Over the Hill?
I'm delighted to announce that I have been asked by the Rural Media Company to work with them on an awareness raising media project about growing older in rural England.
For many people the rural environment conjours up an image of tranquility and natural beauty, an ideal world in which people leave their doors open all day, where neighbours know and look out for each other, and where children run free from the dangers of city life. In reality it is much more complicated than that. The rural environment is now, arguably, less of a working environment than a place of recreation and leisure, and many villages have been transformed by changes in agriculture and by new residents who commute to work or who can afford to live there only in their holidays or as a place of retirement. For some it offers the best of all worlds, but for others it is a place of limited opportunities, social and financial exclusion. One of the most vulnerable groups is older people, who can find the environment less than idyllic if they struggle to manage inadequate housing, are poor or ill or isolated.
Over the Hill? is a three year project that has been sponsored by the Nationwide Foundation, and will result in a suite of digital stories told by rural older people about their experience of growing older in the countryside and the importance of housing and social inclusion. It will result in a documentary film about ways in which people who provide services to rural older people are working with the social and physical environment to help them remain a part of their communities. There will be a report that will feature important facts about country life for older people and a series of case studies. A drama short will also be produced. All of this will be done with the active participation of older people and rural agencies.
My role is to research a series of themes upon which the project will be based and to recruit and interview a number of older people whose experiences will inform the project and form the basis of the case studies. It is a role that will combine academic skills with sympathetic and creative insight. The Rural Media Company have a great track record in using film and digital media to work with different communities in the countryside to help them realise their own voices and to tell their stories. It will be a great project and unique in its focus and approach.
This project builds upon work I have done with Age Concern England and local Age Concern organisations and groups, including publications such as The Hidden Store and The Ageing Countryside. As the project develops I will be adding pages describing my findings and discussing some of the issues. One thing is for sure, there will be lots of stories!
For many people the rural environment conjours up an image of tranquility and natural beauty, an ideal world in which people leave their doors open all day, where neighbours know and look out for each other, and where children run free from the dangers of city life. In reality it is much more complicated than that. The rural environment is now, arguably, less of a working environment than a place of recreation and leisure, and many villages have been transformed by changes in agriculture and by new residents who commute to work or who can afford to live there only in their holidays or as a place of retirement. For some it offers the best of all worlds, but for others it is a place of limited opportunities, social and financial exclusion. One of the most vulnerable groups is older people, who can find the environment less than idyllic if they struggle to manage inadequate housing, are poor or ill or isolated.
Over the Hill? is a three year project that has been sponsored by the Nationwide Foundation, and will result in a suite of digital stories told by rural older people about their experience of growing older in the countryside and the importance of housing and social inclusion. It will result in a documentary film about ways in which people who provide services to rural older people are working with the social and physical environment to help them remain a part of their communities. There will be a report that will feature important facts about country life for older people and a series of case studies. A drama short will also be produced. All of this will be done with the active participation of older people and rural agencies.
My role is to research a series of themes upon which the project will be based and to recruit and interview a number of older people whose experiences will inform the project and form the basis of the case studies. It is a role that will combine academic skills with sympathetic and creative insight. The Rural Media Company have a great track record in using film and digital media to work with different communities in the countryside to help them realise their own voices and to tell their stories. It will be a great project and unique in its focus and approach.
This project builds upon work I have done with Age Concern England and local Age Concern organisations and groups, including publications such as The Hidden Store and The Ageing Countryside. As the project develops I will be adding pages describing my findings and discussing some of the issues. One thing is for sure, there will be lots of stories!