This project was designed to enhance a sense of community in Craven Arms and to encourage participants to share their ideas for the future of their area.
I teamed up with Fiona Collins to work with KS2 children interviewing local elders about their memories, hopes and fears for the community with the aid of ‘fantastic faces’: faces made from vegetables with paper features on which were scribed local sights, sounds, smells, tastes and memories. The sessions were non-threatening, empowering and filled with laughter. Through preparatory sessions with both the schools and groups of elderly people we were able to match children with interviewees so that all had a positive experience. Leaving the traditional clipboard of questions behind led to more active conversations, while using writing in an unusual and interesting context led to the children gaining new understanding and increased confidence in using the medium, as well as some wonderful cross-generational communication.
Amy Douglas Storyteller 