Telling Older People’s Stories (2023-24)
Thanks to funding from the Dumfries & Galloway Regional Arts Fund AV has been able to continue some activities in the region this autumn and winter.
Eskdalemuir
Our first session took us back to Eskdalemuir Community Hub, where Catherine Urquhart facilitated Writing about Ageing in Haiku on 28 October.
darts of autumn sun
set old tree ablaze
my heart sings
Marjorie Wilson
Participants read a selection of haiku on the theme of ageing and it’s relation to the change of the seasons, particularly autumn to winter. The rest of the session was spent crafting their own haikus, which you can read here.
Stranraer
Renita Boyle leads sessions at Stranraer and Wigtownshire Dementia Resource Centre in Stranraer later between November 2023 and March 2024. Each session focuses around a woodland folk tale which Renita retells using gentle repetition and rhyme, and Makaton to encourage easy participation. Each session includes a illustrated picture book, familiar old songs, a poem and a simple achievable craft activity. Renita aims to create a space where everyone (including the teller) can experience and enjoy community – ear to ear, eye to eye, heart to heart.
Telling Older People’s Stories (2022-23)
Telling Older People’s Stories was an Autumn Voices project taking place across Dumfries & Galloway from summer 2022 to spring 2023.
We worked in partnership with Alzheimer’s Scotland, Annan Day Centre, Eskdalemuir Expressive Arts, and A’ the Airts, Sanquhar.
We offered workshops and other sessions led by a variety of artists, all with experience of working with older people.
Annan Day Centre
At Annan Day Centre, poet Stuart Paterson ran 5 sessions for the centre’s users in June and July 2022.
Please take some time to read their poems!
Eskdalemuir Community Hub
With Eskdalemuir Expressive Arts we ran four Saturday sessions at Eskdalemuir Community Hub:
- Bookmaking with Hugh Bryden, Roncadora Press – 16 July 2022 – Details
- Mastering The Art of Camera Phone Photography with Nicola Stead – 3 September 2022 – Details
- Memory Doors: a poetry workshop with Hugh McMillan – 8 October 2022
- Diving In with Sukhema (aka Larry Butler) – 18 February 2023
A’ the Airts Community Art Centre
With A’ the Airts Community Art Centre in Sanquhar, we ran three sessions in November 2022 with florist Lynsey Burnett and artist Brigid Collins.
Stranraer & Wigtownshire Dementia Resource Centre
With Alzheimer’s Scotland we delivered four sessions at the Stranraer & Wigtownshire Dementia Resource Centre in February and March 2023 with photographer Nicola Stead.
Autumn Voices is grateful to Dumfries & Galloway Third Sector Interface Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund for financial support.
May 2023