connecting with nature
led by Jill Impey - visual artist
When we invited Jill to work with older people exploring the creative use of iPads, Jill suggested a focus that responded to the diminishing access many older people have to nature, and the ability to independently go outdoors, into woodland or even a garden. Working with groups of older people in varying contexts and settings, Jill sought to find new ways of connecting with nature and with each other.
Jill brought the outdoors in, first setting the workshop space to reflect the calming sounds, smells and visuals of nature, by using projected film, audio of birdsong and a suitcase of natural objects, including leaves, shells and a huge bundle of aromatic lavender. Sessions involved creative play with: collage, printmaking, film, animation, photography, digital drawings, poetry and audio recording. The resulting films incorporate the artworks created and the conversations shared by the participants.
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Jill also ran a series of one-off workshops in community and care settings, and was supported to devise and deliver online sessions during the lockdowns.
Jill worked with clients of the Redwoods Centre, and separately with a group of older volunteers of Shropshire Wildlife Trust’ (SWT) Feed The Birds project. Both groups explored a variety of creative techniques, including the use of iPads. Jill’s work with SWT volunteers both equipped the group with new skills to support their ongoing older people focused project, but also enabled the group to facilitate creative sessions alongside Jill in several care homes, and this was a particularly positive experience for the volunteers, participants and artist.
Jill worked with clients of the Redwoods Centre, and separately with a group of older volunteers of Shropshire Wildlife Trust’ (SWT) Feed The Birds project. Both groups explored a variety of creative techniques, including the use of iPads. Jill’s work with SWT volunteers both equipped the group with new skills to support their ongoing older people focused project, but also enabled the group to facilitate creative sessions alongside Jill in several care homes, and this was a particularly positive experience for the volunteers, participants and artist.
“Its been a new experience for us and it’s worked really well. Particularly for our volunteers going into care homes…I’d like to explore more of this sort of thing. It’s brought new people into our programme. I’ve really enjoyed the multimedia aspects...some people are quite resistant to technology but it’s been really fun, exciting, and lots of fun and laughter. It would be really interesting to do more of this with other people who are more wary of nature. It’s been lovely to respond to nature, using the senses, the sounds and smells, and touch...” - Diane Monether, SWT
“Working with mainly older people and in particular working in residential care homes was a new experience for me. Especially working in a very loosely structured sharing way with mixed media and plenty of natural stimuli; people sharing skills and learning together; Residents, carers and workshop participants, it was joyful. Also the discovery of how many older people have iPads that they can’t use, and their joy of discovery when they find they can open up a world of connectivity and creativity, with just a little help” - Jill
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Subtitled version of above 'Creative Conversations with Shropshire Wildlife Trust' film
some photos from the project