Tales of moving from the ‘slums’ of Nottingham to the new council estate were collected from people living in care-homes, specialist residential units, dementia care, retirement villages, and community hubs.
For those who couldn’t attend group sessions, the workshops were taken to them, with one-to-one sessions making sure that no one missed out.Spoken word artist Lytisha Tunbridge and visual artist Rachel Scanlon Allsobrook worked with 123 people aged over 55 living in Clifton, through 48 creative sessions. Residents spoke about forgotten or taboo subjects, such as childbirth and experiencing young motherhood, with many becoming more animated and communicative as they reminisced.The stories were translated into a compilation of short poems called ‘No Edges’, and the older people created six decorative wooden houses to accompany them. In family sessions run by Creative Paths CIC, art was created to embellish banners and display stands for an exhibition where people learned about the community’s history together.Moving from the city to Clifton would have been lifechanging for many people, and being given a chance to share their stories with new generations is a great way to create links between different parts of the Clifton community.
Exploring history through the arts and performance is a wonderful way to bring people together, from every age and background, to create a sense of community and wellbeing.
Knocker
She was always in her nightie
when the butcher came to call
5.30 am he knocked her up
She never questioned it at all
The Nippy Clippies
The Nippy Clippies would flit
between their buses and shift
through the door of the Palais de Danse
where their uniforms waltzed with the Yanks
Timekeeper would yell Where’ve you been?
They knew they hadn’t been seen
In the Ladies room, didn’t you check!
Is me 52 come on in yet?
