Impact Arts

Bringing generations together in Govan

Posted on April 12 2017 at 15:35

Our Govan Craft Cafe recently completed a project working with the local Pirie Park Primary School.

The project saw 32 children and 22 members work together for 4 weeks, with the older Craft Cafe members passing on creative skills to the Primary 7 pupils, including mosaic, grouting and book-binding. The artwork they produced will now be displayed in a local shop window for the rest of the area to enjoy.

It was a lively project and the members have now got some new, younger friends in the community! Here are some great quotes from members, children and class teacher:

"I have enjoyed the art stuff and meeting new people, and the art that people do here is awesome. I enjoyed making new friends and meeting staff members."

Keird, Pirie Park student

"I really enjoyed it. I think it was so fun, I loved it. Everyone there was so funny!"

Aliyah, Pirie Park student

"I enjoyed marbling and I don’t want it to finish because I really like art."
Morgan, Pirie Park student

"I thought it was absolutely brilliant! It brings you back to your own childhood days, but I wasn’t as clever at school – some of their drawing were amazing. They were enthusiastic, inquisitive – always asking questions. I have now got a few new pals!"
Danny, Craft Café member

"They did not see us as ‘old’, they called us by our names and just accepted us. They were also asking from week to week ‘how are you doing?’ it felt like they saw us as friends."
Suzanne, Craft Café member

"It was interesting to see how some of those pupils, who can be disengaged in class and find it challenging to collaborate with others, engage and work with their senior partners so successfully. Some of the pupils described the members of the centre as their friends and it was a valuable way of developing social skills and empathy. The sessions surpassed my expectations and the ‘feel good’ factor it created in the children and adults was palpable. It was a great way to bring the generations together and I hope this can continue."

Annie Tumelty, class teacher

For more about Impact Arts' older people's projects, please visit the older people's section of our website.