Building a Bridge between Past and Present
OUR STORIES is an enriching and fun programme for primary school children in years 4-6, based on inter-generational story sharing.
OUR STORIES can be run as a co-curricular activity, prompting children to engage with the experiences of the older generations through conversations, interviews, recordings and the creation of a story book.
Why ‘Our Stories’?
OUR STORIES is based around the idea that we are less in touch with our elders nowadays and increasingly disconnected from the wisdom that comes with age, be it due to family- relocation or feuds, conflict or even war. OUR STORIES aims to make children more aware of the precious resource that grand-and great-grandparents present.
Knowing our own as well as each other’s history can help us to better relate to our identity and understand the world around us. However simple a notion and once a part of most children’s lives, a lively and mutually engaged relationship with at least one grandparent has become a rarity within a lot of families. OUR STORIES is about plugging some of those holes that our modern, but often disjointed family stories have created.
I wish it was on the curriculum that we interview our grandparents or our Parents…
(Helena Bonham Carter speaking about her documentary “My Grandparent’s War” with Louis Theroux ( “Grounded with Louis Theroux”, episode 3, 2020)
How Does ‘Our Stories’ Work?
-The project can be built into the running curriculum tying in with themes such as family, growth or identity.
-It can take as little or as much time as the head and class teachers choose, between a few hours stretched over a few weeks or condensed into one, and can also be combined with school events such as arts day/ week etc.
-During this time the children are encouraged to collect a story from a great-or grandparent, which they will then share with their class and discuss it together.
-They will also talk about the differences between their lives and those, which their grandparents have led, look at photographs and illustrate their stories.
-The final outcome of the project is a book with the entire story collection and all the supporting material.
Our Stories in action
Who is Behind ‘Our Stories’?
I am a freelance actress, writer and weaver, who grew up in an artistic family and went to school in Berlin. I have lived all over the world, but London has been my home since my mid 20’s. My daughter is now in secondary school.
Since I never had a grandfather (both died long before I was born and I lost my grandmothers when I was quite young) there was a real lack of intergenerational wisdom- and support in my family with many stories forever lost.
I have discovered that these are not uncommon circumstances, especially in a city like London. But I am very fortunate to have become part of another, extended family in Greece with a lively storytelling tradition, where family history is a constant talking point.
Cosima Shaw, project-co-ordinator