Lockdown Lunch
At the beginning of that first uncertain, frightening Covid Lockdown in April 2020, Capital Age Arts’ Clair Chapwell was asked by Jacksons Lane to facilitate creative zoom workshops for older people. Out of the fear and isolation grew friendships and a strong, motivated group that developed over the years with the changing of the times. Here’s how it began:
Video by Radhika Jani
Time to act
Some of the participants of Lockdown Lunch were actors and were missing performing. After discussions with Clair, The Corona Sisters was born, with a weekly script that was written and rehearsed. It started with and mother and two sisters at war. Ultimately there were 15 people from the group in this madcap soap opera that lasted 35 weeks. Find the trailer below!
The gang!
Standing in age order from oldest (born in 1927) to youngest (1997).
The group settled down to being primarily a writing group, gaining in confidence as the weeks went by. Clair gave participants a weekly theme which prompted astonishing work. Here are five podcasts of some of that work, with musical backing, often by group members.
“Lockdown lunch started me on my creative writing journey. I used to say oh I just write little ditties. Now I can say I am a writer. Woohoo.”
- Carol, Lockdown Lunch member
More recently, we made a short film about where the project is now and what it has meant to those involved. We also have recorded some of the group reading some of their best bits- you should check it out on our Instagram (@capitalagearts)!
Clair Chapwell says
During our last three years together I turned 70 and I wondered what the decade would bring after a lifetime of writing and directing theatre. Lockdown Lunch has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. Not only do I have the weekly pleasure of meeting this wonderful supportive group, but I have personally gained from it as a prose writer. People listen with an open heart and bring positive responses to everyone’s work. It’s a continuing joy.
Though Lockdown lunch continues primarily on zoom- we do our best to get together both for picnics and for writing workshops. Above is one of the latter, and you’ll find Vicky reading her story to an enraptured audience! And below you’ll find Karen and Maggie deep into the former.
MORE TESTIMONIALS
Sharing our writing together has shown us who each person is - our strengths, our weaknesses, our hopes, our fears. Finally meeting up and doing those two most human of activities - eating and talking together - gave us each other in glorious, spectacular, flawed, technicolour detail. And I am so much the richer for having had the privilege to do that with this amazing group of people.
- Karen
Lockdown Lunch gave me a feeling of belonging where I could have creative fun with witty and generous people during the dark times of the pandemic.
My attempts at writing were encouraged and the whole thing was highly enjoyable.
- Cordelia
Lockdown Lunch Picnics…. It is almost hard to remember how important, exciting, even risky it felt to finally meet up in person— even to travel to a new-to-me place, Vicki’s lovely home, after the months of Lockdown. It was great to see old friends in 3D. All these people! I was surprised by some I’d grown fond of but only ever seen in little Zoom cells before. Hilary is so petite, Jim so tall! On the day I felt that such social skills as I ever had were well rusted, but it was great.
- Maggie
New exciting challenges
Stimulating
Allowed room for growth.
- Hilary
