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Young
and old learning together: Generations United
Youth and age have been brought together to discover how
the generation gap can be bridged through learning during
a seminar organised by Age Concern Northern Ireland, the
Health Promotion Agency (HPA) and the Youth Council for Northern
Ireland.
Generations
United is the title of the seminar taking place today,
which aims to highlight how young people and older
people should be seen as assets to the community and are
together capable of making valuable and essential contributions
to it.
Susan Langford, Director of Magic Me, Intergenerational
Arts Charity, London, is the key speaker for the seminar
and will illustrate the objectives of the Magic Me project:
to give young and old an opportunity to improve their confidence
and self-esteem, and as a result they will be more in control
of their lives; to create a sense of community by encouraging
interaction between young people and elders; and to complement,
challenge and enrich the work of institutions and services.
Speaking about
the event she said: “When young and
older people work together within Magic Me projects, they
are creating not just images and artworks. Through sharing
ideas and experiences, they build relationships, make connections
and grow greater understanding of what it is like to be young,
or grow older.”
During the seminar a number of local initiatives will also
be showcased and include: exploring the use of film making
in Derry; a community based project in Antiville, Larne;
and the use of cross generational groups in consultation
on proposed legislation.
An element of the seminar will be led by Alan Hatton Yeo,
Director of the UK Centre for Intergenerational Practice,
focusing on the importance of guidelines for the evaluation
of intergenerational initiatives.
Dr David
McConnell, Age Concern, who has spoken internationally
on the subject of intergenerational
approaches and will be
attending the event, said: “Learning is a journey which
should be life-long. It is important to challenge the view
that ‘crabbed age and youth cannot live together’ and
the worldwide intergenerational movement gives the lie to
this. It challenges the view that the young and the old are
problems to be addressed. Overcoming this erroneous belief
is essential if we are to build cohesive communities.”
The seminar will conclude with information about how people
could be supported to develop and take forward intergenerational
work within their organisation. END
Notes
to the editor
- Generations United will take place on Thursday 27 January
2005 at NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast and will commence
at 10:00am. There will be a media facility from 10:00 to
10:30am when a number of photographs will be taken. The
event will close at 12:45pm.
- Key speaker Susan Langford
will also be available the evening before the seminar
if necessary.
- Intergenerational programmes are vehicles
for the purposeful and ongoing exchange of resources
and learning amongst
older people and younger generations which bring
individual and social benefits.
For further information
Please contact Pam Tilson on 028 9024 5729 or mobile 07803
235362.
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