Moving Memories Animation Project

Great news! As Community Project Manager with Rochester Film Salon, I am delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant from Medway Council Small Grants programme. Here is an section from the successful bid:

Our project is an inspirational and inclusive arts initiative in the heart of Borstal. It will involve local residents from all generations working together as a team, solving problems and cultivating creative and organisational skills. The end product will be a timeless artistic record of our local heritage.

We have planned this project, working closely with community leaders from the school, church and sheltered accommodation for the elderly. We have secured the involvement of pupils from The Pilgrim Primary School, residents of Sheridan Court  (sheltered housing scheme) and members of St. Matthew's church and our wider community to make an animated film; ‘Moving Memories.’

The project will be carried out in three parts:

1) Gathering Stories and Participants

This initial phase involves drama workshops in The Pilgrim School to explore the theme of memories and prepare the pupils for a visit to Sheridan Court. Here the residents will watch a short performance by the pupils and then be invited to reflect on their lives and experiences in an informal setting. These stories will be recorded and edited by participants to form the audio track of the finished animation.

At this point, we will encourage residents of Sheridan Court to join the project and engage in activities such as: art, research and pre-production; animation; post-production and screening; event organisation.

2)  Making the Animation

This involves three full-day workshops in Cleave Warne Hall and The Pilgrim School Community Room where participants will design and produce an animated film with audio track. We envisage those involved including school pupils, residents from Sheridan Court and other interested locals.

3) The Screening

The culmination of the project will be a screening of the animation ‘Moving Memories Borstal’ and ‘The Making of Moving Memories.’  Drinks and canapés will be served and the event will be open to the participants and the public. We will invite the media and interested members of the local and wider community in Medway.

The project will take place during the Pilgrim School's University week 28th March - 1st April. If you have skills, tales or general enthusiasm and would like to get involved, I would love to hear from you!