Lasting Benefits

Leonard Dibb-Western is greeted by school children following the observance of
The 'Last Post' at The Menin Gate, Ypres

For the veterans

Cruel Sea aims to raise national awareness of the role played by the civilian men and women of the Merchant Navy from across the Commonwealth. Their courage in facing terrible conditions at sea and at war enabled Britain to endure, and to feed itself at a time when defeat and not victory seemed almost inevitable. For the Merchant Sailors there is a strong sense of their service as civilian sailors being little valued and forgotten. As a reminiscence charity committed to older people, Age Exchange has been well placed to bring veterans together to share their experiences in a supportive and creative environment. The project has concentrated on raising levels of self-esteem and promoting social interaction through a commitment to a shared creative endeavour.

For Age Exchange

Age Exchange is committed to developing new and innovative ways of exploring memory through wide ranging arts practice. This form of initiative is valuable in terms of strengthening and regenerating both personal and community identities. It also determines to explore and evaluate the fundamental links between memory and creativity and the value of creative practice in sustaining physical and mental health. Cruel Sea will also enable younger generations to learn from the experiences of elders both educationally and artistically.

The project links in with current thinking in the field where for example Age Exchange is currently running a three year national arts and training initiative "Creative Ageing" for the Department of Health. This project aims to create visual and performance arts programmes on an ongoing basis with elders in care, as well as train artists across the regions to be able to set up and sustain reminiscence arts programmes in care settings and the wider community. This work was initially piloted in partnership with Age Concern and The Theatre Museum, and led to major developments in our thinking as a creative organisation. Performances by elders supported by specially trained project artists resulted in very positive reviews in the national press, specifically commenting on the value of the elders' first hand reminiscences shared with the wider audience.

Cruel Sea has enabled Age Exchange to extend its practice of establishing new links with other organisations similarly interested in changing and developing arts and community practice. This view is borne out by the diverse nature of organisations and arts practitioners committed to the project.

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All images (unless otherwise stated) courtesy of the Veterans' themselves
or © The Imperial War Museum, London