Eventus

Environmental charity Green Estate were looking for a way to promote their Pictorial Meadow in local communities, following an earlier Eventus project with Healthy Cross in Parson Cross with digital lens artist Ali White.

Creativity

A group of older people were recruited through Manor Agewell, meeting at Manor Top Library to work with Ali White.

The group , ranging in age from 60’s to 80’s were supported by  project manager Penny Rea to tour meadows around the Manor & Castle area, learning digital photography techniques with Ali. They then retired to the South City Learning Centre where he taught them to download and manipulate their images.

The resulting images were turned into Calendars for sale by Green Estate, but the lasting impact was in the production of 8 x 8’ tall pull up banners, one per participant. Each contained a collage of their images, a reflection on their experience and a photo of them in action. The banners were conceived to answer the problem of displaying work in community venues, which meant the medium had to be portable, resilient and safe and adaptable to different venues.

Results

The banners were unveiled at a city centre ceremony with the Mayor of Sheffield. They have subsequently been used in local venues, council buildings and at events e.g. Older People’s Day in Sheffield Town Hall. The reaction is always positive, with people often questioning that they really are photographs of the Manor, and were taken by older people. This very much fulfils Eventus’ aim of using the arts to transform people’s opinions of their own skills and abilities and of their neighbourhoods, and also to make other people challenge their assumptions about communities and their residents.