre, Sparc Theatre, and village halls: Alverly, Chapel Lane, Church and Chetwynd Aston, All Stretton, Chetton, Bitterley, Claverley, Cleobury Mortimer, Bedstone and Hopton.
“I can’t express what a good event this is for us. My husband looks forward to the films and tells many people about coming here”.
- Wem Town Hall dementia friendly cinema participant
“Thank you, all your staff go above and beyond to make it a lovely experience for the people we support; it is a life line of social experience for the elderly living with dementia.”
- Our Space Community Centre.
- Wem Town Hall dementia friendly cinema participant
“Thank you, all your staff go above and beyond to make it a lovely experience for the people we support; it is a life line of social experience for the elderly living with dementia.”
- Our Space Community Centre.
