Connecting Young and Old - Art Swap

This project is a bit of an experiment, and not sure where, or how far it will go, but I'm quite excited about the possibilities.  A care home I have worked in on off for fifteen years contacted me again, after a break of some three years, interested in xmas craft activities.

I have met a couple of times since then, both times with my daughter Freya (2 years old), who seemed to cheer up the old people more than I can.  I was pushed to commit time to start a new project, but keen to keep connection.  The only time I have is on a Thursday afternoon, when I care for Freya, so we arranged to start workshops, but instead of having Freya along as an extra, we've planned the project to include her, and all her friends, in Kings Heath Community centre stay and play group on Thursday mornings.

Part inspired by Kate Brookes's sock puppet project, we've started making pompoms (a craft they had all done previously) and I have taken photos of them making them, to give the pompoms to the stay and play group.  I photoed (with consent) the children playing, and me and Freya came back to the home with photos this Thursday.  All good feedback from children, parents and the old people.  Next week we will start on making sock horses at the old people's home for a race at the stay and play.  I'm also planning to do art and craft activities in the stay and play to give to the old people.

We could continue in this vein, but I'd also like to develop a social media element - photo collation, film clips, audio could be made available to old people, their family, parents and children at the stay and play.  This would be something new for many of the partners, and I'm aware the technology may prove too much, or simply that the artwork and connection is more valueable through the artefacts and people themselves.  Also issues of consent to sort out.  More photos when I've cracked that one.