© Nadjet Ben Maghnia
Maya Productions x Darnall Well Being
Talking About My Generation
Led by Maya Productions and Ignite Imaginations, Talking about my Generation was a community engagement project working with an over 50s ethnically diverse group supported by Darnall Well Being and Roshni Sheffield.
The project responded to the social isolation experienced by older Darnall residents as identified by Darnall Well Being and Roshni Sheffield during the pandemic. The project promoted inclusivity and interaction through a creative process, enabling community members to develop new skills and express their creativity through visual and performing arts.
The project was inspired by Maya’s new musical Benny and the Greycats, that tells the story of an Anglo-Indian family of musicians who swap playing in a swing band in South India, for a new life in 1960s Sheffield.
Exploring themes of migration, cultural heritage and using aspects of Benny as a stimulus, the project was delivered across 8 weekly sessions where participants shared their memories of the 60s, Sheffield, stories of migration and music of the time.
For DISRUPT, the process was chronicled through video and photography to create an online exhibition. The festival included an hour-long event which shared some pre-recorded excerpts of the group’s work, and a live discussion with participants, artists and partners about the workshop process.
the commission
Ignite Imaginations and Maya Productions are proud to present Talking About My Generation, a community project inspired by Maya Productions’ newest show in development Benny and the Greycats; the story of a family of Anglo-Indian musicians who swap playing in swing bands in South India to pursue a new life in the steel city of Sheffield.
Led by outstanding artists Laura Page and Charu Asthana, the project brought together two groups of women aged over 50 from Roshni (Sheffield Asian Women’s Resource Centre) to participate in a course of creative workshops to express their memories of the sixties, journeys of migration and the music of the time.
ABOUT THE COLLABORATORS
Maya Productions makes diverse theatre to create change, bringing together organisations and individuals who want their work to enable social change and promote racial justice in the arts.
Darnall Well Being is a local, not-for-profit, community health organisation working to help the people of Darnall, Tinsley and neighbouring areas stay healthy
Ignite Imaginations are an arts charity based in Sheffield. We aim to celebrate and connect communities through art and creativity.
Roshni Sheffield is a resource centre aiming to advance the welfare and education of South Asian women in Sheffield.