“I thoroughly enjoyed working with the older generation, who I would probably never have met otherwise. It brought out some memories that I had completely forgotten about and was very thought-provoking.” Pupil
“It’s good to think that what was, to us, everyday living has provided a history for our country. I am pleased that I was able to pass on some of my own childhood experiences.” Older person
“The whole concept was brilliant – getting the adults and children talking about things they have in common – that doesn’t happen unless you set it up. It was really, really lovely to witness them all together, watching the films and clearly having a lovely time.” Lisa Harris, Collections and Interpretation Manager, Museum of East Anglian Life
What is Suffolk at Play:
Our creative reminiscence project gave different generations the opportunity to capture and share their memories of childhood games and pastimes, whilst building and strengthening community relationships.
Over the course of 12 weeks, school pupils and older people worked with a reminiscence facilitator, a poet, a community artist and an animation artist to explore memories of what and where they played. They then went on to create poems, prose and animations together, inspired by those memories.
Through these shared activities and experiences, the project helped the group to build and strengthen relationships, whilst the creative work was displayed across Suffolk in libraries, schools and museums.
Our innovative Suffolk at Play ‘Cube’, showing five animated films created during this project, now forms a new heritage resource for Suffolk and is a permanent part of the collection at the Museum of East Anglian Life. Alongside the films, a booklet made as part of the project is now found in the county archive, for use by future generations.
Who was Suffolk at Play for:
Suffolk at Play ran in five locations and included school pupils and older people from Stowmarket, Felixstowe, Stradbroke, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds.
The project ran from November 2013 to November 2016, and culminated in a major celebration and exhibition at the Museum of East Anglian Life.
Contact:
Candida Wingate on 01986 873 955 or candida@suffolkartlink.org.uk
Further information:
- Suffolk at Play also has its own blog which shows how the project progressed.
- For more details about the project, please see the Evaluation Report.
Suffolk at Play has been made possible by generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Association of Suffolk Museums
