Food for thought

The idea for Recipes for Life sprung from Art of Westend, a West Yorkshire-based, intergenerational arts project funded by Arts Council England in 2006. The project had cultivated a relationship between local arts and media organisation One to One Development Trust and community group the Westenders, aka the Over 55s.

In 2011/12 Wakefield Council released a new funding stream called Creative Partners, which awards grants to initiatives with a community arts focus and a health agenda. Hemsworth is a former mining community with high levels of poverty; it is in the top 20% most deprived areas in the country (Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010). A divide was forming between the young and older residents; fear of crime and antisocial behaviour were increasing, as was a desire to do something to try and address it.

Recipes for Life seemed the perfect project to put forward. The idea was to create a book of ‘traditional’ recipes, passed down to the Over 55s group by their mothers and grandmothers, and to share it with the younger generation. The local primary school was approached and was keen to be involved.

The project began life on a barge trip with the Over 55s and a community health worker. Project Pugwash is a NHS Wakefield initiative that offers activity days on the local waterways, providing a creative space for groups to work together. We began the filming of the project, documenting the group’s ideas and their memories of food. Members began bringing in photos of their childhood, and reminiscing about sayings they had been told as children. A collection of material began to be gathered – recipes, pictures, proverbs.

Recipes for Life then launched in West End Primary School. Children from the year four and five class were encouraged to think about a favourite meal that they had enjoyed with an older person; a parent, carer or grandparent. The children wrote and illustrated letters about the importance of these meals and sharing good food with people you love. We then ran sessions with visual artist Viv Owen, looking at food and healthy eating; these were presented in a fun, engaging and accessible way. Making, photographing and then eating fruit faces proved a favourite as many of the children had not tasted some of the types of fresh fruit and vegetables used.

The Over 55s then came into the school to teach the children some cooking skills. Sessions tied in with events, like Halloween when both generations enjoyed making and eating pumpkin soup, parkin and toffee apples. The Over 55s and the class also worked together to create an exhibition in the school about the project, which ran for several weeks.

The project has been incredibly rewarding and long term relationships have been formed. Mary Botham from the Over 55s said: “I love working with the kids at school. I was a bit reluctant at first but they are so polite and keen I want to find a way to continue helping out at the school.”

As well as a film documenting the project, Recipes for Life is a beautiful, multi-layered book which captures the essence of the project and will continue giving enjoyment and inspiration to readers in the future.