The partnership project, involving Age Concern Wandsworth, NHS Wandsworth and two media artists, has been awarded funding through the council’s Small Grants Scheme.

Filmmaker Sasha Hoare and new media artist Toni Le Busque will take part in a series of reminiscence sessions - teaching older people to create mixed media films from their memories, mementos and photographs.

Participants will learn how to use digital filmmaking techniques and experiment with social networking and blogging.  Their completed works will be shown at a screening event in December for friends and family.

The reminiscence sessions are supported by Age Concern Wandsworth’s Active Days Project and run by NHS Wandsworth community workers.

Charlotte Allen, Active Days Project Coordinator, said:
“We are all very excited about this new project, it will enable the participants to gain new experiences and record their memories in a very special way that will provide a legacy for them and their loved ones”.

Council arts spokesman Paul Ellis said the council is delighted to be contributing to the initiative:
“As well as capturing fascinating life-stories on film this project brings elderly residents together in a social setting to learn a range of valuable new skills. If you have an idea for a community arts project and need help getting it off the ground then the Small Grants Scheme could provide the support you need.”

The Small Grants Fund is run by the council’ Arts Team with the aim of supporting new initiatives, extensions of existing projects or experiments with new work.

Individuals can apply for up to £500 and organisations can apply for up to £1,500. The grant can cover up to 70 per cent of the overall project budget. Applications can be made every other month and the next deadline is Monday 2 November.

The Arts Team run free grant workshops to help explain how the scheme works and to take questions from potential applicants. The next session takes place Monday 12 October at Beatrix Potter Primary School, from 5pm to 7pm. No booking is necessary.

September 16, 2009