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< Back to Past Projects >   Apprentice Arts

	Apprentice Arts "In My Father's Footsteps" This film, which is based on the experience of one of Age Exchange's long-serving volunteers, Helen Aronson, is the first stage of a project called Apprentice Arts. This is a unique programme of work (funded by the Department for Education and Science) created for students from three Lewisham secondary schools. The pilot project runs over three years and aims to train students in reminiscence work, film and documentary, performance and editing. Our colleagues at Lewisham Education are delighted with the progress of the apprenticeship to date. Meetings have taken place to align the programme to a new pilot scheme for accrediting students' work outside of school hours. This first year has really stretched the students to the full. They have come a long way having worked on this unique intergenerational reminiscence film. Helen Aronson survived the Ghetto, but her father died. In memory of her father's death, the film has been named "In my Father's Footsteps". Children from diverse ethnic and faith backgrounds have worked on the project. The film was shot over six days in the derelict part of the Ragged School in Mile End and at Helen's flat in Greenwich. It is now complete and ready for a special screening that would profile this unique way of working, as well as the experience of Polish Jews in the Lodz Ghetto. The script was written with Helen, partly devised by the students, and enriched by archive historical documents of the time. Helen's reminiscence to camera is intermixed with the students' performed scenes from her extraordinary experience of the Holocaust. It seems to us a very powerful, deeply moving film. The students are surprised by their achievement. We in turn have been pleased to see how they have matured intellectually and emotionally while working on the project. We are happy that the students work on the apprenticeship may now contribute to the Lewisham Plus Certificate pilot for non curriculum activities, to provide them with accreditation for an AS level. 'In My Father's Footsteps' is premiered at the Broadway Theatre, Lewisham in July 2006. Age Exchange is currently looking at options to develop the film as a learning resource about the Holocaust for schools across the UK. The students have moved onto year 2 of Apprentice Arts and are now engaged on a theatre project, and a design and dress-making project as part of "Love the Festival Hall". Funded by: Lewisham Aim Higher and Gifted & Talented
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© Age ExchangeTheatre Trust Ltd. 2008 (a company limited by guarantee) Registered in England No. 1929724. Registered Office 11 Blackheath Village, London SE3 9LA Registered as Charity No: 326899 Patrons: Roy Hudd OBE Glenda Jackson MP Rt. Hon. Nick Raynsford MP Sir Sigmund Sternberg KCSG JP