Connecting Through the Arts -"Making Ealing More Creative."

8th April 2025 Akuba took part in an exciting collaborative creative project led by Lasting Support Services, and also involving PARC (Parents Action Resource Centre), White City Theatre Projects and Pink Static Films.

The aim of the project is to bring isolated families together through the creative arts to document their meaningful lived in experiences

Parents Action and Resource Centre's Contribution:

• Parents Action and Resource Centre discussed their focus on history, particularly the Windrush generation and anti-racism in Southall.

• They used music and technology like TikTok to engage participants and make history relevant to young people.

• The workshop included icebreaker activities and technology to explore personal journeys and healing.

Akuba's Contribution:

• The workshop involved activities like the creation of acrostic poetry based on first names to empower self - identification and belonging, and using personal objects to connect with healing.

• She also incorporated elements of Ealing's history and personal narratives into the workshop.

• The goal was to create a narrative that connects participants with their community and personal experiences.

Amari Harris's Vision for the Sessions

• He worked with a fellow practitioner, Ella McCartney, to develop a group over 10 sessions.

• The sessions focused on play and collaboration, with the final performance being shaped by the participants' interests.

• Amari suggested involving parents in the sessions and possibly having a session where parents and children perform together.

• Amari alos suggested having evaluation sessions after the performance to reflect on the project's impact.

Charlie's vision for the film:

• They planned to capture the families' progress and the development of the performance.

• Charlie suggested using a narrator or presenter from White City to tie the film together. Amari agreed to be this person.

• The team followed a few families closely to show their journey and the impact of the project.

About this event

Connecting Through the Arts

🗓 Every Tuesday🕑 16:30 PM – 18:30 PM📍 Golf Links Community Centre, Adamson Court Fleming Road, Southall, UB1 3LP

"Inspired by the BAFTA award-winning TV series The Choir by Gareth Malone, this project will use the power of creative arts to bring together hard-to-reach families across Ealing. By incorporating drama, poetry, and visual art, participants both children and adults will explore their personal experiences and perceptions of Ealing: what they love, what challenges they face, and their collective aspirations for the borough. A filmmaker will document the journey, capturing the process of co-creation and its impact on community cohesion.

Starting Tuesday 29th April 2025, we will have two facilitators from The White City Theatre Project delivering 10 weeks of drama sessions. These sessions will culminate in a screening of the documentary.

🎥 Please note:

This event will be filmed as part of a documentary capturing the journey of this community project. There will be photography and video recording throughout the day. By attending, you’re helping us document the incredible stories, voices, and creativity within our community."

Warda Mohamed. (CEO of Lasting Support Services)

For more on Lasting Support Services please visit this website via this link: https://www.lastingsupportservices.com/.