A story regarding PFH’s Our Lives. Our Hull. project has been featured in the Holderness Gazette.
Residents of a Withernsea care home were taken on a trip down memory lane through expressive dance on Thursday, January 18.
Dancers Sandra Thompson, Lottie Hanson and Tamar Draper, of the Hull and East Riding Dance Hub, visited Tamarix Lodge on Queen Street as part of the ‘Our Lives, Our Hull’ project, which was developed by retirement living provider Pickering and Ferens Homes (PFH).
The dance and drama piece was choreographed by the three dancers and pieced together around four themes, the war life, family, work and fishing industry and social dance.
The piece tells the story of the lives of people in Hull over the years, ranging from the 1940s right up to the 1980s.
The group first began working with the project in May last year, collecting stories from residents during numerous craft sessions across all of the Pickering and Ferens sites in Hull, while creating canvasses of a memory or hobby they liked to do.
These canvasses are now on display in the Prospect Centre in Hull.
Alison Bedford, manager of Tamarix Lodge said: “The performance was outstanding and the residents loved it. Our priority is to provide enriching activities which our residents truly enjoy. It brought back some great memories for our residents.
“At one point the residents got up and started dancing. There was a fantastic atmosphere and everyone was smiling and having a wonderful time.”
Claire Champlin, health and wellbeing manager at PFH, said: “The Our Lives, Our Hull project has been a huge success, seeing around 300 people who have benefited in the project.
“The project has created friendships, memories and allowed our older people to reminisce.
“Our Lives, Our Hull has been fundamental in reducing loneliness and isolation through social interaction, creativity and music. I would say this project will be one to remember in years to come.”
Project funding was initially awarded from Efficiency North EN: Able community investment funds. Pickering and Ferens was also awarded match funding from Hull City Council Art Development and worked in partnership with East Riding Arts Development and the dance artists.
