Making art from memories in an intergenerational project

By Nicola Benge

Si filming Rod Patterson

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Bob Caffery remembers his heyday

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Fishersgate Harbour

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Fishersgate Church in glorious technicolour

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Clare's partner's trawler

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Talking about trawlers

Photo from WRVS Heritage Plus Archive

Creating a Community Story - West Sussex

This is a partnership project between Adur Council and Portslade WRVS between February and June 2008. Originally commissioned by the Community Wellbeing Department of Adur District Council through Pamela Driscoll and Community Development Worker Mel Shaw to run a project with Nicola Benge, freelance artist and reminsicence facilitator, alongside Si Mitchell freelance filmaker to co-ordinate and run a project to create a community story 'scrap-book' through Portslade WRVS.

Where?

The project has been taking place in Fishersgate near Brighton on the south coast. This is a ward of Adur in West Sussex, where East and West Sussex meet. The overall aim of the project is to help with the process of developing
a cohesive community in an underepresented local area as well as encouraging a better intergenerational mix in Fishersgate.

What is the project?:

To gather stories from and personal experiences of life in the neighbourhood
and create a series of A2 posters (using a range of media). The posters will
tell individual (or a group) story or express an idea of what living in
Fishersgate means to them. The posters will be collected in a portfolio initially, but will eventually be framed and displayed in a forthcoming Healthy Living Centre in Fishersgate park.

Who is involved?

The project is ongoing and so far has included activities with groups from Summer Close sheltered housing scheme, Crafty Coffee Club with Fishersgate young mums, children from Fishersgate First School, teenagers from Fishersgate Athletic Football Club and others.

Trevor Povey

Trevor Povey, local historian has also been invaluable with his help on this project. As an expert on the area, he has been able to provide us with historic maps, photos and a tour of the area and his memories. He is currently in the process of putting a book together about Fishersgate and we wish him all the best with it. To him, many thanks for all his help!