News

A one-year Somerset Film intergenerational project is part of Company of Voices, a Somerset Intergenerational Partnership led by CHYPPs and Somerset County Council.

The Company of Voices partnership is a demonstrator programme for ‘Generations Together’ a cross-government scheme spearheaded by the Department for Children, Schools & Families and is one of twelve programmes taking place nationally.

The project builds on the thirteen years experience Somerset Film has accumulated delivering community media activities and takes a fun, creative and collaborative approach to intergenerational practice using digital media.

Community Chroniclers will recruit, train and engage 50 intergenerational teams of (150 volunteers) in digital media skills. This process will develop a grass roots skills bank and create a broad programme of content that accommodates people’s diverse abilities, style and motivations. The process will also raise the profile of intergenerational work.

The content could:

• Explore their experience of working together
whilst training

• Document the volunteers’ lives, changing environment and/or issues they face as a community

• Document other intergenerational projects taking place

Activity will be delivered when participants can get there eg. after-school, weekends and holidays, and at locations across Somerset.

The Context

The aims of the project are to:

• Amplify the voices of younger and older members
of the community through the use and understanding
of Digital Media

• Give younger and older members a shared platform through which they can exchange skills, knowledge and experience and engage in an intergenerational ‘conversation’

• Empower younger and older members of the community with the critical knowledge and creative skills to analyze, interpret and challenge the messages we receive on a daily basis through media and, increasingly, digital media eg. those messages that can increase fear of crime

• Give younger and older members of the community the chance to learn together about digital media and new technology, acquiring transferable skills as well as increasing soft skills eg. self-esteem

• Develop knowledge, understanding and use of intergenerational practice amongst digital practitioners

Delivery is informed by:

• Fun, creative, collaborative intergenerational approach

• The values statement of Company of Voices

• Value for money

• High quality equipment/expertise

• Equality of access