Scheme Name:

"Down our Street" an Intergenerational Creative Writing Project

Key objectives of scheme:

- To encourage participation in the arts and local history.

- To engage with disadvantaged groups in priority areas of the city.

- To develop a new arts project using creative writing.

- To begin to engage in a creative way with older and younger members of the community.

- To create an Intergenerational Art form, new publication. To develop new networks and partnerships and promote the work of local people.

Approximate costs involved in scheme:

£15.000 x 2 year project

Partners organisations involved:

Newcastle Arts Development Team and Newcastle Heritage Team

Length of time scheme has been running:

2years duration

Key Benefits of Scheme:

The project employed creative writer Celia Bryce to engage with 4 elders groups and 4 youth groups across the city. All participants were supported to develop new writing on many different themes in their individual groups and then when confidence and relationships developed came together to create new intergenerational stories and poems.

Each older and younger group came from the same geographical areas.

The new 8 groups were worked with over the 2 year project. Each member of the groups developed their own new writings. Older and younger participants came together to create joint stories and poems.

The bookletwas launched May/June 09.

Photos and comments were collected over 2 years.

Individuals have continued to write stories even after the project. Some who stayed with the project had never received any qualifications in the past with poor literacy skills.

Confidence develop among participants

Any other relevant information:

Links with Quality of Life Partnership and Newcastle Elders Council have continued to develop and we are continuing to work on creative Intergenerational projects we have just completed a Punk Event and are now working on an Intergenerational International Women's Day Art project called "Her Story"

Contact name for further information:

Alison Flanagan Wood

Newcastle City Council Arts Development Officer

Contact telephone number:

0191 278 2958

Contact email:

alison.flanaganwood@newcastle.gov.uk