Open Clasp Theatre Company

Generation XX Update

Open Clasp’s current project Generation XX aims to raise awareness and make a positive difference to the lives of older women in the North East, and will lead to a new piece of theatre touring next year. As the workshops come to an end Artistic Director Catrina McHugh tells us how the project’s going, and what happens next.

How have the workshops been going?
Great! They have now finished, and we reached 120 women, most of them over 70, in a variety of settings, from day centres to care homes to women's groups, all across the region, including Durham, Newcastle, Gateshead and Ashington.

What have been the highlights?
There are so many it’s hard to pick, but if I had to I would say the moment when 14+ women, the majority with dementia, got up and danced.

Another highlight is when the groups each get to their final workshop, there is a real sense of achievement and empowerment.

Any challenges?
It was the first time the Open Clasp had worked with women with dementia and the challenge was getting the workshop right so that the women felt safe and able to discuss their lived experiences both past and present, and for them to have a laugh, so they could enjoy themselves. It was a real learning curve, but I'm a quick learner and I feel the groups really enjoyed working with us as much as we loved working with them.

Has anything unexpected come up in the workshops?
I suppose I would have to say it was the care workers in the care homes. They are the women (and men) who are with the women all the time, and I suppose what was a shock was how little they are paid for the skills they have when working with people with dementia. I am now thinking of ways to capture that voice in the play itself. They deserve to be heard too.

What happens next?
I'm going to read over everything that everyone has said in the workshops, listen again to the voices of the women, read research and meet with professionals.... and think!

Then I’ll come up with a storyline that captures the women and their experiences and that comments on the world we live in, the world they live in. The next step will be to create a storyboard and start scripting, and I’ll present the outcome to the groups in the autumn. We will start to recruit an artistic team, so a director and designer, as well as audition actors and bring in a crew to support the tour.

How are you feeling about the project?
I'm loving it. I'm really excited about what we can produce and looking forward to the tour in February and March. I have loved working with the women, they have made me laugh, given me inspiration, they are great role models and I'm going to do my very best to write a play and produce a show that values all the women that have put their trust in us.