Conversations, dispatches and ideas from the Bush Theatre.
In response to the themes of our production, An Adventure by Vinay Patel, the Community department at the Bush Theatre produced an inter-generational workshop for elders and students to come together to share stories from their lives and create pieces of original poetry.
We chose our alumni Community Associate Company, Nubian Life, to be the elders in our workshop, focusing on exploring the life stories of Afro-Caribbean Elders and sharing them with a younger generation.
Image by Francis Augusto
The two groups got to know each other through group discussions, and through questions;
“If you could, how would you change things for your generation?”
“What do you hope for in your future?”
Image by Francis Augusto
“This project was a pleasure and privilege to lead. The young people were keen, engaged and hardworking, the elders nurturing, funny and happy to share their lives and experiences, filling the room with tales of rich and interesting lives to feed the curiosity of the children. This must be done again!”- Elliott Ajai–Ajagbe, Co-Lead Artist
Flowers
I saw flowers in the wind
on my soulful journey home
The Jamaican vibe
Music dancing in the air
The food makes us think of home
And someone that we love
Image by Francis Augusto
Together the group explored music and memory as stimuli for their poems, which they wrote in pairs and small groups. The students and elders shared their favourite songs with each other.
Pom Pom Pom
Pom Pom Pom
Feel like dancing
Pom Pom Pom
Can’t imagine growing up
At a young age
By the sea
In the summertime
Pom Pom Pom
Image by Francis Augusto
“The kids absolutely loved both the workshop and the evening performance, we cannot thank everyone enough for the opportunity.” – Rebekah Dale, Head of Drama Hammersmith Academy
Image by Francis Augusto
“This workshop is one I won’t forget. The elder who called himself King Henry, the year 8 who demanded a people’s vote on Brexit, the 99 year old who asked me to turn Drake off and put something on she could move her body to, have all lodged themselves in my memory and set me up with enough hope and joy to get me through the rest of the year.” – Sonia Jalaly, Co-Lead Artist
Image by Francis Augusto
Across generations, we sat in a circle together. We talked, laughed, scribbled, listened and occasionally broke into song and dance and I felt a special kind of optimistic energy buzzing in the room, one that I think can only come from people who are thought of as different from one another, finding so much in common.
