Growing Together Launch at Archbishop McGrath School
From 28th June to 2nd July, we ran our exciting Growing Together Digital Storytelling project, pairing older people in the Garw Valley with young people from Archbishop McGrath Comprehensive School to make short films together to celebrate the industrial and rural heritage of the Garw Valley.
Over an intensive week the young and older people shared stories and learnt new skills in digital story production, which included storytelling, sound recording, Photoshop and digital editing. We had a lot of fun and it was also a very emotional week, and we produced eight amazing stories.
One of the stories produced was about a local man who had been killed in the Iraq war where he was serving in the army, working as a warrior tank driver, and this story celebrated his life: ‘I will remember this story for the rest of my life’ (Charlotte, Archbishop McGrath)
Lena Charles the oldest participant on the project, who, at 92, was paired with 15 year-old Lucy; they made a film together about the chapels in the Garw Valley. Other stories focused on the jazz bands, pit ponies, women working in local factories after the war and walks in the Garw Valley.
All the films will be available to view on our website soon and we will be having a celebratory event at the Porthcawl Pavilion in October to showcase all the films that have been made as part of the Growing Together project.
Interview with Growing Together Participants from Valley and Vale Community Arts on Vimeo.
Interview with Valley and Vale Community Arts’ Growing Together digital storytelling participants at the launch of their films. In this film Mrs Charles tells us about the film she made with Lucy.
Interview with Growing Together Participants 2 from Valley and Vale Community Arts on Vimeo.
Interview with Valley and Vale Community Arts’ Growing Together digital storytelling participants at the launch of their films. In this film Wendy tells us about the film she made with Naomi.