#WeAreRydeArts - Sassy Productions
Sandy Ciccognani and Lucy Bell of Sassy Productions, Isle of Wight.
A celebration of Ryde Arts projects and the artists and people involved.
“Projects like Spirit of Place are really good for the cultural wellbeing of the community as they give people a reason to come together. It provides an opportunity to talk about things that are important to them and forge new connections and friendships.”
We got involved with Ryde Arts through the Spirit of Place Project. Teaching and mentoring students from Network Ryde, we gathered stories from people in Ryde with a view to them being interpreted into performance pieces by the Horsebox Theatre Company. The project reinforced our love of social history and local heritage. What really struck us by the end of our involvement of the project was just how special good story-tellers are. There’s a skill in retelling memories as captivating stories. When these particular individuals got into the flow of telling a tale, the whole room stopped to listen.
This was very much an intergenerational project, with teenagers interviewing older people. The adults seemed to really enjoy reminiscing, talking through the changes that had taken place in the town during their lifetime. People we spoke with seemed to hold a real, genuine fondness for the town and a belief that Ryde is a special place. Projects like Spirit of Place are really good for the cultural wellbeing of the community as they give people a reason to come together. It provides an opportunity to talk about things that are important to them and forge new connections and friendships.
A lasting memory of this project will be of people turning to each other with joy and surprise, saying “Wow, I didn’t know THAT!”
About: Sandy Ciccognani and Lucy Bell are community filmmakers and creative practitioners with a background in the voluntary sector, health and education as well as experience in visual. multimedia and outdoor arts, together they form Sassy Production IW. Sassy Productions strives to connect diverse communities through a combination of film and creative activities making films to tell their story.
Contact: Website: sassyproductionsiow.com Instagram: @sassyproductionsiw
Facebook: @SassyProductionsIW YouTube: SassyProductionsIW