This article was first published in August 2020, describing a project designed to connect people from different generations and help them overcome the isolation resulting from the first lockdown. As we find ourselves in the same or nearly same situation now, Chickenshed are relaunching Living Letters. Read on, if you think it could be of help to you or someone you know.
Are you a person of 'mature years' who's missing meeting people - perhaps because you're shielding? Is conversation and human interaction lacking from your life? A new project from Chickenshed could plug the hole in your life and bring people from different generations closer together.
In 2018 Chickenshed's Youth Theatre ran a highly successful intergenerational project sharing their experience of inclusive theatre with older members of their community who had expressed feelings of isolation and loneliness.
In 2020 both those of 'mature years' and young people have experienced new and unexpected isolation - and this year inclusive theatre is not an option. So Chickenshed have devised a new way of connecting the generations.
Living Letters is a new initiative from Chickenshed's Space Between Us project that will be running over the next five months. The aim is to connect people, improve communication and develop intergenerational friendships.
Over a period of four weeks each participant is paired up with a writing partner from Chickenshed's Young Company. The couples are encouraged, through letter writing, to reflect on life, share histories and swap stories with the aim that through this unveiling process, human connections are made and friendships are formed.
At the end of the four week process the pairs are brought together to finally meet in a virtual Zoom chatroom. They are then invited to join Chickenshed's social network, where they can continue meeting people and interact daily with the Space Between Us community.
Visit www.chickenshed.org.uk/living-letters-four-week-project for more information and to nominate yourself or someone that you know.
