In July, we were delighted to welcome Lauren Gee, Senior Consultant for Genecon to our DAS Wednesday Seniors session. Lauren joined us to learn and talk about what culture means to young people in Torbay and to hear directly from our seniors about what they’d like to see more of in the community.
The discussion was thoughtful and full of personal insights. When we asked “What does culture mean to you?” our seniors gave a wide range of answers, showing just how many different ways people experience and understand culture.
Here are just a few of the responses:
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Being part of a community
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People from different nationalities bringing something new
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A place or a family’s traditions
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The way people thrive together in their community
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A unique thing or tradition about a place
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A sense of belonging
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Hobbies, happiness, religion
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People, food, weather
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Traditions like Sunday roast, fish and chips, tea and biscuits
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Kindness
These thoughts give us a glimpse into the values, traditions and everyday moments that shape life in Torbay.
From there, we took the conversation one step further. We challenged the group to imagine what Torbay could look like in the future. And because we’re a theatre group, we divided them into smaller groups and asked them to perform their future visions of an ideal Torbay.
They spoke of:
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A Torbay with clean seas and unpolluted rivers
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Streets free from homelessness and the struggles of addiction
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And fewer seagulls swooping in to steal chips!
This activity was a reminder of how creativity can open up space for imagining change. This is just the start of the journey and we’ll keep working towards a Torbay that reflects young peoples hopes and visions.
