This really has been a great project to work on. One of those projects that seems to be coming to an end all too quickly. The project was set up in partnership with Feel Good Factor, a healthy living initiative in Chapeltown, as part of the Open Door Project. Mary Sunley House kindly provided their living room, and older people from there and the local area were invited to attend 8 sessions of creative activities.
We had no idea what people would like to do so our artists Bryony Pritchard and Barney George came up with the idea introducing people to things they hadn't done before by putting different art materials in all manner of boxes, bags, cases and containers. So for example one box contained a camera in a shoe box with the words “green” and “sharp”, and another had plastic straws, wool and a book about architecture. With lots of encouragement to experiment and have fun, everyone was free to see what they could come up with. And it's amazing just what people have achieved in such a short space of time.
Over the weeks people have been taking photographs, weaving, sculpture, painting with water colours and acrylics, doing origami, drawing, knitting, making clothes from newspapers and on our final day, for a treat, we’ll be biscuit making. Not just any old biscuits – art biscuits of course.The great joy of this project has been to see people making new friends and having fun, as well as discovering some hidden talents. And even those who haven't taken part in the project have regularly visited the living room to see what
we've been up to each week. I'll miss my Wednesday mornings with this group!
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