Clair Chapwell: engaging older people in storytelling
Clair Chapwell (CF 2013) from London is a freelance creative facilitator. During the pandemic, Clair has been facilitating an online weekly writing session for adults aged over 70 called Lockdown Lunch.
Clair will use her grant to extend this project so that she can continue to facilitate sessions for older people experiencing social isolation as a result of Covid-19. Clair will offer weekly two-hour writing sessions where participants will write prose and poetry exploring issues that resonate for them. Participants will be assigned a new theme each week that will help them to explore and express difficult areas of their past and present life. Clair plans to facilitate live readings of their work in community venues, where older people can meet and connect in person. She will also facilitate recordings of some of the stories as podcasts to be shared on social media. Clair hopes that Lockdown Lunch will continue to be a safe space where individuals share their experiences and form relationships with others.
Clair’s Fellowship to the USA in 2013 explored participatory arts projects for LGBTQ+ and older people. It was supported by The Baring Foundation.