Telling Tales of The Sea
This autumn we’re pleased to be working on a new partnership with innovative day care service Project 49 to deliver Tales Of The Sea - a drama project with adults with learning disabilities.
Tales of The Sea allows participants to learn new creative skills to tell their own stories & share their experience of living by the seaside in a celebration of their hometown & community.
For people with learning disabilities feelings of social isolation & loneliness have been worsened by lockdown restrictions. Many people also have anxieties about returning to ‘normal life’ & need to build their confidence in going out & spending time with others again.
Enjoying making waves!
Tales of The Sea aims to build a sense of belonging & ownership for the participants, build confidence, have new experiences, develop skills & raise their voices within the wider community.
Participants working with mime to explore stories.
We’re excited to be working with artists and fellow Mercury Creatives, Hannah Brailsford (Spinning Yarns Theatre) and Bernadette Wakeling (The Complete Commedia Company) on this project. Hannah & Bernadette each bring their own distinctive style weaving storytelling, movement, mime, mask, puppetry & more to create a magical, visual feast.
“We have had a wonderful start to the project working both outside and indoors with Project 49. All the participants have voiced how much they are enjoying the sessions and we have been exploring the sights, sounds and smells of living by the sea. I’m really excited to see how all the ideas will come together over the next few weeks with this brilliant group of people.”
Participants using fabric & movement to evoke the sea.
During the project we are also working with Film 49, based at Project 49, who are making a film a documenting & responding to the creative process of Tales of The Sea. The final film will be shown on Focal Point Gallery’s Big Screen Southend in the new year.
Tales of The Sea is gratefully supported through funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, players of the People’s Postcode Lottery through the Postcode Places Trust and Southend Emergency Fund.
