AN AWARD-WINNING artist has voiced support for community arts, revealing the benefit it has had on the lives of elderly people across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nilupa Yasmin has led several workshops with members of the Midlands Art Centre’s (MAC) senior citizens circle Culture Club since late 2019, teaching them the art of weaving.
Participants have been weaving strips of photographs from their past, while also experimenting with a large selection of fabric offcuts from market stalls and saris.
During the national lockdown, the MAC delivered kits for various workshops and activities so that members could still participate. For those who did not have access to Zoom or social media, the MAC sent out instruction sheets for members to work from.
“That’s so inspiring because it’s allowed the audience to keep connecting to the work, especially those from an older age range,” Yasmin, 25, told Eastern Eye. “But I think it’s benefited them to be in a space again, because even doing an activity at home with a pack is completely different in the space surrounded by people who want to make the same thing as you.”
It has been particularly important during the pandemic, when people have felt isolated from others due to restrictions and fear of catching Covid. “A lot of the members did mention that coming back into the space (after lockdown) and being able to have materials provided to do an activity has been quite refreshing,” Yasmin said. “Suddenly, it just completely stopped (due to the pandemic) and that was hard because the Culture Club is something a lot of people rely on.”
Analysis:
Nilupa Yasmin was capable of providing aging adults a means to still create during COVID lockdown and while there was a lack of connectedness, aging adults still benefited from being able to create at home. While Yasmin found a solution to what we hope is a temporary issue, her concept of putting together kits could provide a creative solution for aging adults with mobility issues.
“Artist Reveals How Community Arts Benefits the Elderly.” EasternEye, 11 Aug. 2021, www.easterneye.biz/artist-reveals-how-community-arts-benefits-the-elderly/.
