The Memory Project: Storytelling through visual arts, theater & puppetry

    My final day of quarantine and I’m ready to taste my freedom! A joyous way to begin my day with our fabulous students creating amazing artwork.   Our fun warm up involved each student miming a kitchen utensil or piece of silverware, while the rest of us guessed what it was. Laughing together even though apart is a great way of destressing and connecting.   Participants had previously collected utensils and silverware that held a special meaning or significance for them. Susanna, who was joining our class again, held up ivory chopsticks, which her father had given her 50 years ago and engraved with her name. Pun displayed a green chopping mat. It was a gift from her sister who has since passed, and so holds very special memories. So Sim held a precious rice bowl given to her by her aunt 40 years ago. She uses it to make special rice cakes once a year. JuLisa carefully showed a large pair of scissors in a brown sheath which her Mum had given her 40 years ago. These...

  Welcome from hotel quarantine in Sydney, Australia where it’s 2am!! What a wonderful tool technology is that I can be connected with my colleague Spica and our wonderful students and the incredible staff at Bensonhurst Senior Center. I was so very pleased to see everyone’s smiling face this morning and to welcome Stella back to our class.  Beginning with a warmup, which also helped wake me up, we slowly moved our bodies in arching sweeps replicating brush strokes. Next, we isolated our hands and dab and flicked with our fingers. Finally, we rolled our hips and shoulders and shook it all out ready to begin our morning’s class.   Margaret has been working on a personal project which mirrors ours, documenting her family’s recipes by making each dish and writing about the memories they evoke. We shared a couple of images of these dishes while Margaret spoke about them.    Participants experimented with the set of colored brush markers they had been given, making t...