Title of the innovative practice:
Creative Reminiscence work with ethnic minority elders: a series of books, plays, exhibitions over the last 25 years
Training days offered in creative exploration of ethnic elders’ stories
Publications, plays, exhibitions and festivals exploring, preserving, featuring ethnic elders’ memories. See especially “Mapping Memories: reminiscence with ethnic minority elders”, handbook by Pam Schweitzer published 2004 (Age Exchange Publications) contains exercises and ideas for work with elders and between generations based on life stories. PLUS 2 films on CD ROM. Also “Making Memories Matter”: a Memory Box project involving artists and older people in presenting 3-dimensional displays about their life stories, specially developed with ethnic minority elders and people with dementia. Book and films to illustrate this project available from Pam Schweitzer via pam@pamschweitzer.com All can be found via website: www.pamschweitzer.com (intercultural page and international pages) including short films
Aims of the service/innovative practice:
To support minority elders in recording their life stories individually and in groups To help elders explore their shared and individual memories through theatre and other arts, and to shape it in ways which make sense of it to themselves and others in the community. To raise the profile of ethnic minority elders’ groups and to increase self-worth and identity and a sense of belonging. To inform younger generations and people from different cultures about important experiences related to migration from the home country to Britain during the last century. To train others to do all the above
What have been the challenges and solutions in setting up and maintaining the innovative practice?
The challenges have been raising funds, enabling groups to work together creatively over a period, and raising performance standards to a point where the older people can be proud to share their experience through story-telling and theatre. Also a challenge to make this work widely known and to enable others to build on it through training and examples
Outcomes (including how this was measured, evaluated and lessons learned):
Publications: “Mapping Memories: reminiscence with ethnic elders”, published 2004 by Age Exchange. Extracts available on line on www.pamschweitzer.com on Intercultural page
“Across the Irish Sea”, memories of London Irish pensioners published by Age Exchange 1989.
Professional shows performed by young actors on the basis of elders stories: Eg. “A Place To Stay” multicultural show 1984, “From Stepney Green to Golders Green” Jewish memories 1988, “Across the Irish Sea” Irish memories 1989, “Routes” Indian memories 1991
Shows performed by elders: 2 Caribbean groups, a Chinese elders’ group, African elders from Nigeria, etc
Photo exhibition: “A Place To Stay” photos and text: multicultural exhibition of elders’ memories of coming to Britain, produced 1986.
3-Dimensional Exhibitions of memories and Installations: “Journey of a Lifetime” 1997,
“The Place Where I grew Up” 2004 both at the Reminiscence Centre in Blackheath
Festivals International festivals of reminiscence and life story based theatre:
“Journey of a Lifetime” 1997 “The Place Where I Grew Up” 2005
Plans for the future (eg sustainability):
Hoping to continue to work with minority groups and older people making theatre and books from their lived experience and working with them through various creative processes connected with life story and reminiscence work
Contact Name:
Pam Schweitzer
Position: Director
Organisation: European Reminiscence Network
Full Address: 15 Camden Row, Blackheath, London Post Code: SE3 0QA
Direct line: 0208 852 9293
Email: pam@pamschweitzer.com
Websites: www.pamschweitzer.com and www.europeanreminiscencenetwork.org
Did you find this information useful? Please leave comments below, any questions for Pam, please contact her directly