A13 Artscape

Community involvement

Generational Arts Programme (GAP)

GAP is a 5 year programme of work bringing the generations together in arts projects using different media and led by professional artists.

Part of the outreach work of the A13 Artscape project, each project works on a theme of significance to the group concerned, to explore for example local history and geography in a fun and creative way.

The artwork from all the projects will be brought together in an alternative heritage trail at the end of the 5 years, revealing the memories and resonances of local places linked to the A13.

The picture|

Sharing stories about favourite holidays and day trips, adults and children Thames View Junior School had fun working together to create a road of stones using clay and plaster.

Individual stones were printed with a picture or photograph from the holiday album, and quotes from 'travel tickets' filled in by all participants about exciting travel destinations.

The children gained a lot from working with the adults, which showed in the beautiful wax resist pictures they made for the A13 website capturing their experience at The Maples Day Centre.

'I felt nervous at first but we soon got used to each other. The adults might have been nervous too - but they had us to help them!'

Thames View Junior School pupil.

This exhibition was shown to the public in The Gallery in Barking Library, and the Resource Centre at the University of East London.

Thread|

A project with Carers of Barking and Dagenham to create a large banner on the theme of friendship, using traditional crafts.

Adult carers are teaching sewing, crochet, weaving and rug making to members of the Young Carers group.

Poetry is being written on the theme and fragments will be painted onto the banner.

Drama workshops are taking place using the poetry as a starting point to create an intergenerational performance.

'We are really excited about the GAP project as we have long wanted to find a way of getting the older and younger members of Carers working together. We are hoping the work for the annual general meeting will lead into puppet workshops and a Christmas play in the autumn.'

Chris Suett, Carers of Barking and Dagenham.

GAP map project|

Will continue throughout the 5 years of the programme - recording where participants have lived in their lives and their reasons for moving both into and around the borough.

If you have an unusual story about why you came to Barking and Dagenham, please let us know!

If you would like to contribute to the rest of the work of GAP, please write to us at Studio 3 Arts with your story about the local area and the road in particular.

We are looking for stories about Barking and Dagenham that may not have made it into the local history books but could be used in GAP projects to tell an alternative history of the area.

Send GAP Map details (with dates) and local stories to Kathryn Gilfoy at Studio 3 Arts.

Contact

Arts Programme and Cultural Development

4th Floor

Maritime House

1 Linton Road

Barking

IG11 8HG

Tel: 020 8227 2482

Fax: 020 8227 3254

Email: artsadmin@lbbd.gov.uk|