Suffolk Artlink ran activities led by a team of artists and creatives over two years. Participants drew inspiration from exhibits and oral histories at the Lowestoft Museum and Lowestoft Maritime Museum.

Through hands-on activities like quilt-making, puppetry, songwriting and visual art, the primary school pupils and care home residents examined local artifacts and lore like the Suffolk Puff quilts and nicknames of historic fishermen.

Our funding supported tours, celebrations, learning resources for museums and storytelling training for volunteers. There were public exhibitions featuring the intergenerational group's artwork and discoveries, and the project created lasting connections between participants.

Survey feedback showed children and elders alike gained knowledge of what folk heritage is and appreciated their shared community history. At the start of the project, 97% of pupils and over half of the adult participants were unfamiliar with the term 'folk heritage’. By the end of the project, 95% of students and all adults not only understood the term but could give examples of folk art items.

The project’s Community and Learning Officer said about an event: “I was so inspired by everything that I saw yesterday. The intergenerational engagement, the enthusiasm of the participants, the learning opportunities to engage with the local heritage, the exploration and interpretation through so many forms of art… those children will remember what they have learned for the rest of their lives.”