In the summer I was commissioned to work with the Charles Dickens Museum to create some portraits of participants of a writing workshop they were running in the local community, as part of ‘More! Oliver Twist, Dickens and Stories of the City‘. The participants worked with members of the Education Team to create ‘Tales from the Third Age Project’, which they recorded and can be heard by visitors to the museum.
“To recreate Dickens’ passion for stories and storytelling, the Museum joined forces with some of the older members of our local community based at the Third Age Project in Camden. For most members of the group, the last year has been an isolating experience, with many living alone, with little social contact. However, as restrictions were lifted, they were able to meet up again once more, and we joined them along with a storyteller, to learn how to share their life experiences through the art of storytelling. Drawing on some of the universal themes touched on in Oliver Twist, the group spent four weeks together honing and crafting their stories.”
I was really privileged to join them on the day of their final workshop, when they were recording their stories, to take some portraits to accompany their recordings. It was so lovely to spend time with them, hear how much they were enjoying the experience, and to work with the fantastic team from the Museum, too. I’m pleased to share some installation photographs of them on display at the Dickens Museum here today.
It’s so lovely to see work printed and displayed like this, particularly as part of such a wonderful project! The exhibition is open until 17 October so if you are nearby do have a look and a listen to the fascinating tales, told by the writers themselves in powerful, compelling recordings. I took the opportunity to visit the museum as a whole as a visitor, and really enjoyed exploring Dickens’ house and the special exhibition ‘More! Oliver Twist, Dickens and Stories of the City‘.
Charles Dickens Museum
48 – 49 Doughty Street
London, WC1N 2LX
Open: Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
Admission:
Children under 6 years: Free
Adult: £9.50
Concessions (Students, Seniors and Disabled Visitors): £7.50
Child 6-16 years: £4.50