Map of Me was the second project that saw pupils from Clara Grant Primary School work with older people living in the local community brought together via the Linc Centre (run by Poplar HARCA). Over ten weeks the Year 4 children worked with the older people with director and singer, Freya Wynn-Jones and visual artist, Ben Connors, and theatre designer, Amanda Mascarenhas. The group explored routes, navigations and maps into the discovery of our own identity, creating seven 3D artworks.

For the sharing in December 2018 these 3D artworks formed the basis of 7 ‘stations’ each could then be visited by the audience (made up of friends, family and other pupils from Clara Grant Primary School). Each station had a plaque explaining it, an interactive element, a poem and some music.

The stations were:
– Hearts and heads / imagination
– Labyrinth – obstacles
– Button jars – questions
– Letter to something you miss
– Map – where we’ve come from
– Future – aeroplanes;

It’s good, it’s fun, I love it. I mean I love working with them kids, they are so funny, great personalities.

Barbara, Older Participant

Our Communications Manager talked to Barbara, one of our Older Participants about her involvement in Map of Me you can hear her in this little video and see the art work she is talking about (transcript of the conversation here)

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Keeping active and interested in projects outside. A target to get to every week it helped to rebuild confidence to get out and about through a period of not being 100%. Reminded me of the need for creative space for art, and how much fun it can be to work with different people.

Participant, Map of Me

From our evaluation of the project one of the participants said this of the most significant thing about the project for them.

In the evaluation we asked the question “What can you do to keep Map of Me going now it has ended?” here are a selection of the answers:
“Singing and say hello to older people.”
“Sharing my experience with friends and family.”
“Sing together and make art. Be creative.”
“Encourage my daughter to create things with her grandparents.”
“Pretend to be Freya and Ben.” [the artists involved in the project]
“Singing and make stuff with paper.”
“Talk to people older and younger.”
“Do more art. Try to paint. Try hard every day. Using paint.”
“Keep on drawing.”
“Making boxes and singing.”
“Singing. Making stuff and drawing.”
“Remember what I have learnt”
“Sing.”
“I could keep our spirits up by doing everything I’ve learnt.”

Looking out for Clara Grant school news/activities. A landmark on my living map of the route to Poplar and Chrisp Street for me. Thinking about what beliefs those around me share, and being gentle towards variations.

Participant, Map of Me